Books Celebrating Diversity: Help to Simplify Complex Topics

All The Books Celebrating Diversity Included In Our Pre-School Donation

Children’s books are an invaluable resource at helping to guide important conversations.

For one, books help to deliver a message in an age-appropriate way. Sometimes, even though we try our best to use the perfect wording or explain things well, talking about complex topics to children can be hard! I’ve found that books help to deliver a message in a way that they can best comprehend. As a whole, we’ve found that children’s books celebrating diversity help us to have more productive, ongoing, and deeper conversations about important topics. Plus, in general, it’s so important to have diversity represented in the books our kids read!

One of my favorite organizations, The Conscious Kid, says it best on their website: “Children’s books are one of the most effective and practical tools for initiating these critical conversations with children, and can also be used to model what it means to resist and disrupt oppression.”

I’ve said it before and I’ll always continue to stand behind this: Raising children who are kind, compassionate, accepting people is one of my most important responsibilities as a mother.

I want my children to see, celebrate, and champion diversity! So, it’s a no-brainer that ongoing conversations at home are essential. But what happens outside of the home plays a massive role, too.

Insert: Our schools. Diversity should be continually celebrated in learning environments, too!

Recently, I reached out to our preschool’s principal to see if they had a need for more books celebrating diversity in their classrooms. And the feedback was a resounding YES! Schools don’t always have budgets for books. And the cost can really add up if you’re buying for all classrooms.

So, some parent friends and I got together to make it happen. I’m excited to share the details of our donation with you today, in hopes that this post can encourage you to do the same with your local schools, and beyond. There are incredible organizations, such as The Conscious Kid, who provide book donations. But their reach can only go so far! Imagine how many educators and kids we can touch if we all donated books to our local schools. Plus you’re helping to show support for all the incredible authors!

Below are all the books our parent group included in our donation.

But first, I want to address & stress that there are far better resources than I to suggest books celebrating diversity! A few that I’ve found particularly helpful are The Conscious Kid + Coretta Scott King Book Award Winners + Readings to Embrace Race + Provide Solace + Do Good.

I’m including all the books we donated in this post not to establish myself as an expert by any means. But simply to provide what I hope will be a helpful book roundup for other parents who want to do this donation as well! Our parent group ended up taking suggestions from a plethora of anti-racism education lists. And quite a few were also suggestions from parents in the group. So this roundup is a culmination of all those inputs. It includes a wide range of diversity representation, and was compiled for young children, ages 1 – 4. (Though most of these can work for any age!)

A few other details before diving in! All together, we were able to donate about 4 book celebrating diversity per classroom, or 35 books total. We chose to have every book be different (no repeat books for different classrooms) so that the classrooms could swap books as they saw fit. Our approach was to establish a diversity-themed “library” of sorts, for the school! The total amount was around $500. So if you’re interested in doing this donation, that’s something to note.

Alright, let’s dive in! Here are all the books we included. Quick descriptions have been copied from their write ups to provide added context.

All The Books Celebrating Diversity Included In Our Pre-School Donation

(Click on the titles below to shop the titles!)

Sesame Street: We’re Different, We’re The Same

This enduring, colorful, and charmingly illustrated book offers an easy, enjoyable way to learn about differences—and what truly matters. We’re Different, We’re the Same is an engaging read for toddlers and adults alike that reinforces how we all have the same needs, desires, and feelings.

The Rabbit Listened

With its spare, poignant text and irresistibly sweet illustration, The Rabbit Listened is about how to comfort and heal the people in your life, by taking the time to carefully, lovingly, gently listen.

Your Name Is A Song

Your Name is a Song is a celebration to remind all of us about the beauty, history, and magic behind names.

Please, Baby, Please

From moments fussy to fond, Academy Award–nominated filmmaker Spike Lee and his wife, producer Tonya Lewis Lee, present a behind-the-scenes look at the chills, spills, and unequivocal thrills of bringing up baby!

Whose Toes Are Those?

A vibrant, playful verse that celebrates a beautiful brown baby’s adorable little toes, for fans of Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes.

Sometimes, People March

With a spare, inspiring text and gorgeous watercolor illustrations, this is a timeless and important book for activists of all ages.

