Booklist Removed from IAEYC Website
Not My Idea: A Book About Whiteness By Anastasia Higginbotham A picture book that invites white children and parents to become curious about racism, accept that it's real, and cultivate justice. The Skin I'm in: A First Look at Racism a First Look at Racism By Pat Thomas, Lesley Harker Racial discrimination is cruel--and especially so to younger children. This title encourages kids to accept and be comfortable with differences of skin color and other racial characteristics among their friends and in themselves. The Colors of Us By Karen Katz Seven-year-old Lena is going to paint a picture of herself. She wants to use brown paint for her skin. But when she and her mother take a walk through the neighborhood, Lena learns that brown comes in many different shades. All the Colors We Are/Todos Los Colores de Nuestra Piel: The Story of How We Get Our Skin Color/La Historia de Por Qué Tenemos Diferentes Colores de P (Hardcover) By Katie Kissinger The Skin You Live In By Michael Tyler, David Lee Csicsko With the ease and simplicity of a nursery rhyme, this lively story delivers an important message of social acceptance to young readers. Themes associated with child development and social harmony, such as friendship, acceptance, self-esteem, and diversity are promoted in simple and straightforward prose. Shades of People By Shelley Rotner, Sheila M. Kelly Cocoa, tan, rose, and almond—people come in lots of shades, even in the same family. Who We Are!: All About Being the Same and Being Different (Let's Talk about You and Me) By Robie H. Harris, Nadine Bernard Westcott New York Times best-selling author Robie H. Harris helps preschoolers understand what makes us who we are — from our height to our hair, from the shade of our skin to our eyesight. Can I Touch Your Hair?: Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship By Irene Latham, Charles Waters, Sean Qualls Two poets, one white and one black, explore race and childhood in this must-have collection tailored to provoke thought and conversation.
Having people treat you as a curiosity—Don’t Touch My Hair, written and illustrated by Sharee Miller
Being misgendered—10,000 Dresses by Marcus Ewert, illustrated by Rex Ray Texts like these help children confront the reality that what seems like a minor hurt can take on a new level of damage when it reinforces stereotypes. All the Colors We Are: The Story of How We Got Our Skin Color by Katie Kissinger Grades PreK-3. This bilingual (English/Spanish) book, with bright photographs, offers children a simple but accurate and effective explanation of the three ways we get our skin color (genetics, melanin, the sun) and emphasizes that our skin color is just one “of the many ways people are special and different from each other.” The end of the book includes a couple of follow-up activities. Whose Knees Are These? and Whose Toes are Those? by Jabari Asim and illustrated by LeUyen Pham, Little, Brown, 2006. My People by Langston Hughes, photos by Charles R. Smith Jr., Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2009. Let’s Talk About Race by Julius Lester, illustrated by Karen Barbour As Lester discusses how we all have a story, he brings up questions about why we think race is important and what it means to have a racial identity. This gorgeous book — great to read with kids of any age — allows for open-ended conversation and questions. Seeds of Change: Planting a Path to Peace by Jen Johnson, illustrated by Sonia Sadler This vibrant picture book “brings to life the empowering story of Wangari Maathai, the first African woman, and environmentalist, to win a Nobel Peace Prize. An engaging narrative and vibrant images paint a robust portrait of this inspiring champion of the land and of women’s rights.” A rich collection of related resources can be found on the publisher’s web site. The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi Eager to fit in upon her arrival in America, Unhei announces that she’ll choose an “American” name to use in place of her own. Her whole class gets involved, but ultimately, Unhei sees the power and joy of sharing a bit of her true self with her community. Easy but effective companion activities and discussion prompts can be found at Teaching Tolerance.
