Everyday Diversity: 100+ Representationally Diverse Picture Books

Everyday stories can be hard to find, since the stories are not about being from a marginalized group, they become invisible in searches--thus the need for this project! Some of the decisions are subjective; you may not consider a particular book to represent a marginalized group. I am open to feedback, but please know that this project is, by nature, pretty subjective and a lot of what we have to go off of is what is presented in the pictures. 

 This list is a work in progress; The plan is to write more in-depth about the books, and create tags that make them searchable in different ways. But for now, here's the list! Alphabetical by title, with suggested themes below.

A Day with No Crayons by Elizabeth Rusch
colors, behavior, imagination

A Vacation for Pooch by Maryann Cocca-Leffler
multiracial families, dogs, travel, grandparents

All of Me! A book of Thanks by Molly Bang
thankfulness, bodies, five senses

An Orange in January By Diana Hutts Aston
sharing, fruit, food, seasons

Anna Hibiscus’ Song by Atinuke
multiracial families, being yourself, happiness, singing

Baby Parade by Rebecca O’Connel
Colors, babies

Baby Ruby Bawled by Malaika Rose Stanley
multiracial families, new siblings, babies, singing

Besos for Baby by Jen Arena
multiracial families, kisses, love, babies, board books

Big Snow by Jonathan Bean
snow, waiting, imagination, weather

Blackout by John Rocco
multiracial families, family, community, neighborhoods

Can you Hear the Sea? By Judy Cumberbatch *set outside the US, but is still an every day story oceans, shells, grandparents

Can’t Sleep without Sheep by Susanna Leonard Hill
bedtime, sheep, sleeping

Charlotte and the Quiet Place by Deborah Sosin
yoga, noisy, nature

Cook It by Child’s Play, illustrated by Georgie Birkett
cooking, food, shopping, vegetables, pizza, multiracial families

Do Like Kyla by Angela Johnson
siblings, copying, snow, families

Double Trouble for Anna Hibiscus by Atinuke
new siblings, families, multiracial families.

Drum City by Thea Guidone
music, communities

Fire engine No. 9 by Mike Austin
fire safety, heroes/superheroes, firefighters, community helpers

Fire! Fuego! Brave Bomberos by Susan Middleton Elya
community helpers, firefighters, heroes/superheroes, fire safety

Firebird by Misty Copeland
dance, ballet

Fireman Small by Wong Herbert Lee
community helpers, firefighters, heroes/superheroes, fire safety

First Day of Winter by Denise Fleming
snow, snowmen, winter

Gracias Thanks by Pat Mora
thankfulness

Green is a Chile Pepper by Rosanne Greenfield Thong
colors

Happy in Our Skin by Fran Manushkin
multiracial families, differences, being yourself

Here Comes Trouble by Corinne Demas
cats, dogs, behavior

Hero Mom by Melinda Hardin
heroes/superheroes, mothers,

How do you Wokka-Wokka? By Elizabeth Bluemle
cities, dance, movement, community

How to Share with a Bear by Eric Pinder
siblings, imagination, bears

I Got the Rhythm by Connie Schofield-Morrison
dance, singing, music, neighborhoods, movement

I Had a Favorite Dress by Boni Ashburn
clothing, growing up, sewing, creativity

I Know a Lot by Stephen Krensky
babies, growing up, board books

I See Kitty by Yasmine Surovec
clouds, imagination, pets, cats

If I Had a Raptor by George O’Connor
pets, dinosaurs, cats

Inside Outside by Lizi Boyd
in and out, houses, opposites

Job Site by Nathan Clement
construction, vehicles, trucks

Juba This, Juba That by Helaine Becker
rhymes, dance, cats, fantasy, imagination

Just the Two of Us by Will Smith
families, love, fathers

Keisha Ann Can! by Daniel Kirk
school, being yourself, growing up

Lemonade in Winter by Emily Jenkins
winter, money, lemonade

Lenny Has Lunch by Ken Wilson-Max
fathers, babies, food, board books

Leo Loves Baby Time by Anna McQuinn
libraries, babies, books, board books

Lily Brown’s Paintings by Angela Johnson
painting, art, imagination

Lion Lion by Miriam Busch
pets, lions, tricksters

Little Dump Truck by Margery Cuyler
trucks, construction, books to sing

Little Little Girl with the Big Big Voice by Kristen Balouch
jungle, noise, lions,

Lola Loves Stories by Anna McQuinn
reading, libraries, books, imagination

Lola Plants a Garden by Anna McQuinn
gardens, plants, spring, sharing

Lola Reads to Leo by Anna McQuinn,
new sibling, reading, books.

Lottie Paris and the Best Place by Angela Johnson
friendship, books, reading, libraries, imagination

Lullaby for a Black Mother by Langston Hughes
babies, love, night

Marc Just Couldn’t Sleep by Gabriela Keselman
bedtime, night, noisy, being afraid

Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match by Monica Brown
multiracial families, being yourself, individuality, school

Max and the Tag-Along Moon by Floyd Cooper
night, moon, grandparents

Me and My Dragon by Biedrzycki
pets, dragons,

Messenger Messenger by Robert Burleigh
bikes, jobs, cities, communities

Monster Trouble by Lane Fredrickson
monsters, bedtime, problem solving, kisses, sleep

Moving day by Child’s Play illustrated by Jess Stockham
moving, helping, homes

My Friend Maya Loves to Dance by Cheryl Willis Hudson
dance, ballet, friends, abilities

My Teacher by James Ransome
teachers, school,

Never Ask a Dinosaur to Dinner by Gareth Edwards
bedtime, animals, stuffed animals

Never Play Music Right Next to the Zoo by John Lithgow
multiracial families, music, zoos

