Given the current climate, a lot of parents are looking at ways to talk to their children about race. There isn’t a right age to start talking about it and books can be a great jumping off point.
While books like A is for Activist by Innosanto Nagara or Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman are great, books with a focus on oppression aren’t the definition of diversity books. BAME children and their white peers also need to see books that celebrate their main character, with a fun storyline. The Alfie stories by Shirley Hughes spring to mind. So, I have put together a list of 10 books that will help diversify your child’s bookshelf.
10 Books To Diversify Your Child’s Bookshelf
1) One Word from Sophia by Jim Averbeck
Sophia has one wish for her birthday but their are Four Big Problems in her way: Mom, Dad, Uncle Conrad and Grand-mama.
A story about a boy who has a dragon for a pen pal.
3) The Colors of Us by Karen Katz
A little girl wants to paint a self portrait using brown paint for her skin. On a walk through her neighbourhood, she notices different shades of brown skin and starts to see her world in a new way.
4. Cool Cuts by Mechal Renee Roe
African-American boys and their cool hair are celebrated in this picture book.
5) Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman
Grace loves stories and acting them out. She decides that she will play the part of Peter Pan when her teacher tells the class they are going to perform the play.
6. Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love
While riding the subway one day, Julian notices three ladies dressed up as mermaids. When he gets home, all he can think about is dressing up in his own mermaid costume.
7) Princess Janine by Iolette Thomas
Janine and her family visit the safari park, where she meets the elephants.
8) King of Another Country by Fiona French
In an African village, there is a man who always says ‘No’. The King of The Forest, makes him King of another land and he learns to say ‘Yes’.
9) Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty
A curious little girl with a passion for science, can’t stop asking questions about the world around her.
10) Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall
A little boy grapples with his anxiety as he tries to jump off the high diving board at the pool, while his supportive father encourages him to try, try again.
Happy reading!
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Image credit: Paloma Thompson
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