Different Like Me Crafts, Activities, FREE Downloadable Pages, and Reach-Out Opportunities
MEET THE AUTHOR (and Callie the Service Dog)
Invite me to visit your school, church, book club, or birthday party, special event on Zoom or in person. To inquire about availability and fees or to apply for a free or reduced fees author visit, please use the “Contact Me” option on this website.
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Download your FREE Different Like Me Valentine’s Day Cards today!
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BIBLE STUDY – CHILDREN’S MINISTRY RESOURCE
Mindy Baker, my talented friend and the author of Mouse’s Christmas, created a wonderful resource to use with Different Like Me. The Different Like Me Kid Min Lesson created by Mindy Baker includes a deeper look into the Bible, follow-up activities, and Bible verses to discuss, memorize, and print out to share with others.
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COLORING PAGE
The talented Bonnie Lui (Loo-ee) created a fun page for readers to enjoy.
We would love to see your beautifully diverse image-bearers with their finished projects! All you have to do is download this Different Like Me Coloring Page, encourage your young reader to release their creativity, take a fun photo to share on Instagram, become a member of my Instagram Fam @xochitl.e.dixon and tag me.
I work hard to comment on every photo of God’s beautifully diverse image-bearers who tag me when they are sharing their Different Like Me photos. I believe in safety for our youngest world-changers, so I will remove any identifying information when I share your photos on my page. I look forward to connecting with you!
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CALLIE THE SERVICE DOG PUPPET
I drew this fun version of Callie the Service Dog. Download Different Like Me Callie Puppet and gather the supplies you need to create your Callie Puppet Project (listed at the bottom left corner of the activity sheet).
Instructions:
1. Color Callie’s face, tongue, collar, and service dog vest.
2. Cut out each piece.
3. Glue Callie’s face to the top flap of the paper bag. TIP: Only put glue on the oval-shaped muzzle below Callie’s eyes.
4. Glue Callie’s tongue below the flap. TIP: Make sure the tongue shows when the flap is closed.
5. Glue Callie’s collar below her tongue.
6. Glue Callie’s service dog vest below her collar.
7. Take a fun photo and ask an adult to share your photo on Instagram, become a member of my Instagram Fam @xochitl.e.dixon and tag me.
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DRAW A SERVICE DOG (2 PAGES)
I created this step-by-step guide to drawing a fun version of Callie the Service Dog. Download your free activity sheet by clicking here for Page 1 and here for Page 2.
Encourage your beautifully diverse image-bearers to release their creativity, take a fun photo to share on Instagram, become a member of my Instagram Fam @xochitl.e.dixon and tag me.
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DIFFERENT LIKE ME POSTER BOARD PROJECT
(Group or class project, ages 5 and up)
You will need:
- Photos or drawings of you showing different emotions you feel.
– Happy, sad, mad, silly, etc.
– Have fun taking these photos or drawing these pictures.
*You can also create a list of words that describe these emotions.
- Photos or drawings of you doing different activities you enjoy.
- One large poster board
- Markers
- Glue, glue sticks, or tape.
- Downloaded images, clip art, photos, stickers, or drawings of your “Favorite Things.”
– Examples: favorite colors, foods, hobbies, toys, etc.
*You can also create a list of words describing your “Favorite Things.”
- A list of positive words (written or printed) that describe the wonderful you God created.
– Examples: funny, kind, brave, honest, loving, helpful, etc.
Instructions:
- Draw a line across the top of the poster board, leaving room to add the title: “Different Like Me” above the line. Have fun and decorate the title area, too!
- Starting in the middle of the line under your title, draw a line down the middle of the poster board (top to bottom) so it looks like you’ve drawn a capital T.
- On left side of the poster board, use your supplies and your awesome creativity to show all the wonderful things that make you unique.
- On the right side of the poster board, show the wonderful things that make each of your friends unique. Then, add the ways they are the same as you.
- Share your poster board with your friends and celebrate the ways God made all of you amazing and special!
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WRITING PROMPT – OPTION ONE (ages 6 and up)
Create your own picture book entitled Different Like Me, Too!
Page 1: Create a colorful cover and add your name as the author.
Page 2: What is your favorite thing about yourself?
Page 3: What else do you like about yourself? Choose at least three things.
Page 4: What activity do you enjoy most?
