15 Inclusive Children's Books To Diversify Your Family's Bookshelf

I love this advice from Anne Gillyard, educator-turned-playroom designer and co-founder of grOH! Playrooms. She explains further: "It is the conversations you have while you’re looking at the front cover, how you pause as you’re reading, and your reflections at the end of the story that will help your children form new ideas and inspire new skills."

(If you're looking for more great advice, check out her team's blog post on how to model anti-racism through play.)

I adore this story about a young Kamala Harris and her sister, Maya. These spunky "per-sisters" wanted a playground in the courtyard of their apartment building, so they community organized and made it happen. I used it as a way to talk to my kids about how they can do big things, even though they are small. My son really connected with it — I found him "reading" this book all by himself a few days after it arrived. And that made me so happy.

Get it from Amazon for $12.69 or Bookshop for $17.47.

IMO, this book deserves a spot on every bookshelf. It's simply fantastic writing. But with the current climate and the incredibly important movement to Stop AAPI Hate, reading this book to my children feels more important than ever. In it, a young girl talks about the shape of her eyes, and how she is connected to her mother, grandmother, and sister. It's one of my favorites to read out loud.

Get it from Amazon for $11.36 or Bookshop for $16.55.

A young boy named Mario asks his mother why we cry and her answers are just perfect (and, um, maybe made me cry). We are definitely in the "why?" phase, so this one really resonated. The words and illustrations flow so nicely. I felt like it gave me more fluency to talk about emotions with my son, which I am deeply grateful for. As a bonus, there's an expanded explanation on crying at the end of the book.

Get it from Amazon for $13.49 or Bookshop for $15.63.

Well, we still found a way to read about a dog... but this story is just too sweet to skip. Zara's dog, Moose, really doesn't like to be away from her. After causing a bit of a ruckus trying to be with Zara when she is at school, Moose trains to be a therapy dog so he won't have to leave her side again. I used this book to introduce the concept of service animals, but important discussions aside, it's just a really enjoyable read.

Get it from Amazon for $13.49 or Bookshop for $16.55.

My friends at Raising Humanitos put this book on my radar. This is a sweet story of two pen pals who find commonality and true friendship, despite living on opposite sides of the world. It's a great way to start a conversation about different countries and cultures.

Get it from on Amazon for $14.99 or Bookshop for $17.47.

This is the story of a young girl who watches as her sister wears a hijab at school for the first time. But it's about so much more than that. It's about love, sisterhood, and embracing who you are. I'm thankful to Olympic gold medalist Ibtihaj Muhammad for sharing this story with us. It was a really important read.

Get it from Amazon for $14.84 or Bookshop for $16.55.

I often look to Shelves of Color for reading recommendations and this one was just wonderful. This is a story about a little girl who is made to feel bad when her teacher and classmates mispronounce her name. But through the course of the book her mother shows her just how beautiful and lyrical the little girl's name — and names in general — can be. This book, in addition to being a lovely read, also teaches children why it's so important to learn and say someone's name the right way.

Get it from Amazon for $14.16 or Bookshop for $15.63.

This book gets to our hearts through our stomachs, using fry bread as a way to talk about Native American families and a shared experience. I loved how it started with the tangible and sensory aspects of fry bread and transitioned to the more abstract concepts. This book is well written and beautifully illustrated — and it even includes a recipe for fry bread!

Get it from Amazon for $15.29 or Bookshop for $17.46.

This is a feel-good book that reinforces all the positive aspects of American culture that I really want to share with my children (all people are equal, we welcome those from other countries, etc.). The illustrations are cute and inclusive. There's a reading guide at the end to keep the conversation going, too!

Get it from Amazon for $8.19 or Bookshop for $16.55.

I'm a sucker for a story about the bond between a grandparent and grandchild. In this book, a young girl spends time learning Tai Chi from her grandfather, and in turn, she tries to teach him the yoga poses she learned in school. This one is funny and relatable.

Get it from Amazon for $10.95 or Bookshop for $10.07.

This is a children's book, but it's also a textbook for grownups who want to have discussions about intersectionality, equity, and inclusion. The page-by-page discussion guide at the back of the book is so helpful for starting meaningful and important conversations with littles. I will be referring back to this book often.

Get it from Amazon for $18.95 or Bookshop for $17.43.

Oh, I love this one! This is a book about resiliency and how you might not be good at something... yet. The Magical Yet is by your side helping you as you learn and grow. The adorable illustrations feature a diverse group of children, but everyone will be able to see a little of themselves in this book because of the topic.

Get it from Amazon for $16.19 or Bookshop for $16.55.

With a classroom as a backdrop, the kids in this book show how important diversity is and learn about each other's cultures and traditions. The phrase "all are welcome here" is repeated throughout the book, and that's one that I'm keeping in my back pocket, too.

Get it from Amazon for $12.30 or Bookshop for $16.54.