Child development experts recognize that it is the responsibility of parents and caregivers to teach children—especially while they are young and highly impressionable—that every skin color is beautiful and that every person deserves love, kindness, and respect. This belief is one of the guiding principles behind the creation of Love Wins Every-time and The Rainbow Race.
When a child is born, they learn about the world from the adults around them. Parents, caregivers, teachers, and other positive role models have a unique opportunity to shape a child’s values by teaching love, kindness, respect, and acceptance. Young children also benefit from learning about different cultures, backgrounds, and traditions from an early age. When they are taught that we are all part of one race – the human race, they are more likely to grow into adults who value and respect every person. By doing so, today’s adults can help create a brighter future for the next generation.
Every one of the lead characters in the seven Rainbow Race stories represents a different background and skin tone. Likewise, the Rainbow Race kids who sing the choruses were intentionally chosen to celebrate the beautiful diversity of children around the world. Our hope is that every child, regardless of where they live or the color of their skin, will see someone they can identify with and feel valued, included, and loved.
Research in child development has consistently shown that children thrive when they feel loved, valued, and noticed. Spending quality time with children, listening to them, encouraging them, and guiding them toward positive choices are among the greatest gifts parents and caregivers can give.
To reflect the diversity of families around the world, The Rainbow Race includes children from many different backgrounds and family structures. Throughout the stories, readers will meet Black, White, Asian, Latina, biracial, and other families. There are children raised by a single mother, a single father, two parents, and other loving family environments. Our hope is that as many children as possible will recognize themselves somewhere within The Rainbow Race and feel that they belong.
The lead characters purposely do not have names. This allows every child to imagine themselves as the main character and even give the character a name of their own. We hope this creates a more personal reading experience and encourages children to see themselves making positive choices.
LWE hopes to demonstrate that love has no color. Every person has equal worth and equal importance. People come from different backgrounds, cultures, and circumstances. Some may have it more easier than others, while some face greater challenges. Yet every person deserves kindness, dignity, respect, and the opportunity to be valued for who they are.
Our hope is that today’s children will grow into adults who recognize others by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin. We invite every child to become part of The Rainbow Race—a race of children who choose love, kindness, respect, acceptance, and encouragement for everyone.