Page 5: What other activities do you enjoy?
Page 6: What is your favorite food?
Page 7: What other foods do you enjoy?
Page 8: Introduce 1-3 of your friends. How they are different from you?
Page 9: How are those friends the same as you?
Page 10: What do you and your friends enjoy doing together?
Page 11: What new thing would you like to try with your friends? (activity, food, etc.)
Page 12: Why are you happy that God made everyone different?
Page 13:
Choose one version of Psalm 139:14 (see below). Write the verse on this page and draw a picture of you praising God with your friends.
“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” (Psalm 139:14, NIV)
“Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous‒how well I know it.” (Psalm 139:14, NLT)
*You can adjust the length and difficulty of this book according to your group needs.
*You can bind these books and share your story with others.
*I’d love to see the photos of you with your book and with a copy of Different Like Me.
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WRITING PROMPT – OPTION TWO (ages 6 and up)
Write a story featuring you and a friend who is different from you. Show how you work together to reach your story goal. Make sure you also include details showing what you have in common and what you enjoy doing together. Be as creative as you want to be with this story!
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REACH-OUT AND LOVE YOUR NEIGHBORS IDEAS
- Create a list of people in your community, discuss how they are different and similar to you, and pray for them.
- Love your neighbors by ordering extra copies of Different Like Me to share as gifts during a family stroll.
- Keep copies of Different Like Me in your car and ask God to show you who He wants to receive those copies.
- Take copies of Different Like Me to events and ask God to show you who He wants to receive those copies.
- Invite a new student to a play date and give them a copy of Different Like Me.
- Invite a family from your neighborhood or church to lunch or dinner and give them a copy of Different Like Me.
- Purchase copies of Different Like Me for birthdays, baby showers, housewarming gifts, as moving-away gifts.
- Purchase copies for a local military family who is moving in or moving away.
- Ask friends to join you in purchasing copies of Different Like Me to deliver to children in need or donate to:
– Your local public school and Christian school.
– An afterschool program that serves a local community.
– Your local public libraries, church libraries, and Little Free Libraries.
– Your child’s classroom library.
– The other classroom libraries in your child’s school.
-Each student in your child’s classroom.
-A local military base who can help you distribute free copies of Different Like Me to families.
-Local pre-schools and daycares.
– Your church’s children’s ministry leader.
– Neighboring church’s children’s ministry leaders.
– A local children’s hospital.
-A local pediatrician’s office.
– A local foster care organization that will give foster children copies of Different Like Me.
– Organizations who serve diverse children in your community.
-Organizations that give Christmas gifts to local children.
– A church food ministry that can place free copies of Different Like Me in food baskets for families.
– Ministry leaders who can welcome new families to your church by giving them a copy of Different Like Me.
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I would love to hear your stories and see photos of the creative ways you have shared Different Like Me with others. Please tag me on Instagram. The links are in the purple Connect with Me section below.
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BOOK RECOMENDATIONS LIST
Books that celebrate diversity and inclusion are not only for children who are similar to the characters introduced in the books. As we rejoice over God’s intentional creativity in designing His beautifully diverse and purposefully connected people, books can help us learn about those who are different from and similar to us. The more we learn to listen to or read about each other, the more we will be able to appreciate our wonderful and marvelous uniqueness as God’s image-bearers. And the more we will be inspired and equipped to love God and our neighbors!
The following list includes some, but not all, of my favorite traditionally published children’s picture books written by Christian authors who I know personally.
Each book is written by a BIPOC Christian author or includes BIPOC characters.
I’ll keep adding to this list, so come back and visit once in a while.
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ABC’s of Feelings by Bonnie Lui
You Come from Greatness by Sara Chinakwe
Cora Cooks Pancit by Dorina Gilmore-Young
My Breakfast with Jesus by Tina M. Cho
The Ocean Calls by Tina M. Cho
Brown Baby Jesus by Dorena Williamson
I Know Who I Am by Dorena Williamson
ColorFull: Celebrating the Colors God Gave Us by Dorena Williamson by Dorena Williamson
GraceFull: Growing a Heart that Cares for Our Neighbors by Dorena Williamson
ThoughtFull: Discovering the Unique Gifts in Each of Us by Dorena Williamson
Far From Home by Sarah Parker Rubio
Mama Kisses, Papa Hugs by Lisa T. Bergren
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