The Day You Begin

National Book Award winner Jacqueline Woodson and two-time Pura Belpré Illustrator Award winner Rafael López have teamed up to create a poignant, yet heartening book about finding courage to connect, even when you feel scared and alone.

The Stuff Of Stars

In an astonishing unfurling of our universe, Newbery Honor winner Marion Dane Bauer and Caldecott Honor winner Ekua Holmes celebrate the birth of every child.

The Proudest Blue

A powerful, vibrantly illustrated story about the first day of school–and two sisters on one’s first day of hijab–by Olympic medalist and social justice activist Ibtihaj Muhammad.

You Hold Me Up

This vibrant picture book, beautifully illustrated by celebrated artist Danielle Daniel, encourages children to show love and support for each other and to consider each other’s well-being in their every-day actions.

Hair Like Mine

A fun and easy read following a little girl who doesn’t like that her naturally curly hair looks different from the other kids around her. On her quest to find someone with hair like hers, she soon realizes we are all unique and special in our own way.

Dream Big, Little One

Featuring 18 trailblazing black women in American history, Dream Big, Little One is the irresistible board book adaptation of Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History.

Skin Like Mine

An entertaining yet creative way to address and celebrate diversity among young children. Guaranteed to make you smile and a bit hungry.

My Papi Has A Motorcycle

A celebration of the love between a father and daughter, and of a vibrant immigrant neighborhood, by an award-winning author and illustrator duo.

A Big Bed For Little Snow

Bestselling and award-winning author Grace Lin artfully introduces young readers to their first snow through striking illustrations and heartwarming moments.

A Big Mooncake For Little Star

A gorgeous picture book that tells a whimsical origin story of the phases of the moon. From award-winning, bestselling author-illustrator Grace Lin.

Trombone Shorty

Hailing from the Tremé neighborhood of New Orleans, where music always floated in the air, Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews didn’t always have the money to buy an instrument, but he did have the dream to play music. This is the story of how he made his dream take flight.

Black Is A Rainbow Color

A child reflects on the meaning of being Black in this moving and powerful anthem about a people, a culture, a history, and a legacy that lives on.

We’ve Got The Whole World In Our Hands

The classic song, illustrated and bilingual!

We Are Grateful

The Cherokee community is grateful for blessings and challenges that each season brings. This is modern Native American life as told by an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation.

I Am Enough

We are all here for a purpose. We are more than enough. And we just need to believe it.

Be Kind

From asking the new girl to play to standing up for someone being bullied, this moving story explores what kindness is, and how any act, big or small, can make a difference―or at least help a friend.

Just Ask! Be Different, Be Brave, Be You

In Just Ask, United States Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor celebrates the different abilities kids (and people of all ages) have. Using her own experience as a child who was diagnosed with diabetes, Justice Sotomayor writes about children with all sorts of challenges–and looks at the special powers those kids have as well.

Remarkably You!

Heartfelt and timeless, Remarkably You is an inspirational manifesto about all of the things—little or small, loud or quiet—that make us who we are.

Pink Is For Boys

Pink is for boys . . . and girls . . . and everyone! This timely and beautiful picture book rethinks and reframes the stereotypical blue/pink gender binary and empowers kids-and their grown-ups-to express themselves in every color of the rainbow.

I Believe I Can

I Believe I Can is an affirmation for boys and girls of every background to love and believe in themselves.

All Are Welcome

Discover a school where—no matter what—young children have a place, have a space, and are loved and appreciated.

Alma

What’s in a name? For one little girl, her very long name tells the vibrant story of where she came from — and who she may one day be.

The Many Colors Of Harpreet Singh

Harpreet Singh has a different color for every mood and occasion, from pink for dancing to bhangra beats to red for courage. But when Harpreet’s mom finds a new job in a snowy city and they have to move, all he wants is to be invisible. Will he ever feel a happy sunny yellow again?

Little Birdies Lose Their Colors

**This book was donated by the author, who is a friend of mine from graduate school!** Little Birdies Lose their Colors is a story that encourages self-identity, diversity, individuality and eating healthy.

A Boy Like You

There’s more to being a boy than sports, feats of daring, and keeping a stiff upper lip. A Boy Like You encourages every boy to embrace all the things that make him unique. To be brave and ask for help, to tell his own story and listen to the stories of those around him.