Since I moved to Australia and my children started school, we have been joining the celebration of a national tradition held in March, Harmony Week.
Harmony Week celebrates and acknowledges that Australia is made up of many different cultures, languages and traditions. It is a way to promote respect, inclusion, and cultural diversity. My children used to wear their Italian t-shirts proudly, but being born in the Netherlands and growing up in different places, they sometimes swapped them for orange, which is the colour chosen to represent the event.
This year, Harmony Week runs from 16 to 22 March. From 2024, to recognise the importance of anti-racism actions, the 21st of March has become the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (IDERD).
The celebrations are taking place in schools, workplaces, libraries, and community centres where people organise events, share food, and learn about different traditions and languages.
This post offers a small collection of picture book titles that my children and I loved reading during Harmony Week and beyond. They are resources that help start conversations about respect, diversity, and multicultural understanding, which are the main ideas behind the celebration.
My two blankets
by Irena Kobald, illustrated by Freya Blackwood, tells the story of a girl, Cartwheel, who moves to a new country to escape a war and feels lonely and confused by the unfamiliarity of many things, such as people, places and language. But soon she meets a friendly girl who helps her learn new words. Slowly, the new language becomes like a “new blanket,” giving her comfort and helping her feel at home again.
Mirror
by Jeannie Baker shows two boys living in very different places: one in Australia and one in Morocco.
In Australia, a boy rides with his father to buy supplies in a busy town. In Morocco, another boy travels with his family from their desert village to the market. The book is wordless; however, through detailed collage illustrations, Jeannie Baker gently shows their daily routines. Although their homes, landscapes, and cultures are different, the boys’ lives reflect the same love of family, work, and community. Reading this book is a remarkable experience.
I am Australian too
by Mem Fox, illustrated by Ronojoy Ghosh, is an Australian classic. We find the stories of children whose families come from many parts of the world but now live in Australia. The book celebrates different cultures, languages, and histories. It shows that although people have different backgrounds, they all belong and can proudly say, “I am Australian too”.
Welcome to Country
Aunty Joy Murphy Wandin warmly welcomes readers to the land of the Wurundjeri people, part of the Woiwurrung language group in what is now Melbourne, Australia. The story explains the Aboriginal tradition of welcoming visitors to Country and caring for the land, animals, and waterways. With gentle illustrations by Lisa Kennedy, the book shares respect for culture, community, and the natural world.
Back on Country
Adam Goodes and Ellie Laing tell the story of a young First Nation girl who returns to her ancestral land with her mother and grandmother. As they walk together on Country, the girl listens to stories, notices animals and plants, and learns about her family’s culture. The journey helps her feel proud of her identity and deeply connected to the land, family, and tradition.
More information about Harmony Week can be found on the official website: https://www.harmony.gov.au.
And if you want to read more about picture books that explore themes such as has diversity, empathy and multicurality, please explore this other post, Empathy and Diversity: What to Read to Children.
Happy Harmony Week!
Alessandra Giacchi
Banner photo is from: www.harmony.gov.au.