It's Okay to Be Different

{{Short description|2001 children's book by Todd Parr}}

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It's Okay to Be Different is a children's book by Todd Parr. It was published in 2001 by Little, Brown & Co. ({{ISBN|0-316-66603-3}}).{{cite web

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| title = Book pick of the month

| publisher = Ready, Sit, Read

| date = 2003-07-12

| url = http://sites.target.com/site/en/readysitread/page.jsp?contentId=PRD03-001465

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| doi =

| accessdate = 2007-02-16

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061230100035/http://sites.target.com/site/en/readysitread/page.jsp?contentId=PRD03-001465

| archive-date = 2006-12-30

| url-status = dead

}}{{cite web

| last = Gosselin

| first = Catie

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| title = It's Okay to Be Different: A Book Review

| publisher = The Corner Library

| date = 2003-07-12

| url = http://www.seedsofknowledge.com/toddparr.html

| doi =

| accessdate = 2007-02-16 }} The book has become a popular resource for teaching diversity and tolerance.. {{cite web

| last = Price

| first = Karla

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| title = It's Okay to Be Different: Teaching Diversity With Todd Parr

| publisher = Read, Write, Think

| date = 2003-07-12 | url = http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=890

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| accessdate = 2007-02-16 }}{{cite web

| last = Aggie

| first = Beth

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| title = It's Okay to be Different

| publisher = teachers.net

| date = 2003-07-12

| url = http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/2898.html

| doi =

| accessdate = 2007-02-16 }}

Contrasts and unusual situations are presented with simple, colorful illustrations. The storylines include a kangaroo with a dog in her pouch and some sillier themes like, "It's okay to eat macaroni and cheese in the bathtub". These storylines can be the starting point to ask children if they know anyone like the characters in the book or if they see a character resembling themselves.