Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Storytelling Program for Kids Celebrates Family Diversity at the Missouri History Museum

The Missouri History Museum’s storytelling program seeks to engage children ages 2-7 and their families in museum settings by using traditional and contemporary stories. In anticipation of our upcoming special exhibit RACE: Are We So Different, this weekend’s storytelling has an underlying goal: to break down stereotypes of how a family should look. The museum’s programs draw diverse family audiences, and this is a chance for children to see characters who also come from a variety of families. The stories we’ll tell this Friday at 10:30am and Saturday at 1:00pm acknowledge interracial families, adoption and same sex parents. While these themes are woven in naturally without carrying extra weight, the emphasis is on family members interacting in a positive manner. The following books will be featured:

Family by Isabell Monk is the story of a girl who attends a potluck dinner with her maternal African American family and brings a dish that is a tradition in her paternal white family.


The Boat in the Tree by Tim Wynne-Jones addresses sibling rivalry between a boy and his younger adopted brother and the imaginative bond that they eventually develop.



Emma and Meesha My Boy: A Two Mom Story by Kaitlyn Considine is the story of a girl who learns how to properly care for her cat through the guidance of her two moms.

Don’t miss this fun family program! Kids will also have the chance to make a craft that reflects their own family.

For more information about Youth and Family Programs at the Missouri History Museum and to sign up for email newsletters, visit http://www.mohistory.org/education-and-events/youth-family.