New Red Bike by James Ransome
sharing, bicycles, friendship

Niño Wrestles the World by Yuyi Morales
wrestling, superheroes, imagination

Not Norman by Kelly Bennet
pets, fish

Oddly by Joyce Dunbar
home, love, being yourself, fantasy

On the Ball by Brian Pinkney
imagination, sports, soccer

One Hot Summer Day by Nina Crews
summer, weather, sun, cities

One Word From Sophia by Jim Averbeck
multiracial family, manners, birthdays, giraffes, pets, words/vocabulary

Pecan Pie Baby by Jacqueline Woodson
multiracial families, new siblings, jealousy

Peekaboo Morning by Rachel Isadora
peekaboo, babies, seeing

Phoebe and Digger by Tricia Springstubb
new siblings, construction, trucks, bullies

Pickin’ Peas by MacDonald
gardens, rabbits, vegetables, tricksters

Please, Baby, Please by Spike Lee
babies, manners, families

Please, Puppy, Please by Spike Lee
dogs, manners, pets

Princess and the Pea by Rachel Isadora
fairy tales, princesses

Princess and the Pony by Kate Beaton
multiracial families, horses, gifts, being yourself

Purrfect! By Sarah Nash
stuffed animals, bathtime

Roar! By Tammi Sauer
dragons, imagination, pretend, creativity, friends

Round is a Tortilla by Roseanne Greenfield Thong
shapes

Ruby’s Baby Brother by Kathryn White
new sibling, imagination

Say Hello by Rachel Isadora
greetings, languages, neighbors, community

Scaredy Kate by Jacob Grant
monsters, counting, fear, bravery,  dogs, ice cream

Senor Pancho Had a Rancho by René Colato Laínez
farms, books to sing

Shanna’s Ballerina Show by Jean Marzollo
dance, ballet

Splash, Anna Hibiscus! By Atinuke
multiracial families, family, beach, ocean, swimming

Stop Kissing Me, Mommy! By Nadine Chevolleau
growing up, kisses, mothers

Summer Days and Nights by Wong Herbert Lee
seasons, day, night, picnics

Super Hair-O and the Barber of Doom by John Rocco
superheroes, hair, friendship

Take Me Out to the Yakyu by Aaron Meshon
sports, baseball, grandparents, difference

The Twin’s Little Sister by Hyewon Yum
sisters, twins, new siblings, sharing

The Twins Blanket by Hyewon Yum Sharing
twins, growing up, blankets

The Very Inappropriate Word  by Jim Tobin
multiracial families, vocabulary, words, libraries

This Day in June by Gayle E. Pitman
parades, celebration, summer

This is Our House by Hyewon Yum
multiracial families, family, houses, growing up

Tiger in my Soup by Kashmira Sheth
imagination, siblings, books, reading
 

Tummy Girl by Roseanne Thong
babies, growing up, being yourself

Uh-Oh! By Rachel Isadora
babies, messes, behavior

Virginnie’s Hat by Dori Chaconas
clothing, alligators, lost/missing

Wait by Portis
opposites, stop/go, waiting, rainbows

Wave by Suzy Lee
ocean, imagination, water

Where’s Lenny by Ken Wilson-Max
multiracial families, peek-a-boo, babies, board books

Yo, Jo by Rachel Isadora
greetings, grandparents, language

You Were the First by Patricia MacLachlan
multiracial families, new baby, growing up, families

Zoe and Beans: Pirate Treasure by Chloe and Mick Inkpen
beach, pirates, treasure

Zoe and Beans: How Many Pets by Inkpen
babies, pets, board books

17 Books that feature Multiracial Families

We all know how difficult it can be to find books that feature multiracial families living normal everyday lives. Here are seventeen titles that I've found that might work in your storytime or classroom. I've also included some possible themes for each title.

Ultimately, my goal is for this to be an ongoing list that I will keep adding to, and it will include links out to individual reviews of each book, and ways that educators and librarians have used it successfully, but for now, here's the list: 

Anna Hibiscus’ Song by Atinuke
Theme ideas: being yourself, happiness, singing

 Baby Ruby Bawled by Malaika Rose Stanley
Theme ideas: family, problem solving, babies, singing

Besos for Baby by Jen Arena
Theme ideas: Kisses, love, babies

Blackout by John Rocco
Theme ideas: Family, community, neighborhoods, technology

Cook It by Child’s Play, illustrated by Georgie Birkett
Theme ideas: Cooking, food, shopping, vegetables, pizza

Happy in Our Skin by Fran Manushkin
Theme ideas: Differences, being yourself, I like me

Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match by Monica Brown
Theme ideas: being yourself, individuality, school

Never Play Music Right Next to the Zoo by John Lithgow
Theme ideas: Music, zoos, instruments, dreams

One Word From Sophia by Jim Averbeck
Theme ideas: vocabulary, birthdays, giraffes, manners

Pecan Pie Baby by Jacqueline Woodson
Theme ideas: new siblings, family, pie

The Princess and the Pony by Kate Beaton
Theme ideas: birthdays, princesses, individuality

Splash, Anna Hibiscus! By Atinuke
Theme ideas: family, beach, oceans, swimming

This is Our House by Hyewon Yum
Theme ideas: Family, houses, growing up, history

 A Vacation for Pooch by Marian Cocca-Leffler
Theme ideas: Dogs, travel, grandparents

The Very Inappropriate Word by Jim Tobin
Theme ideas: Vocabulary, words, libraries, behavior, manners

Where’s Lenny by Ken Wilson-Max
Theme ideas: Peek-a-boo, babies

You Were the First by Patricia MacLachlan
Theme ideas: New siblings, growing up, families
 



For more books featuring multiracial families, check this list here: http://www.whatdowedoallday.com/2014/10/childrens-books-with-multiracial-families.html