A few years ago, a teenage boy went to school wearing a pink T-shirt, and he got teased and bullied for it. Two other boys in the school decided they wanted to send a message to those bullies, so they got lots of pink shirts and talked to their friends about their plan. A few days later, the whole school was a SEA OF PINK, with lots of kids wearing pink shirts. The bullies got the message loud and clear!

Since then, the second Wednesday in April every year is the Day of Pink, when kids and grown-ups all over North America wear pink to show that they are standing up against bullying. It’s not too late for you to get involved!

Here is a brilliant YouTube video showing lots of kids from schools in Canada and the US dancing in their pink “Acceptance” T-shirts. They have chosen Lady Gaga’s song Born This Way which is perfect for celebrating diversity: VIEW VIDEO HERE.

A young man called Jeremy Dias founded the Day of Pink in Canada and his organisation continues to fight against bullying and discrimination all year round. Check out their website HERE to find out more about what they do.

This amazing pink movement was happening at the same time that my book Pink! was published. It was a total coincidence, but my book is all about a penguin being bullied because he is different! The message in Pink! is the same: everyone is different and we all deserve respect.

When Pink! was published in Canada, I got a message from a lady in Vancouver who used my book in her daughter’s classroom to talk to the children about being different. She said it was a great tool for getting kids to think about how they treated each other, and it really helped her daughter feel more accepted in the class. That gave me an idea…

Pink! is just one of many books for kids that help explore issues of diversity and acceptance. Check out the website Healthy Books for books about bullying, disability and self-esteem/being different. On this Day of Pink, maybe you can look at some of these in your school and get talking about how they share the same anti-bullying message. And see what you’ve got in your closet at home that’s pink. It’s time for a PINK CELEBRATION!