Perfectly Peach: 10 Years of Celebrating Diversity
Tamara Estabrooks is a CDS parent and the mother of Alex and Arden in Grades 9 and 7. She is a pediatric speech language pathologist by profession and the author of the children's book, Perfectly Peach, which she published with a friend 10 years ago and recently gifted a copy to the Junior School Library.
Perfectly Peach is about a young girl trying to understand how she fits into a world of labels. While she feels she is not quite as “pink” as her father, and not quite as “brown” as her mother, she comes to the conclusion that she is “perfectly peach”. The intention behind their story is to help children recognize the wide diversity of the world that surrounds them and to appreciate the family tree that embraces them.
Tammy and her co-author Vicky Cansino (illustrator) created this book in response to some of the questions their children were asking about colour, race and acceptance. Their ultimate goal was to bring colour to all children’s lives and make them feel accepted and loved for who they are.
“While I wrote it 10 years ago, it is as relevant as ever today,” explains Tammy. Recently, one of her daughter’s teachers from her previous school reached out to let them know the book has helped her start difficult conversations with her students.
Hearing that news, Tammy and Vicky rushed to do a reprint. Along the way, they decided to change the very last line of the book, “We decided to change the final line of the book to reflect how our message has evolved over the past 10 years. We recognize that we want to see colour. That is part of who we are and we want to embrace that.”
Tammy considers Perfectly Peach more of a Junior School book and appropriate for students up to Grades 4 and 5, as it is written in rhyme for younger children and provides a way to talk with children about how families come from many different backgrounds and heritages.
Land Acknowledgment
The Country Day School wishes to recognize and acknowledge the land on which the school operates. Our nearest Indigenous Nations are now the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and the Chippewas of Georgina Island. The Dish with One Spoon Wampum covenant is often cited as an example of the shared responsibility for caring for these lands among the Huron-Wendat, Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples who would call these their traditional territories. CDS respects the relationship with these lands and recognizes that our connection to this land can be strengthened by our continued relationship with all First Nations, by acknowledging our shared responsibility to respect and care for the land and waters for future generations.
School Information
13415 Dufferin Street King, Ontario L7B 1K5
(905) 833-1220
communications@cds.on.ca
admissions@cds.on.ca
Founded in 1972, The Country Day School is a co-educational private school offering programs in JK-12 and located on 100 acres north of Toronto in King.
(905) 833-1220
communications@cds.on.ca
admissions@cds.on.ca
Founded in 1972, The Country Day School is a co-educational private school offering programs in JK-12 and located on 100 acres north of Toronto in King.
