Frustrated by a day full of teachers and classmates mispronouncing her beautiful name, a little girl tells her mother she never wants to come back to school. In response, the girl's mother teaches her about the musicality of African, Asian,…
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You and your name from Multcolib Families
[updated 3/2026] These stories for preschool and early elementary ages share the importance of names. Your name can say a lot about you, your family, your culture. Remembering and saying someone's name correctly shows that you value them.
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- When Alma Sofia Esperanza José Pura Candela asks her father why she has so many names, she hears the story of her name and learns about her grandparents.
- Mirha questions her name after her classmates continually pronounce it wrong on the first day of school so her mother helps her to learn the significance of her name and to be proud of it.
- It is time for her baby sister's naming ceremony, and Amira has a name picked out, but as friends and family pronounce the names they have brought, Amira starts to wonder if her chosen name is really the blessing she thought it was. Includes a note…
- "What a happy day! Zachary's baby sister will have her naming ceremony. In the temple! With his moms, the congregation, and all their friends! He's so excited he can barely contain it. On the walk from their home, they meet neighbor after neighbor…
- "Nivi has always known that her names were special, but she does not know where they came from. So, one sunny afternoon, Nivi decides to ask her mom how she got her names. The stories of the people Nivi is named after lead her to an understanding of…
- When Zimdalamashkermishkada starts a new school, he decides to shrink his name to the shorter, simpler Zim, but when his new friend Elly sees him for who he truly is, Zimdalamashkermishkada finds the confidence to step proudly into his long name.
- A child shares that their name feels like an itchy sweater, and they want to change it to "Gray." It's a big change, but one they can grow into together. And when Gray's dad finally uses their chosen name, it feels warm and right, just like hot…
- One day Amma tells Sona she is going to have a baby. Is that good? Sona isn't sure -- she has always enjoyed being an only child -- and straight away she has a word with her best friend, Elephant. When Sona learns that there will be a baby naming…
- "Thao" seems like a simple enough name. Only four letters. And yet Thao had been called everything from "Tail" to "Theo" to "Towel." At one point, completely fed up, she decided it was time to try another name. Something "easy." Something like…
- Names have power, they reveal our personal histories, weaving an intricate story of the past and connecting us to the future. Names -- and saying them correctly -- are important. Six captivating kids of Chinese, Tongan, Persian, Navajo, Mexican, and…
- Unhappy with her name, a little girl tries to find the perfect name, but with help from Gogo, her grandmother, Kantiga learns about her identity and where she is from.
- Names can be a greeting, provide comfort, act as a warning, or honor our ancestors and heroes. Sometimes growing into a name, or selecting a new one, can take a little time. Names connect us to others and help create who we are and what makes us…
- Anjali and her friends are excited to buy matching personalized license plates for their bikes--but Anjali can't find a plate with her name. Anjali is so upset that she demands her parents let her pick a new name! When they refuse, Anjali decides to…
- When Ai Lin starts school, she helps her classmates learn to pronounce her Chinese name and shows them that her name is not just a sound but a meaningful part of her identity and heritage.
- Every summer, when Sora's Halmoni visits from South Korea, the two of them take the bus to the beach to search for seashells. When Sora starts kindergarten, some of the kids tease her about her "weird" name. One day, Sora's parents receive a sad…
- Saajin loves his name. On his first day of school, Saajin is excited to meet his new classmates, but things take a turn when the teacher mispronounces his name and he is not sure how--or if he should--correct her. After trying to live with the…
- Bana's mother tells her of the strong bana tree that grows in their homeland, Syria, and how Bana's strength helped her survive war, being a refugee, and starting fresh in a new country.
- "Gigi wants to go by something besides her baby name--but Geraldine is too long to write and Hanako, her middle name, doesn't feel quite right. Will Gigi find the perfect name?"
- En su primer día como el chico nuevo en la escuela, el nombre del tímido Yefferson es constantemente pronunciado mal para su incomodidad y vergüenza. Con el apoyo de su familia, Yefferson encuentra el coraje para defenderse a sí mismo y a su…
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