Just Like Me

Toddlers are developing a sense of self—they are learning who they are as individuals and family members. They also learn how they are the same as and different from others—they notice gender, skin color, and how people talk. Choose books to help them understand these likenesses and differences.

Select or make books that support toddlers’ positive identities—as boys or girls; members of families and communities; and people with particular physical characteristics, interests, and capabilities.
Include books with illustrations that reflect a variety of families.
Include books in the home languages or dialects of the children.

Sharing a well-chosen book with a toddler and helping her identify with the characters and story can help her feel good about herself and her family.

For young toddlers: Encourage toddlers to identify with or imitate characters who are similar to them in some way––in physical appearance, interests and activities, or likes and dislikes.
For older toddlers: Help children to identify with characters who share their backgrounds and feelings. Toddlers may worry when a character seems hurt or lonely, connect a character’s feeling to a situation they encountered, or suggest ways to solve a problem in the story.

Toddlers may feel proud when you choose books in their home language or with people like them who do things they can admire.

Look for original stories in children’s home languages and dialects and images that reflect their families and cultures.
Ask family members to read or record favorite books.
Ask family members to teach you how to say key words and phrases with correct pronunciation and intonation.