Inclusive Children's Books That Celebrate Diversity

Erin P. said:  This book by Mem Fox teaches little ones that there are kids just like them all over the world. While their homes, their schools, their languages and their skin may look different, we also share much that is the same. Just like your child, these kids all over the world laugh and cry, play and learn, eat and sleep. The illustrations take the reader all over the world, and the message of unity is such an important one for all of us!

Erynn said:  Through telling the story of María Isabel's new school - and a teacher who doesn't understand the meaning behind her name - author Alma Flor Ada shows how it's possible to stand up for yourself without bringing others down. Plus, the author herself knows a bit about making waves - Alma Flor Ada is a professor, advocate for peace, and writer of books that encourage kids to embrace their culture and the magic of being bilingual. A Spanish version is also available.

Kelly R. said:  

I love how Todd Parr's books teach about differences in a colorful and approachable style that is perfect for young kids. The Family Book celebrates families, and all of the different varieties in which they come.

Yoli B said:  One Family is primarily a counting book, but as you look closer you will notice that the illustrations represent the world that we live in. The story includes diverse families in their daily lives and counts the background items up to ten. It keeps the theme of "one" throughout and it all keeps coming back to the lesson that we are "one family."

Lisa R said:  This is a great series for kids who are just learning to read longer books on her own. Yasmin is a spunky second grader solving typical second grade problems. The books are relatively short and engaging. Yasmin's family is Pakistani, so little details about Pakistani and Muslim culture are woven through the stories, like that fact that her mom wears a hijab and her family speaks Urdu. The focus, however, is always on Yasmin and her adventures. As a grown-up sometimes reading these books with my daughter, I really enjoy all of the cultural details and that my daughter has asked to try new foods that she read about in the books.

Vanessa M. said:  The beautiful, empowering poetry and eye-catching illustrations of I Am Enough by Grace Byers encourage young readers to be kind to themselves and inclusive of others. "I know that we don't look the same - our skin, our eyes, our hair, our frame. But that does not dictate our worth; we both have places here on earth." The gentle message about acceptance of self and others is a great conversation starter for families or school groups.

Sue Krawitz Tandoc said:  Temple Grandin was born with autism and she used her special abilities of working with animals and using pictures instead of words. In The Girl Who Thought in Pictures, by Julia Finley Mosca, we learn about her struggles as a child, and how she transformed farms for the better, earned three college degrees, became a speaker, professor, best-selling author, and advocate for animal science and autism. This book teaches that anyone with differences can be a star. Focus your energy, wisdom and efforts on your talents and the things you enjoy to succeed in life.

Erin P. said:  This nonfiction book, by Katie Kissinger, is about how skin color occurs. It explains that there are three factors that combine to give us our skin color: our parents, the sun, and melanin. This book includes lots of diverse pictures.

Sue Krawitz Tandoc said:  And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson is the true story of two male penguins, Roy and Silo who live in the Central Park Zoo in New York City. The pair followed the other penguin couples and built a nest with a rock as an egg until the zookeeper gave them a real egg so they were able to become parents.

This book illustrates that animals pick and choose their mate based on love and not gender. The story teaches diversity, love and acceptance of others. It also shows the kindness of the zoo employees who enabled the partners to be parents.

Yoli B said:  My Mother's Sari tells the tale of a little girl using her imagination while wrapping herself in the 6 foot cloth. This book is a favorite in our home and I read it in my daughter's preschool class and allowed the kids to play with one of my own saris.

Yoli B said:  The Sneetches live elite lives because of the stars on their bellies. They don't talk, play or mix with the plain bellied Sneetches at all. One day a everything changes and all the Sneetches face their biased ideas. I love this tale and the video shouldn't be missed. It is classic Dr. Seuss told in a way that even the youngest minds can understand!

Erin P. said:  

This book uses vibrant pictures and minimal text to introduce young children to the concept of shades of skin. The message is that our skin is just our covering, like wrapping paper, and you can't tell what someone is like on the inside from the color of their skin.

Yoli B said:  Little Humans is a feel good photographic journey of kids in New York City. The author, Brandon Stanton, is the creator of the popular blog "Humans of New York." In this book, he managed to capture the spirit of children from different backgrounds in their natural element around the city. The photographs are raw and the story is heartwarming, so take a look!

Yoli B said:  Stella's class is having a Mother's Day celebration, but Stella has two daddies and brings them along! The book, by Miriam B. Schiffer, shows that there is no difference between Stella's family and "traditional" families. Stella's papa and daddy take care of her in this book about love, acceptance and the true meaning of family!

Erin P. said:  This is a great book for introducing young children to the concepts of diversity, individuality, and acceptance. In this book by Linda Kranz, a fish sets out to explore the ocean and discovers that fish come in all shapes, sizes and colors!

Lisa R said:  Piggy is a pig and Gerald the Elephant is not. Gerald wants to celebrate Happy Pig Day! but he's not sure he belongs. Luckily, Piggy is there to teach him that Happy Pig Day! isn't just for pigs, but for anyone that loves pigs! This is a great first book for gently showing kids that it is okay, and even fun, to celebrate other cultures, how to recognize what it feels like not to belong and how to empathize with and include others.

Kelly R. said:  

This Ordinary People Change the World series has several biography books for kids that are great for teaching about historical figures at an appropriate and entertaining level while delivering important lessons about diversity and values. My son enjoys them as an early reader, and they have sparked some great conversations. This Rosa Parks book teaches lessons about history, and also about standing up for your beliefs.

Yoli B said:  Muslims throughout the world celebrate Ramadan, which includes a month of fasting and praying. Ramadan Moon gives the reader an account of the celebration through the eyes of a child. Written and illustrated by Muslims, the book is a great intro to the religion and explains why Ramadan is such a special experience.

