Fill your bookshelves with these entertaining children's books about diversity to educate your kids—and yourself—about equity and inclusion
Children’s Literature on Diversity: 32 Diverse Books for Kids
Updated on Sep. 26, 2024
The top children’s multicultural books
Growing up brown in central New Jersey in the 90s, I rarely saw myself in the children’s books I read and loved. And I worried, some 30 years later, that my kids would have the same experience. Now, raising readers of my own, I make it a point to center my children’s literature on diversity—and work to educate others on why they should, too.
It’s why I became a writer—and why I was honored to serve on the board of We Need Diverse Books, an organization that has championed children’s multicultural books. But there’s still so much work to be done—especially considering the ever-increasing number book bans in schools and libraries nationwide—when it comes to children’s literature on diversity.
Reading diverse books creates empathy, and in the words of educator and scholar Rudine Sims Bishop, fosters windows for children to learn about other people’s experiences. Perhaps more importantly, as Bishop clarified, reading diversely creates mirrors, allowing kids to see their own experiences reflected on the page. And that’s huge. Because, as I always tell my own kids, if you can see it, you can be it. The best books create both windows and mirrors.
In 2023, according to the Cooperative Children’s Book Center at the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s study on children’s literature on diversity, about 49% of the books documented had significant content about people of color, while 40% had at least one primary character of color. Only 15% of those books featured Black characters, and 9% featured Latinx characters. The study also reported that 7% of those books featured LGBTQ characters, and 7% featured characters with a disability. While that means that diverse representation in children’s books has increased significantly since I was a kid, finding children’s multicultural books and putting them in kids’ hands is still critical.
So here are 32 children’s books—from picture books to middle grade—that meet today’s kids where they are, reflecting the true diversity of their lived experience.
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On Sale
Little Dumplings by Jekka Kuhlmann, Krissy Kuhlman, and Haley Hazell
Recommended for age: Baby to 3 years
Little Dumplings is a mouthwatering feast in book form. Illustrated by Manita Boonyong, it shows how much we are all alike in our differences, sharing more than 30 kinds of dumplings from different cultures—from samosas to soup dumplings to pierogies to bao and beyond. The rhyming board book emphasizes regional cultures and pronunciations and teaches little readers (and eaters!) the joy of connecting and celebrating through food.
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Whose Knees Are These? by Jabari Asim
Recommended for ages: Baby to 3 years
Poet and playwright Jabari Asim’s classic 2006 rhyming board book Whose Knees Are These is so timeless, it earned a 2019 sequel, Whose Toes Are Those. Illustrated by LeUyen Pham, the sturdy book features a little boy on a big adventure, proud of where his small but strong body can take him. “So brown and so strong, to whom do these fine knees belong?” The melodic board book series teaches little ones early and often to embrace the skin they’re in.
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Antiracist Baby by Ibram X. Kendi
Recommended for ages: Baby to 5 years
National Book Award winner Ibram X. Kendi’s Antiracist Baby, illustrated by Ashley Lukashevsky, is the benchmark in introducing the concept of anti-racism to even the littlest readers. It takes parents and kids through nine steps for creating a truly equitable, antiracist community. After all, as the book states, “babies are taught to be racist or antiracist, there is no neutrality.” Kendi’s picture book is a building block in his series of books about antiracism, including How to Be a (Young) Antiracist and How to Raise an Antiracist.
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Think Big, Little One by Vashti Harrison
Recommended for ages: Baby to 3 years
Published in 2018 by New York Times best-selling author Vashti Harrison, Think Big, Little One is a stunning board book that covers the lives of trailblazing women around the globe, from world-renowned architect Zaha Hadid to environmental activist Wangari Maathai, the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Featuring Harrison’s distinctive and delightful art, this is sure to be one of your and your baby’s fave multicultural children’s books. It’s also a great starter mother-daughter book to read together.
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My Heart Fills With Happiness by Monique Gray Smith
Recommended for ages: Baby to 3 years
Published in 2016, My Heart Fills With Happiness became an instant classic. Illustrated by Julie Flett, this stunning, understated board book follows one indigenous family as they enjoy life’s little pleasures together, from baking bannock, a skillet fry bread, to simply basking in the sun. The book emphasizes joy, something readers big and small could always use more of.
