Stories that deal with issues of miscomprehension between people of different cultures have plots that are too complex for the average three- or four-year-old. Most of the available picture storybooks on such themes are intended for slightly older children.
There are some stories whose themes will easily gain recognition with pre-school children but whose settings are not White-British. Eileen Browne's Handa's Surprise is already an established favourite. Lima's Red Hot Chilli by David Mills and Derek Brazell is a lively, comical tale of the consequences of greed, that is available in large-size versions with Urdu and Bengali texts alongside the English one. A storybook with a theme specifically relevant to cultural diversity is Cleversticks by Bernard Ashley and Derek Brazell. This tells the story of a little Chinese boy who is able to teach his classmates (and teacher!) how to use chopsticks.
The National Literacy Trust website (www.literacytrust.org.uk) has a useful list of outlets selling books, including children's books, relating to multiculturalism, that you can explore to find further titles.
Another possibility is to create your own book for use in your setting. You do not need a novelist's imagination; pre-school children like routines.
For example, you could try telling the story of a day in the life of a local Chinese takeaway with the assistance of the owners.
If drawing pictures is beyond you, use photographs instead. If you cannot find someone to work with you in this way, try producing a picture storybook based on a popular story with a simple narrative, but altering the cultural setting.
