The Way We Play

Written to highlight the topic of diversity for kids in a fun and engaging way, "The Way We Play" follows a group of students on a normal afternoon during school playtime. The students participate in a number of different activities as they all learn to work together. Throughout the series of games they play, the classmates come to recognize their own strengths and appreciate the differences that make them all unique.

Seal is a great swimmer, but it's hard work for Monkey. Hippo stumbles over the rope that Kangaroo jumped with ease. Giraffe struggles with hide and seek, while Pelican easily finds her. They're all very different, and they have different strengths. But that doesn't stop them from playing together! This sweet tale of diverse animal characters was written by a doctor and a teacher, both of whom work with neurodiverse children. They hope to help children learn to accept and befriend others with diverse neurotypes, because our differences are often strengths, and none of our differences define us.

Ready Set Go Books, an Open Hearts Big Dreams Project, is focused on increasing the literacy rate in Ethiopia through giving readers books with stories in their heart languages, full of colorful illustrations with Ethiopian settings and details. Profits from book sales are used to create, print, and distribute more Ready Set Go Books to kids in Ethiopia, Africa's second most populous country. Ethiopia's population is 44% children, ages 0-14 (43 million out of 97 million total). Only 5.5% of children attend pre-school or kindergarten, and the adult literacy rate is 49%. Our books are based on wise Ethiopian sayings that often rhyme in Amharic. If an adult says the first half, many children can chant the second half. Sometimes the meaning of these sayings is clear. Sometimes it has to be puzzled out and argued over. But sayings and idioms and proverbs help people express truths and beliefs in unusual ways. Since late 2017, OHBD has published over 100 unique #ReadySetGo dual language titles in four Ethiopian languages plus English and has plans to publish another 100 titles and add more languages in the coming years. New titles and/or languages are added monthly; follow our author page to get new release announcements. Open Hearts Big Dreams Fund (OHBD) is a 501(3)(c) not for profit organization that believes the chance to dream big dreams should not depend on where in the world you are born. Our mission is to inspire and enable youth in Ethiopia through READY SET GO books, STEM and Innovation Projects in collaboration with individuals and organizations providing literacy, education, and leadership opportunities.