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My Mother’s Tongues: A Weaving of Languages by Uma Menon
Recommended for ages: 3 to 7 years
Written by 16-year-old Uma Menon and illustrated by Rahele Jomepour Bell, the 2024 picture book My Mother’s Tongue: A Weaving of Languages follows young Sumi as she wonders about her multilingual mama’s way with words—switching from English to Malayalam and back again in the span of a single sentence. Must be a superpower, Sumi thinks, as “the languages hop, like rabbits, from her tongue.” Perfect for kids in multilingual families, especially little ones can’t yet speak more than one language, this understated picture book reflects the lives of so many modern American families.
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Bodies Are Cool by Tyler Feder
Recommended for ages: 3 to 7 years
Written and illustrated by Tyler Feder, 2021’s Bodies Are Cool celebrates people of all different shapes, sizes, and skin tones in an upbeat and exuberant sing-song read aloud experience that emphaszies body-positivity. It’s a fun, gentle way to talk to toddlers about anti-fat bias, racism and ableism without being pedantic or just plain boring.
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Julián is a Mermaid by Jessica Love
Recommended for ages: 4 to 8 years
Published in 2018, the gorgeous Julián is a Mermaid centers a kid who falls in love with the idea of becoming a sparkly mermaid and his abuela, who supports her grandson all the way. Written sparingly—and featuring Jessica Love’s breathtaking illustrations—the book creates a magical world where kids are welcome to explore their imagination beyond the confines of gender roles.
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Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña
Recommended for ages: 3 to 7 years
Published in 2015, Newbery Medal winner, Last Stop On Market Street, written by Matt de la Peña and illustrated by Christian Robinson, follows a little boy running errands on the bus with his grandma on a Sunday afternoon. The exquisitely illustrated diverse picture book deftly weaves messages of poverty, class, race and ability in a delightful tapestry that is as enjoyable for parents as it is for children.
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Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry
Recommended for ages: 4 to 8 years
This sweet story centers on Stephen, a Black father who has to step in and learn how to do the hair of his daughter, Zuri, right before a big event. Written by filmmaker and Academy Award–winning creator Matthew A. Cherry and illustrated by Vashti Harrison, Hair Love is a love letter to natural hair and features important representation on the page. The duo also created an animated short film of the same name, which won the 2020 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film.
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I Talk Like a River by Jordan Scott
Recommended for ages: 4 to 8 years
“I wake up each morning with the sounds of words all around me. And I can’t say them all…” Released in 2020 and a New York Times Best Children’s Book of the Year, as well as a Schneider Family Book Award winner, I Talk Like a River tells the story of a little boy who stutters and as a result feels embarrassed and isolated because he can’t communicate the way he wants to. A story about parental love, natural beauty and finding our way, this diverse children’s book brings much-needed visibility and understanding to speech disorders. Sydney Smith’s stunning, vivid illustrations make this a must-have for any well-rounded bookshelf.
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Eyes That Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho
Recommended for ages: 4 to 8 years
Author Joanna Ho called Eyes That Kiss in the Corners “the book I wished I had growing up.” The instant best seller, which Ho wrote when she was pregnant with her own daughter, tells the story of a little girl who notices that her eyes are shaped differently than her classmates. She has “eyes that kiss in the corners,” just like her mama, grandma and little sister. Published in 2021, it’s a beautifully illustrated book about self-love and the power of family. Her 2022 follow-up, Eyes That Speak to the Stars, continues where Corners leaves off, following a young boy facing racism and recognizing the strength of his ancestry.
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Dreamers by Yuyi Morales
Recommended for ages: 4 to 8 years
Award-winning author and illustrator Yuyi Morales shares her personal tale of immigrating to America from Mexico in the New York Times bestselling Dreamers, winner of the Pura Belpré Illustrator Award and a Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year. Released in 2018, it’s a sweet and heartfelt portrayal of dreams and fears—and the creativity and awakenings that happen from books. “One day, we bundled gifts in our backpack, and crossed a bridge outstretched like the universe,” she writes. “And when we made it to the other side, thirsty, in awe, unable to go back, we became immigrants.”
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Yasmin in Charge by Saadia Faruqi
Recommended for ages: 6 to 10 years
Part of a 29-title chapter book series, 2019’s Yasmin In Charge follows Yasmin and her Pakistani family as she gets herself in—and out of—many adventures. This long-running series about kids of color really gives early readers characters to aspire to. Yasmin is an engaging lead—who’s been everything from an aspiring writer to a chef to a star soccer goalie—and the book weaves in Urdu (the official language of Pakistan) and Muslim traditions.
