A wonderful message of diversity, centered firmly on tolerance and love.
Not all families are alike, and helping young children to realize this early on can lead them to become more tolerant as they grow up. A Handful of Buttons displays a wide array of family units, including large families, small families, biracial families, separated families, same-sex-parent families, and families that have adopted children. The variety of colors and shapes within each family is displayed by means of buttons and colorful crayon-esque drawings. The final pages of the book show that regardless of the differences between one household and another, it is love that binds them together and makes them a family. Additionally, an empty house is provided for a child to use their developing art skills to illustrate their own special family.
The wide variety of colors and shapes that can be found in an assortment of buttons well depicts the vast range of people making up our world in a creative and unexpected way. The pages are filled with uncomplicated but colorful drawings and accented with buttons to create fun, artsy images. My personal favorite is the use of a few perfectly placed pink buttons to depict the curiously cute face of a little piggy. With attractive illustrations and text made up of simple descriptive sentences rather than a storyline, I would recommend this book to toddlers and preschoolers. Luque’s creativity really shines in the unique design of this book’s adorable craft-centric artwork. A Handful of Buttons provides children with a wonderful message of diversity, centered firmly on tolerance and love.
