Young children notice differences in people (skin, hair, etc) and begin to categorize them as “like me” and “not like me” as early as two years old. Whether you talk to your little one or not, they will be picking up social attitudes, values and stereotypes that reflect the society we live in. If you want to counter negative messages about differences, you need to start talking about your values and ideas about diversity early and often. Picture books offer a great opportunity to talk about race, religion, disability, gender, etc.