Raising my sons to have empathy and compassion for other people really matters to me. We’re lucky to live in south-east London and we’re fortunate to have everything we need, but I think it’s important for Gianni and Tiago to realise that not everyone enjoys such a privileged life. I was looking to diversify our collection of books when I saw a friend recommend Wonderbooks on social media, so I thought I would give them a try and I’m so pleased I did. They’re really helping my boys’ understanding of the world – and helping me in my quest to encourage gratitude and make them aware that for some children, life can be very challenging.
My boys are only five so I read the books to them and when a new one arrives, they are so excited. The first thing we do is look on our globe for the country where the story is set. Each book is based on a real child in a different part of the world, so on a basic level, the boys are learning about different countries. The illustrations show the landscape and the clothes people wear, so they’re absorbing the fact that children grow up in different cultures and that difference is something to accept and celebrate. I remember one book was set in Bangladesh and showed a woman in a hijab, which prompted a conversation about what she was wearing and why.