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The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson
Recommended for ages: 4 to 8 years
Written by National Book Award winner and former US National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by Rafael López, two-time Pura Belpré Illustrator Award winner, 2018’s The Day You Begin reflects on the power of sharing stories and finding companionship when you feel different and alone—learning to connect despite and because of your differences. Published in both English and Spanish, the lushly illustrated picture book is the perfect read for any kid who’s ever felt like a misfit. And let’s face it, that’s every kid.
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We Are Still Here by Traci Sorell
Recommended for ages: 6 to 10 years
Far too often, children learn about Native Americans in not-entirely-accurate historical contexts, like through the story of Thanksgiving. In We Are Still Here, released in 2021, 12 Native American children take us chapter by chapter through their history and present-day challenges, like relocation, assimilation, language protection and tribal activism, helping us better understand the lives of indigenous people and their present-day struggles.
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Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things by Lenore Look
Recommended for ages: 6 to 10 years
The first in a six-title chapter book series (and the accompanying Lucy Wu series), Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things, is a hilarious modern-day tale for kids on par with Judy Blume’s Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. Timid second-grader Alvin is afraid of everything, but especially school. In fact, while he’s there, he never so much as says a word. But at home, his alter ego, the superhero Firecracker Man, can take on anything. Can Alvin learn to embrace his inner superhero and conquer his fears?
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Call Me Max by Kyle Lukoff
Recommended for ages: 6 to 10 years
Published in 2021, Call Me Max follows the main character, Max, as he explains the word “transgender” and that even though his parents called him a girl at birth, he always saw the boy inside. School is “hard” as Max navigates which bathroom to use and tries to explain what it means to be—and feel—transgender to his friends. Written smartly by Kyle Lukoff, a trans author, the book also tackles rigid gender roles in a down-to-Earth way that can be appreciated by all.
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Merci Suárez Changes Gears by Meg Medina
Recommended for Ages: 8 and up
In Merci Suárez Changes Gears, a rich multigenerational coming-of-age story published in 2018 and the first in a trilogy, we meet 11-year-old Merci, whose parents are from Cuba and who attends a fancy private school on scholarship. Vivid details, like the smell of garlic and onions in her house and the sound of abuela’s telenovelas drifting in from the living room, create a realistic view of what it’s like for a young Latina who wants to fit in but also stay true to her roots and family.
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Ghost Squad by Claribel A. Ortega
Recommended for ages: 8 and up
Described as Coco meets Stranger Things with a hint of Ghostbusters, Ghost Squad is a stellar middle-grade fantasy debut book that centers on tween Lucely, who accidentally awakens evil spirits. She needs the help of her friend’s witchy abuela to save their town, but oh, the antics that ensue! A spooky and exhilarating read inspired by Ortega’s Dominican background, this series is fun and fierce while emphasizing a diverse cast of characters (alive and not so much!). Fans of Ghost Squad should also nab Ortega’s follow-up, the graphic novel series Witchlings.
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New Kid by Jerry Craft
Recommended for ages: 8 and up
Newbery Award winner and Coretta Scott King Award winner New Kid, a 2019 graphic novel by writer and illustrator Jerry Craft, is about seventh grader Jordan Banks, who lives in New York City’s Washington Heights neighborhood and whose parents enroll him in a prestigious school in the tony enclave of Riverdale, where he is one of the few kids of color. The book begins with Jordan’s very first day of school and shows how he and his friends navigate the school while remaining true to themselves. Fans will want to pick up the companions Class Act and School Trip.
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Front Desk by Kelly Yang
Recommended for ages: 8 and up
The first in a trilogy, Front Desk was named a Best Book of the Year by the New York Times, NPR, the Washington Post and many others for the way the 2018 middle-grade contemporary tackles issues of race, class and immigrant dreams and disappointments. Set in the 1990s, the series follows 10-year-old Mia, who manages the front desk of a California motel where she and her Chinese immigrant parents work and live, struggling to stay afloat as they deal with systemic racism, money woes and family drama.