Kristy Pepping said:  My daughter's preschool teacher read the kids this book today. It's another great lesson by Sesame Street. The book is about how everyone may look different from one another, but really we are all the same. Differences may be in people's appearances, but this is what makes the world special. And even though someone is different than you, their feelings are just as important as yours.

Erin P. said:  

In Last Stop on Market Street, CJ and his grandma are riding the bus across town, just as they do every Sunday. This time, CJ begins to notice things that other kids have that he does not, including cars and ipods. He asks his grandma why he does not have these things. She responds to each of his questions by telling him something to appreciate about his life. This is a charming story that teaches children to recognize the good and the beauty in their surroundings, and helps to open the door for discussions on important social issues.

Erin P. said:  The Colors of Us is a book in which a little girl named Lena learns about mixing paint to paint skin color. She wants to use brown to paint a picture of herself and her mom explains that brown comes in many different shades. The pair go for a walk and Lena then notices all the beautiful tones in all her friends (honey, cinnamon, chocolate, French toast). The message is that we should teach children to notice and celebrate the similarities and differences among people.

Erynn said:  This sweet story uses a mislabeled crayon to encourage kids to be true to their inner selves, regardless of how they might appear on the outside. A thoughtful message that applies to a variety of situations regarding diversity, Michael Hall's book gives kids a gentle introduction to the concepts of identity and courage in one's self.

Yoli B said:  We have had a few friends reveal that they are Transgender, and this is one of the books that we will use to explain it to the kids moving forward. This is a story about a boy and his teddy bear, "Thomas". The boy notices that Thomas is sad one day and the bear reveals that he knows in his heart that he isn't a boy bear, but a girl bear. The book, by Jessica Walton, teaches about friendship and unconditional love, and is a great addition to your children's book collection!

Yoli B said:  I am very thankful for books like this that come along to explain current events to the kids. We read this as a family and were all able to learn about refugee and migrant children around the world. Refugees and Migrants explains why people leave their homes and teaches your children ways to help those affected. The illustrations do a great job of showing the struggle of refugee and migrant kids without being too disturbing. This book is perfectly suited for kids, but I found it helpful to read as an adult!

Vanessa M. said:  This is a popular book for middle schoolers because it does such an excellent job helping kids look past the wheelchair to see the real person. Out of My Mind allows readers an inside look at the inner life of a young girl with Cerebral Palsy. Melody is smart as a whip, but because she cannot speak, write, or walk, her inner life is very isolated. She struggles to overcome these obstacles with humor and determination, and you and your child will fall in love with Melody from the first page.

Sue Krawitz Tandoc said:  I'm New Here by Anne Sibley O'Brien is the story of three different immigrant students who move to the United States and need to learn a new culture and adjust to new schools. They feel different and struggle to fit in but their new classmates and teachers help them every step of the way until they feel comfortable in their new environments.

This book teaches children to be accepting of all children, especially those from different cultures. It teaches others to be patient, caring and a helpful friend to kids who are new to their community.

Erin P. said:  This is a great story about a young Black girl who wants to play Peter Pan in the class play. Her classmates tell her that she couldn't possibly be Peter Pan because he's a boy, and he's white. She tries out anyway and wins the part. She learns that when she puts her mind to something, she can do anything she wants.

Erin P. said:  

This book follows a nursery rhyme format to begin to teach young children about social acceptance and appreciation of uniqueness.

Kelly R. said:  My kids really enjoyed this book about two pen pals who live in America and India. The boys learn that although their worlds look different, they share many similarities.

Yoli B said:  I Like Myself is an energetic and imaginative journey through one girl's self esteem. The little girl loves herself no matter how she looks, smells, or who stares and will teach your kiddos to do the same. This is available in a board book, so it's not to early to start teaching your kids to love themselves!

Kristy Pepping said:  This book is based off the song We All Sing with the Same Voice that was sung on Sesame Street. The idea is no matter what a child looks likes or where they live, children are the same at heart.

Kelly R. said:  This beautiful story from Alexandra Penfold and Suzanne Kaufman illustrates a school that celebrates and values children of all different backgrounds, colors, religions, abilities and families.

Yoli B said:  Teacher asks the children to think about what makes their families special. One student is worried that her family is too different to explain, but as she listens she realizes that they all have the most important thing in common...love! Families come in every shape, size and in all forms. I love reading this book to my kiddos!

This story, written by Suzane Del Rizzo, is based on an article she read about a Syrian boy in the Zaatari refugee camp who had tamed wild birds. The book tells the story of Sami, a boy who must leave his pet birds behind when his family flees their home in Syria and walks to a refugee camp in Jordan. In the camp, Sami is comforted by caring for wild birds. This story helps illustrate the plight of refugees in a unique way that children can appreciate.

Yoli B said:  Say Hello is a bright and colorful book about Carmelita's walk though her neighborhood. The little girl and her dog meet people of many different cultures and they simply say "hello" to one another. Carmelita learns to say hi in all the different languages, and her dog Manny gives the universal "woof" to everyone!

Kelly R. said:  Shane Burcaw taps into kids' natural curiosity to educate about his experience living with a physical disability and proves (with a healthy dose of humor) that we're not so different after all. His honest, informative, and funny answers to questions about his spinal muscular atrophy prove that his disease is only part of his story. I know a few adults (including myself) who loved reading it, too.

Yoli B said:  My Princess Boy is a story about unconditional love. Dyson loves to dress up, wear pink sparkly things, and sometimes jeans, but his outfits aren't complete without his princess tiara! This book has a strong message of tolerance, anti-bullying, and acceptance.