I’ve been repeatedly asked to share the diverse and inclusive books that we have for the girls. I would like to clarify that these are books that we have and love. I am no expert on this subject and would highly recommend following someone, such as Charnaie’s Instagram, as she IS an expert on diversity and inclusion.
Books are such a great way to expose children to different races, abilities, and cultures. I want the girls to see, and be aware, of the many wonderful differences that make up such a glorious group of human beings.
“If You’re Happy and You Know It!“- We love this books as it a classic children’s song that represents children of different abilities, colours, and religions. A song, with illustrations, of friendship and happiness.
“What We Wear“- A book with pictures of children, from around the world, wearing the clothing of their country. I wish it went more into the meaning behind their outfits, but I guess that would end up being a much bigger book. That will, however, definitely be something that we will learn and study later.
“What do You See Around the World?”- This is such a fun book! A short description has you finding and pointing out well-known tourist locations, foods, animals, and more in places like Egypt, Australia, and France.
“Shades of Black“- Winner of the NAACP imagine award, this is a board book that quickly became a favourite here. The girls love admiring the photographs of beautiful children.
“I, Too, Am America“- This children’s book of Langston Hughes famous poem is a must for this home. One of my favourite poets, I was oblivious of the challenges faces by so many until I came across Hughes at 15 in my composition college class. When I came across this book, I knew it was something the girls needed to have on their bookshelf and be exposed to.
“Get Up, Stand Up“- Based on one of our favourite Bob Marley songs, the meaning of this book is everything. There is so much wisdom. We need to stand up for ourselves and others.
“Lillian’s Right to Vote“- This is such a powerful book and a must read, in my opinion, for everyone.
“The Dalai Lama’s advice for children of all ages“- We love the Dalai Lama and all his wisdom, so when I came across this book, I kew it was a must. This book contains some of his quotes with illustrations geared to children, making them easy to relate to.
“The Seed of Compassion“- This book was written by the Dalai Lama. A short autobiography focusing on how he came to learn about compassion. He explains how he was discovered and talks about learning from the past so we can make a better future.
“Alma and How She Got Her Name“- We purchased this for the girls because, like the little girls in the books, the girls have extremely long names, haha. The author is from Peru and quickly became one of our favourite illustrators.
“Fry Bread“- A Native American book about a staple food that brings family together. The author shares so much information and the cultural importance of fry bread in the the back, along with his recipe.
“Antiracist Baby“- A new release, this book has nine ways to be an antiracist baby, or person in general. If it is within view, the girls have me reading it repeatedly.
“Smile!“- A board book consisting of a variety of smiling baby faces.
“Global Babies“- This was the first book I bought for T. Full of beautiful photos of babies from around the world. I would regularly prop up this book and Smile! up for the girls when they had tummy-time.
“Giving Thanks“- The illustrations are simply gorgeous! A Native American book about recognizing and giving thanks to everything that surrounds us.
“What’s on Your Plate?”- I love this book and the girls, I’m sure, will enjoy it so much more once they start helping more in the kitchen. Having grown-up appreciating the foods of different cultures (you name it, I’ve probably tried it), I hope the girls will come to love and learn about these foods, too. India has a recipe for banana lassi, Isreal has hummus, and Ethiopia has Injera (my favourite!)–just to name a few of the recipes we already love or are excited to try. Here’s another of our favourite cookbooks, although this one doesn’t explain as much as the other and is mostly just recipes.
Lailah’s Lunchbox: A Ramadan Story– With the word “lunchbox” in the title, one may think this would share some tasty treats. Rather it’s a sweet story of a young girl’s first time fasting in celebration of Ramadan, while living in a new country.
Get Up, Stand Up– A book based on the song by Bob Marley, adapted by his daughter, Cedella. The message of standing up for your rights and helping others stand up for theirs is the exactly what I wish the girls to hear.
Making Their Voices Heard– The story of Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe’s friendship. How they were able to help each other and fight racial segregation.
Celebrations Around the World– Holi, Chinese New Year, Bastille Day, Venice Regatta are just a few holidays that are covered. Many of these holidays I was completely unaware of. It nice to learn what holidays are celebrated, how, and the history behind them
Global Baby Bedtimes– Like Global Babies, this book has pictures of adorable babies from around the world. The girls love the real photos and all the cute babies–so we read this book, a lot.
This Is How We Do It– This book is a treasure. It looks at the daily lives of of seven children from around the world. We get an inside look of what they eat, study, play, and more. It shows, that while children have their differences, there are a lot of similarities.
What are some of your favourite diverse/inclusive books?
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