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Timid by Jonathan Todd
Recommended for ages: 8 and up
Nominated for a 2024 Harvey Award for Best Children’s book, Timid is the Boston Kids Comics Fest founder and artist Jonathan Todd’s semi-autobiographical middle graphic novel about a kid who might just be too shy to find his way. New kid Cecil doesn’t fit in with the other Black kids at school, and the artists don’t quite embrace him either. In fact, when one of his drawings gets swiped, he’s in deep trouble—and there’s no one to bail him out. It’s up to him to stand up for himself and find his voice. And in the process, he might just figure out who his real friends are.
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Gigi Shin is Not a Nerd by Lyla Lee
Recommended for Ages: 8 and up
Series starter Gigi Shin Is Not a Nerd, by Lyla Lee, is a Baby-Sitters Club spin for the modern tween. Jiyoung, aka Gigi, is totally a creator kid. She’s an artist who makes her own clothes, cuts her own hair and wants to take over the world. But her staid Korean parents have other plans for her—which means they hope she’ll get a real, practical job when she grows up. Gigi has her sights set on an elite East Coast art summer camp, the kind of place that could totally set her on her path. But asking her parents to pay for it is a no-go, so she comes up with a brilliant plan: a full-service tutoring club for the younger kids. It’s genius, right? Young readers watch (and learn) as Gigi develops grit and resilience as she starts her own business, and will relate to her family’s cultural tug-of-war.
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When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed
Recommended for ages: 8 and up
A true story of Somali brothers who live in a refugee camp in Kenya, the 2020 graphic novel When the Stars Are Scattered puts a face to the migration and displacement we too often see and ignore—or don’t understand. A tale of sibling love and the power of resilience, it’s a story your child won’t soon forget.
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Drawing Deena by Hena Khan
Recommended for ages: 8 and up
In the middle-grade contemporary Drawing Deena, like many kids of immigrant parents, 10-year-old Deena has a lot going on. Her family’s facing some money woes, so her mom started a business selling clothes from their native Pakistan within the local community. Deena’s using her art skills to help create the shop’s logo and social media branding. But she can’t quite tame the tiger that lurks in the pit of her stomach—or call it the anxiety it is, because brown people don’t talk about mental health. But when her cousin and BFF Parisa starts acting distant and things with the new business get out of hand, she’ll learn that sometimes you have to ask for help—and learn to gracefully accept it.
This Book Is Anti-Racist: 20 Lessons on How to Wake Up, Take Action, and Do the Work by Tiffany Jewell
Recommended for ages: 8 and up
Written by activist and anti-racist educator Tiffany Jewell and illustrated by Aurélia Durand, This Book Is Anti-Racist uses gender-neutral words and vibrant illustrations to bring characters to life and help readers have a better understanding of race, social identity, and racism, among other topics. The book, published in 2020, features 20 chapters and activities.
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Roll with It by Jamie Sumner
Recommended for ages: 8 and up
“Weird is my normal, I like that just fine.” So says the irrepressible Ellie, the baking-obsessed, wheelchair-using heroine of 2019’s Roll with It. She has cerebral palsy and has just moved to a new town. The author’s son also has cerebral palsy, and the realistic voice and details help readers better understand Ellie and others with disabilities.
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The Secret Dead Club by Karen Strong
Recommended for ages: 8 and up
Fans of The Baby-Sitters Club and Stranger Things will love The Secret Dead Club, about a ragtag crew of middle schoolers who realize they can all see dead people—and may just need to use their powers to save their school from ghosts and ghouls. After a supernatural encounter in an Arizona state park, tween Wednesday and her mom Olivia bolt back to their family home in Georgia, where Wednesday finds herself the new kid in a very strange town. She connects with ghost-hunting Miki and Danni, and especially with her neighbor Violet, you know, the dead girl next door. But when all their ghostly gallivanting goes awry, Wednesday’s going to have to figure out who her true friends are. Or her very soul might just be at stake.
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Lola by Karla Arenas Valenti
Recommended for ages: 8 and up
Living in the surreal dreamscape of Mexico City, 10-year-old Lola has spent her childhood exploring the world under the towering tree that has always protected her family and enchanted her days. But now, her brother Alex is sick, and it’s time to get real and help him get better, any way she can. But how? She follows a path laid out for her by an oracle and finds herself in Floresta, a magical realistic wonderland a la Alice’s wonderland. But she must face off with the queen—and risk her life—if she hopes to find the cure. Tackling themes of illness, grief, and agency, this stunner will stick with patient readers.
