I will never forget that day. I was nine years old when a lady asked me, "Are you "Pashtun" or "Tajik"? Pashtuns and Tajiks are the predominant ethnic groups in Afghanistan and yet I did not know which group I belonged to so I answered, Afghan " I was puzzled with this strange question and, not knowing the concept of ethnicity, I rushed home to clarify this issue. I questioned my mother, "Am I Pashtun or Tajik?" My mother demanded that I tell her what my response was to the lady who asked me the question about my ethnicity. Afghan I repeated my answer to my mother. My mother peered deep into my curious eyes that were waiting for the right answer and responded, "You are absolutely right, you are an Afghan and nothing else." This was an important lesson because it showed me at an early age that ethnicity does not determine who we are. Underneath all our beautiful diverse attributes we should be equally respected for being human. My book, "Like You and Me,"is a place for children to explore and celebrate the vast diversity in our world. As an early childhood educator and a parent, I believe that we play a significant role in developing a sense of acceptance, appreciation, and love in our children. The earlier children are exposed to diversity in a positive light the more it will help our children admire the beauty in every culture. Children are not born to be prejudiced; I've known this since I was nine years old.

Thousands of newcomers are pouring into Alberta from around the globe, bringing unexpected gifts. Many are writers and storytellers. What pulls them to Canada? What happens to them on the journey? What experiences have they deliberately left behind? What treasures do they bring? How do they describe their emerging sense of place and their creative aspirations in a new home? In this moving collection of stories and poems, writers from around the world share their thoughts on creating a life in Alberta. Expressed with beauty and clarity, and sometimes translated from the writer's native tongue, these very personal accounts of joy and sadness, regret and humour, homesickness and exuberance, describe the defining moments of a departure and an arrival. Contributors to The Story That Brought Me Here include Jalal Barzanji, Edmonton's first Writers in Exile; Rita Espeschit, Thuc Cong, Mohammed Al-Nassar, Monika Igali, Sabah Tahir, Therezinha Franca Kennedy, Sangmok Lee, Sudhir Jain, Yi Li, Athiann Makuach Garang, Marsh Hoke, Tortor Maruku, Reinekke Lengelle, Brian Brennan, A.K. Rashid, June Smith-Jeffries, Magdalena Witkowsky, Anna Mioduchowska, Ikponwosa I.K. Ero and Comfort Adesuwa Ero, Wilma Rubens, Patricia Lopez de Vloothduis, Neung-jae Park Mary Cavill, Mansoor Ladha, Chantal Hitayezu and many others. With photographs by Shabnam Sukhdev.

Run Away Like A Gingerbread Man tells the story of five-year-old Rustam, who lives with his mother in war-torn Afghanistan. When conditions at home become dangerous, they are forced to flee, and Rustam's mother comforts him with her version of the Gingerbread Man fable. The rich fantasy helps Rustam cope with the challenges of their escape. In our multicultural society, it is extremely common for children to have left their original homes, friends, their toys and possessions behind to begin another life somewhere strange and new. Unfortunately, it is often the case that these children were forced to leave their homelands out of necessity, out of fear for their own safety and that of their families. The author was inspired to write this story after escaping from Afghanistan with her then six-year-old son.

Tawo and Tawa were identical twins born in a period when Lula villagers associated twins with bad luck and so were often banished to the forest. It was at this time that Kokodiko, a dance monster appeared within the vicinity of the village. It hypnotized its victims and forced them to dance until they dropped dead. The village warriors, hunters and even the king tried to use their physical strength and magic to capture or destroy Kokodiko to no avail. Not knowing what else to do, the villagers were shocked to see the banished twins, Tawo and Tawa come out of their forest abode.They were further surprised but overjoyed to see the twins use their identical looks to mesmerize, trick and overpower the dance monster. They became heroes of the village. Until now, twins are deified and are believed to have supernatural powers in some parts of Africa.