Lailah’s Lunchbox: A Ramadan Story by Reem Faruqi, illustrated by Lea Lyon In a new school and new country, Lailah is excited to participate in the celebration of Ramadan — but wonders if her classmates will understand. A supportive community helps Lailah share her beliefs and trust that others will respect them. Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match/Marisol McDonald No Combina by Monica Brown, illustrated by Sara Palacios To Marisol, “opposites” make a lot of sense. She has red hair and brown skin, loves polka dots and stripes, and eats peanut butter and jelly burritos. Should this Peruvian-Scottish-American girl have to choose one identity over the other? A bilingual affirmation of everyone’s right to not “choose.” From: African, African American
Africa Access Review
The Brown Bookshelf American Indian
• Teacher and Librarian Resources for Native American Children's and YA Books via Cynthia Leitich Smith Book Awards
Children's Africana Book Awards
Coretta Scott King Book Awards Multicultural • The Guardian: List of 50 Best Culturally Diverse Children's Books • I'm Your Neighbor Preschoolers (ages 2-4) Counting on Community by Innosanto Nagara I Know a Lot! by Stephen Krensky, illustrated by Sara Gillingham Round Is a Tortilla: A Book of Shapes by Roseanne Thong, illustrated by John Parra
Little Kids (ages 5-7) This Day in June by Gayle E. Pitman, illustrated by Kristyna Litten Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña, illustrated by Christian Robinson I Love Saturdays y domingos by Alma Flor Ada, illustrated by Elivia Savadier Fish for Jimmy: Inspired by One Family's Experience in a Japanese American Internment Camp by Katie Yamasaki Big Kids (ages 8-9) Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah by Laurie Ann Thompson, illustrated by Sean Qualls Thunder Boy Jr. by Sherman Alexie, illustrated by Yuyi Morales Penny and the Magic Puffballs by Alonda Williams, illustrated by Tyrus Goshay Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience:
A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin, by Jen Bryant, illustrated by Melissa Sweet
Handbook for Dragon Slayers, by Merrie Haskell
Rose under Fire, by Elizabeth Wein Pura Belpré Award honoring a Latino illustrator whose children's books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience:
Niño Wrestles the World, illustrated and written by Yuyi Morales
Maria Had a Little Llama / María Tenía una Llamita, illustrated and written by Angela Dominguez
Tito Puente: Mambo King / Rey del Mambo, illustrated by Rafael López, written by Monica Brown
Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote: A Migrant’s Tale, illustrated and written by Duncan Tonatiuh
Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass, by Meg Medina
The Lightning Dreamer: Cuba’s Greatest Abolitionist, by Margarita Engle
The Living, by Matt de la Peña
• Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote: A Migrant’s Tale, written and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh American Indian Youth Literature Awards
Caribou Song, Atihko Oonagamoon by Tomson Highway, illustrated by John Rombough
How I Became a Ghost: A Choctaw Trail of Tears Story by Tim Tingle
Killer of Enemies by Joseph Bruchac Asian Pacific Book Awards:
Red Kite, Blue Kite by Ji-li Jiang
The Thing About Luck by Cynthia Kadohata
Jet Black and the Ninja Wind by Leza Lowitz and Shogo Oketani Children’s books that explicitly name race or show a diverse cast of characters: A is for Activist by Innosanto Nagara Baby Faces by Margaret Miller Can You Say Peace? by Karen Katz Everywhere Babies by Susan Meyers Harlem’s Little Blackbird by Renee Watson It’s Okay to Be Different by Todd Parr A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni Lakas and the Makibaka Hotel by Anthony Robles “More More More,” Said the Baby by Vera B. Williams Shades of People by Shelley Rotner and Sheila Kelly The Colors of Us by Karen Katz The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson Additional children’s books that can be used to talk about various themes of diversity: About Chris by Nina Berndadetto
Mother for Choco by Keiko Kasza My Princess Boy by Cheryl Kilodavis From: We Are Kid Lit Collective 2019 Summer Reading List
Campbell, Nicola I.; illustrated by Kim LaFave. Grandpa’s Girls. (Groundwood Books, 2011). Bilingual (English/Interior Salish language).
Child, Brenda J.; illustrated by Jonathan Thunder; translated by Gordon Jourdain. Bowwow Powwow. (Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2018). Bilingual (English/Ojibwe).
Herrera, Juan Felipe; illustrated by Anita De Lucio-Brock. Grandma and Me at the Flea/Los Meros Meros Remateros. (Children’s Book Press, 2002). Bilingual (English/Spanish).
Hong, Jess. Lovely. (Creston Books, 2017). English.
Hong, Nari. Days With Dad. (Enchanted Lion Books, 2017). English, Korean.
Martinez, Ernesto Javier; illustrated by Maya Christina González; translated by Jorge Gabriel Martinez Feliciano. Cuando amamos cantamos/When We Love Someone We Sing to Them. (Reflection Press, 2018). Bilingual (Spanish/English).
Martinez-Neal, Juana. Alma and How She Got Her Name. (Candlewick, 2018). English, Spanish.
Medina, Tony; illustrated by various. Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Black Boy. (Penny Candy Books, 2018). English.
Morales, Yuyi. Soñadores. (Neal Porter Books/Holiday House, 2018). Spanish, English.
Paul, Baptiste; illustrated by Jacqueline Alcántara. The Field. (NorthSouth Books, 2018). English with Saint Lucian Creole.
Seki, Sunny. Yuko-Chan and the Daruma Doll: The Adventures of a Blind Japanese Girl Who Saves Her Village. (Tuttle Publishing, 2012). Bilingual (English/Japanese).
Sorell, Traci; illustrated by Frané Lessac. We are Grateful: Otsaliheliga. (Charlesbridge, 2018). Bilingual (English/Cherokee).
Wong, Herbert Yee. Summer Days and Nights. (Christy Ottaviano Books/Henry Holt, 2012). English.
Woodson, Jacqueline; illustrated by Rafael López. The Day You Begin. (Nancy Paulsen Books, 2018). English, Spanish. For Adults:
So, You Want to Talk Race by Ijeoma Oluo, Seal Press, 2018
NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman, Twelve, 2011 (includes an excellent chapter on why white parents don’t talk to their children about race).
White Fragility: Why it’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism, by Robin DiAngelo and Michael Eric Dyson, Beacon Press, 2018.
Why are all the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? By Beverly Tatum (2017 – updated version)
Waking up White and Finding Myself in the Story of Race by Debby Irving