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Book Text and Resources

Dedicated to Zachary and Jacob: May you always appreciate your differences and treasure your friendship.

It was a gray kind of day outside in Same City.

The school bell rang; recess was beginning.

Jacob and Zac tried to join the ball game.

But some kids told Jacob that he couldn’t play.

For his skin was brown and theirs was white,

Zac stood by his friend knowing that was not right.

 “Why?” he thought, “should it matter at all?”

Each child in the class had a difference he saw.

“They’re tripp’n’!” said Jacob, and Zachary agreed.

“A trip – hey, let’s all go to Diverse City!”

Some kids were afraid and chose not to go,

But adventure is fun and soon many followed.

“Good food,” Zac said, “is the first thing we need.

Let’s walk down the street and get something to eat.”

At Same Café, the food can be dull.

By adding some spice it becomes flavorful.

Let’s dine in a place with savory meals.

We’ll enjoy all the various blends and appeals.

The aroma is sweet, and the menu delights.

Everyone can find something they like.

Embrace all the tastes and the sounds and the smells.

New friends are welcome to dine and to tell

Stories and memories of journeys they’ve shared.

The table is open; acceptance is there.

Next stop is the art shop; the colors are vast.

You can paint every shade, be creative, and laugh.

Mold the soft clay into balls and cool shapes,

Make a cup or a bowl or a tall flower vase.

We all have ideas that are new and exciting.

Let’s color together or sit alone writing.

Think of a story, imagine the scene.

 It’s great to create when the mind is so free.

“Who wants to move on?” Zac said to his friends.

I hear a cool sound that is drawing us in

To the streets where live music is filling the air;

A bouncy drum beat and loud trumpets do blare.

A band plays aloud; music lifts like the moon,

Each different sound is forming a tune.

It then turns so gently as the melodies change

To a ballad sung sweetly like soft falling rain.

“Each one is so wonderful, don’t you agree?”

Zac talked as he walked down Diverse City’s streets.

There are people at work, each with skills of their own.

By joining together, we get much more done.

“If we all were the same, we’d be missing all this.

We need everyone to share their unique gift.

We learn from each other and life can be found

In all styles and flavors, sights and new sounds.”

As they returned to the classroom later that day,

The kids were different and everyone played.

There’s so much more fun in a place filled with color.

Where all are FREE to enjoy one another.

THE END, or maybe just the beginning of many more adventures…

Diverse City Discussion Points:

• If you were going to paint a picture of the outside – how many different colors would you need? (Blue sky, brown trees, green grass, etc.) Can you imagine going to art class and only having one color to use on your project?  What would that be like?

• What about if you went to music class and the teacher only played one note, (bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum) over and over?  Or if she played one song that was great but it was the only one you could ever listen to over and over – would that get boring?

• What about if you could only eat one kind of food for every meal and everything tasted the same?  Do you know what spice is?  (Salt, pepper, cinnamon) Spice adds flavor and makes food taste better. At the Spice of Life Café in the book they enjoyed a variety of flavors.

• In this story, there were some kids being unkind to Jacob just because his skin color is different that their skin.  How do you think that made him feel?  I wouldn’t like that – would you? We should always treat people how we want to be treated.

• So, what should you do if you see someone being treated unfairly?  It would be good for you to stand with your friend, like Zac did in the story and maybe even try to talk to the kids about it. Sometimes you just need to walk away and tell an adult when someone is bullying another.

• Most importantly, let’s celebrate and enjoy all of the colors, flavors, music, and variety of cultures in our world and help each other out. We are all different in one way or another and that is what makes each of us unique and valuable. There is a lot we can learn from each other when we are all free to be ourselves.

Tying into Martin Luther King Day and/or young author projects:

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. knew that it was wrong for people to be judged or treated unfairly because of the color of their skin.  He was a hero and leader who organized many marches that created awareness and helped to bring about positive change and equal rights.  Dr. King had a dream that we would all be free.  I hope that you will remember this story and welcome new friends with respect and kindness.

A note from Shawna Ray to young authors:

My son Zachary really does have a friend named Jacob, (See the boys’ picture in the front of the book). The scene at recess really happened to Jacob and Zac in first grade, at a school in Noblesville, Indiana. This book is based on a true story, which developed into a children’s book (that I hoped adults would also read).

My hope is that you welcome and celebrate your differences while you are aware that we are all equal and very much alike. We are all connected, so be kind. If you do have moments of conflict, you are all capable of handling these sorts of issues peacefully. Talk to your parents and teachers.

When Zac told me about what the kids said to Jacob, I wished there was a way to help.  I had never written a book before, but I woke up the next day with the idea to create a story where school kids go to an imaginary place called Diverse City, (that part I created).

* The word Diversity means “the state of being diverse,” which means “difference and variety.”  When we take a trip, we expect and are open to new experiences, surroundings, and people that might be different than what we are use to. I want to always live in that state of mind. So, I wrote the book and had an editor review it and suggest changes.  I had to write and rewrite it a lot before it all came together. My friend Laurie Faust is an amazing artist and I asked her to illustrate the book.  She painted the pictures with water colors and scanned those images into the computer.  It took almost two years to get everything together and I even created my own publishing company to get the first edition printed.

It can be helpful to write out your thoughts, listening to the advice of your teacher and parents, and rewriting things until they are done to the best of your ability. It’s all part of the creative process, so don’t give up. I look forward to reading your book someday!

“Diversity.” The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. 28 Nov. 2006. From Dictionary.com

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