30 Days of Diverse Picture Books - The Change Your Name Store by Leanne Shirtliffe

One week gone already! It's Day 8 of our 30 Days of Diverse Picture Books series. We're still building the list for the rest of the month, so if you have a favorite diverse picture book that you haven't yet seen here on the Bookshelf, let us know about it in the comments!

Tonight's pick is The Change Your Name Store by Leanne Shirtliffe. This one resonated with us because we've already had the conversation with Sprout about wanting his name to be different. Honestly, I'd imagine most kids go through this feeling at some point or another - I sure did, and so does the protagonist of this book, Wilma Lee Wu. So Wilma visits the Change Your Name Store, where she tries on a bunch of different names, from other kids around the globe, to decide what the best fit is for her. (You might be able to guess what she ends up with, but it doesn't feel like a forced lesson.)

I love that this book takes Wilma to several different countries, and also that the scenes in the Change Your Name Store feature a diverse cross-section of names on the lists pinned to the walls. One minor quibble: I wish the author had somehow acknowledged that while Wilma doesn't feel at home in Belize or Paris, these are perfectly wonderful places to live, just not right for our main character. But that's an easy talking point with your kiddos when you read, so not a reason to pass this colorful, lively story by!

From the pictures bursting with small details (courtesy of illustrator Tina Kügler) to the affirming message, The Change Your Name Store is a great way to diversify your bookshelf!

The Change Your Name Store by Leanne Shirtliffe, published by Sky Pony Press

(full disclosure: we received a copy of this book in exchange for our honest review).