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Summer at Squee by Andrea Wang
Recommended for Ages: 8 and up
Phoenny Fang lives for Summers at Squee—the Chinese-American cultural summer camp she’s been going to since she was kid. But this summer is different. Her old school squad has been split up, and there are a bunch of new kids at camp—kids who have grown up with very different experiences than her own. Can she learn to embrace all the different ways there are to be Chinese American? Newbery honoree Andrea Wang delves deep into cultural narratives and expectations, friendships forged and lost, and figuring out your own identity, for better and for worse. Squee is all about that one summer that changes everything.
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The School for Invisible Boys by Shaun David Hutchinson
Recommended for Ages: 9 and up
In this debut middle grade book from acclaimed YA author Shaun David Hutchinson, something weird is happening to sixth grader Hector Griggs. Yeah, like puberty, sure. But also: he’s starting to disapper. He’s shy and nerdy, so not an athlete, and maybe queer. As his best friend Blake becomes his bully, Hector really, literally disappears, right into the ether. And he finds out he’s not alone. There, he runs to Orson, another invisible kid—one who’s been stuck there for years and is being chased down by something. The School for Invisible Boys deftly tackles so many layers of pre-teen life: questioning who you are and who you want to be, figuring out your sexuality, testing the boundries of friendship and first love.
FAQs
What is diverse children’s literature?
Diverse children’s literature are books that reflect the ethnic, racial, cultural, religious, neurodivergence and economic differences in the everyday lives of the children who read the books. As defined by scholar and activist Rudine Sims Bishop in her seminal work on diverse children’s literature, in order to develop social-emotional skills, especially empathy, children need both “mirrors” and “windows” in the books they read. Mirrors help them see and embrace their own experiences. Windows are books that help them reflect on and empathize with the experiences of others, especially those different from their own.
Where can I find diverse children’s books?
In the past, finding books books featuring the diverse experiences of children proved difficult. For decades, the number of children’s books featuring children of color, for example, hovered at about 20 percent. Recently, though, thanks to the efforts of We Need Diverse Books, First Book, Lee and Low Books and other organizations, we are starting to see that tide shift. In 2023, the Cooperative Children’s Book Center noted in its study of multicultural children’s literature that about 49 percent of the nearly 4,000 books surveyed featured significant content about characters of color.
That means finding and discovering diverse children’s books is easier than ever, and that more diverse kids’ books are readily available at bookstores and libraries. But the demand for these books must continue to grow and be sustained in order for publishers to continue to put them on shelves.
Why are children’s books that teach diversity more important than ever?
Research has long shown that reading diversely helps kids become stronger readers. It also helps children develop empathy. But as a person of color and a parent of kids of color, I know this to be true: it’s even more important for kids to see their own experience reflected back to them on the page. Nearly 50 percent of kids born in the United States from 2020 on were children of color, and that number continues to grow. It’s critical for these kids to be able to see themselves represented in the children’s literature that becomes formative in their education and their lives.
Additional reporting by Robyn Moreno
Why trust us
At Reader’s Digest, we’ve been sharing our favorite books for over 100 years. We’ve worked with bestselling authors including Susan Orlean, Janet Evanovich and Alex Haley, whose Pulitzer Prize–winning Roots grew out of a project funded by and originally published in the magazine. Through Fiction Favorites (formerly Select Editions and Condensed Books), Reader’s Diges has been publishing anthologies of abridged novels for decades. We’ve worked with some of the biggest names in fiction, including James Patterson, Ruth Ware, Kristin Hannah and more. The Reader’s Digest Book Club, helmed by Books Editor Tracey Neithercott, introduces readers to even more of today’s best fiction by upcoming, bestselling and award-winning authors. For this piece on children’s literature on diversity, Sona Charaipotra tapped her experience as a young adult author, the former vice president of content and a board member for We Need Diverse Books, the former books editor at Parents magazine and the co-founder of Cake Literary to ensure that all information is accurate and offers the best possible advice to readers. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Sources:
- Cooperative Children’s Book Center: “CCBC’s Diversity Statistics show small changes in number of diverse books for children and teens published last year”
- Reading is Fundamental: “Mirrors, Windows and Sliding Glass Doors”
- First Book: “New Study Demonstrates the Importance of Diverse Books”
- Kansas English: Creating a Learning Space for Authenticity and Empathy: Book-by-Book
