SJPL Recommends: Antiracist Books for Young ChildrenLike this list

24 items

• I See Color

  An Affirmation and Celebration of Our Diverse World

  Bolling, Valerie,

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  Highlighting people such as Madonna Thunder Hawk, Basemah Atweh and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., this picture book affirms people of color--of all shades--by celebrating their achievements and contributions to society.

• Brown Is Beautiful

  Kelkar, Supriya, 1980-

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  On a hike with her grandparents, a young Indian-American girl makes note of all the things in the wilderness that are brown, too. She realizes she is also brown, and beautiful.

• A History of Me

  Theodore, Adrea,

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  A mother's account of her experience as the only Black child in school serves as an empowering message to her daughter.

• Skin Again

  hooks, bell, 1952-2021,

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  Affirms identity as involving outward appearance, while emphasizing that to really know a person means to get to what is inside them.

• You Are Enough

  a Book About Inclusion

  O'Hair, Margaret,

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  It can be hard to be different-whether because of how you look, where you live, or what you can or can't do. But wouldn't it be boring if we were all the same? Being different is great! Being different is what makes you YOU!

• Our Skin

  a First Conversation About Race

  Madison, Megan,

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  An age-appropriate introduction to the concepts of race, gender, consent and body positivity, developed by early childhood and activism experts, combines clear text with engaging artwork to help the youngest children recognize and confront unjust…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Eyes That Kiss in the Corners

  Ho, Joanna,

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  A self-confident and strong young girl recounts how she shares her eyes--and so much more--with her mother, her amah and her little sister.

• Antiracist Baby

  Kendi, Ibram X,

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  Illustrations and rhyming text present nine steps Antiracist Baby can take to improve equity, such as opening our eyes to all skin colors and celebrating all our differences.

• A World Together

  Manzano, Sonia,

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  A picture book about unity for people around the world.

• You Matter

  Robinson, Christian,

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  Illustrations and easy-to-read text remind the reader that no matter what happens or how one feels, he or she matters.

• Your Name Is a Song

  Thompkins-Bigelow, Jamilah,

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  Saddened by her classmates' and teacher's mispronunciations of her name, a girl is empowered by her discovery that names are like songs when she and her mom celebrate the musicality of African, Asian, Black-American, Latinx, and Middle Eastern names.

• Hands Up!

  McDaniel, Breanna J.,

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  A young girl lifts her hands up in a series of everyday moments before finally raising her hands in resistance at a protest march.

• Hair Love

  Cherry, Matthew A,

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  A little girl's daddy steps in to help her arrange her curly, coiling, wild hair into styles that allow her to be her natural, beautiful self.

• Sulwe

  Nyong'o, Lupita,

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  A powerful, moving picture book about colorism, self-esteem, and learning that true beauty comes from within.

• Whose Knees Are These?

  Asim, Jabari, 1962-

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  Takes a loving look at knees from the vantage point of a mother's lap.

• The Day You Begin

  Woodson, Jacqueline,

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  Other students laugh when Rigoberto, an immigrant from Venezuela, introduces himself but later, he meets Angelina and discovers that he is not the only one who feels like an outsider.

• I Am Enough

  Byers, Grace,

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  Shares a story of loving who you are, respecting others and being kind to one another.

• Why Am I Me?

  Britt, Paige,

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  In a poetic, philosophical exchange, two children of different races ask themselves why they are who and what they are, and speculate on how they could be different.

• You Hold Me Up

  Gray Smith, Monique, 1968-

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  An evocative picture book intended to foster reconciliation among children and encourage them to show each other love and support.

• A Is for Activist

  Nagara, Innosanto,

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  Introduces the letters of the alphabet with terms related to social justice, environmental justice, civil rights, LGBTQ rights, and other causes activists support.