September 1, 2018
Aimed at educators who work with young children, this installment in the "Loose Parts" series explains how to use carefully selected physical materials to affirm and introduce cultural values. Pinterest-worthy photo spreads of California classrooms feature Mexican tapestries, "persona dolls" (for talking through social issues), and baskets of colorful stones, buttons, and shells. These, along with prompts, texts, photos, or art objects, create various "provocations" to open-ended play. Although the majority of the case studies are intriguing and draw on the work of antibias educators, there are some missteps. The authors suggest that setting out canes and leg and arm braces for kids to wear will help them learn what it's like to have a disability. After a child expresses interest in Chinese writing, a lesson is offered on Korean calligraphy. Opportunities are missed for exploring questions of appropriation and cultural ownership and for suggesting best practices in settings where resources are limited. Despite these flaws, however, the book makes an important and convincing argument for deepening the "loose parts" concept through principles of culturally responsive teaching. VERDICT Educators seeking creative ideas for STEAM integration for children ages four and older are likely to find inspiration, but they may need to get creative about how to sensitively implement similar activities.-Miriam DesHarnais, Towson University, MD
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