I think "Jamie is Jamie" by Afsaneh Moradian is the perfect way to end Pride Month. To me, Pride Month is about celebrating the ability to be ourselves - to look the way that makes us happiest and to follow our hearts and love who we love. It is also about letting others know that we love and support them even if they choose paths different from our own. Some people may think bringing up Pride Month and the LBGTQ community is a sensitive topic which is inappropriate for young children. But I think it's a highly important topic to introduce to children in an age-appropriate way because not only does it help build a foundation of acceptance that can be broadened to include anyone different from ourselves, it also lets children know that there are no limits to what they can do or who they can be. And the book "Jamie is Jamie" does just that. It addresses societal gender roles in a way that even the youngest children can understand. As a bonus, it also highlights the importance of free play time in early childhood which speaks right to my heart as a former early childhood educator.

June 12th is Loving Day, celebrating the landmark case Loving v. Virginia. Richard and Mildred Loving were arrested in 1958 because they were an interracial couple living in Virginia, where it was illegal to marry someone of a different race. The Lovings and their lawyers argued that interracial marriage laws were unlawful and based on slavery laws and white supremacy. 9 years later, on June 12, 1967, the Lovings won their case in the Supreme Court. 

We read "Oil Spill" by Melvin Berger to find out more about how oil spills happen and how they affect plants and wildlife. "Oil Spill" also explains how experts clean up the ocean and affected animals after oil spills and provides some tips on how you can help.

We like to get our hands involved in our learning, so while I was reading the story, Lil C and Squidgy were creating their own mini oil spills.

Then I gave them a "boat" (I didn't have two small toy boats so we used Hatchimal eggs) and a little bottle of "crude oil" (cooking oil mixed with a bit of cocoa powder).