It’s no secret that I think diverse children’s books should make up a big part of every family and classroom library. You probably agree if you’re reading this. But, have you ever asked yourself who is writing and illustrating these diverse books?
Young adult sci-fi and fantasy author Corinne Duyvis certainly has. She started a much-watched discussion on Twitter last year about that fact that so many diverse children’s books were written by people who do not share the diverse identity of their characters. The hashtag #ownvoices was born to identify books that are not only diverse, but that are also written by diverse authors.
Update (5/9/18): In my original post, I recommended the book Thunder Boy Jr. by Sherman Alexie. I have deleted that part of the post because of sexual misconduct allegations. I do not want to support his work.
Why does #ownvoices matter for diverse children’s books?
There are many diverse children’s books on my 5 year old’s shelf that are not by #ownvoices authors. That in and of itself doesn’t mean they are bad books. But when an author shares an identity with the characters they’re creating, the author is more likely to make an authentic representation.
After all, some books with diverse characters can do more harm than good if they teach children stereotypes about people who are already marginalized because of their ethnicity, disability, or sexual orientation.
It’s also important to look for #ownvoices authors as a matter of social justice. The children’s book world has a long way to go in terms of equity for authors of color, LGBTQ authors, and authors with disabilities or who are neurodiverse.
Today, I’m sharing twelve of my favorite diverse children’s books that are by diverse authors.
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12 Diverse Children’s Books by #ownvoices Authors
Sitti’s Secrets by Naomi Shihab Nye and Nancy Carpenter
Mona’s grandmother lives on the other side of the world from her, in Palestine. When Mona finally has the chance to visit her, they don’t let language separate them. Soon they are spending hours together, walking to buy fresh milk from a neighbor, baking bread, and hanging laundry, even when Mona’s father is not there to translate.
When it’s time to return to the United States, Mona is heartbroken. She’s comforted by the memories of what her grandmother keeps in her green trunk, including old pictures of their family. Mona decides to write a letter to the President of the United States to tell him about her grandmother. Mona wants him to know that “I vote for peace. My grandmother votes with me.” (Recommended for ages 5 – 10).
Related post: 12 Books to Help Children Understand Islamic Faith and Culture
Looking for Bongo by Eric Velasquez
It’s not easy to find children’s books that feature Afro-Latino characters, so I was delighted to discover this charming book. A little boy is on a mission to find Bongo, his favorite stuffed animal. He interrogates everyone in the family, even the cat and dog. No one has seen it, and his Wela (grandma) suggests he needs to be more careful about where he puts his things. (I don’t want to ruin the ending for you, but Wela is wrong.)
Velasquez began his career as an illustrator, so its no surprise that I especially love the illustrations in the book. The expressions on all the family members faces are so vivid that they tell a story all their own. (Recommended for ages 3 – 7).
Related Post: Best Children’s Books About India
Book Uncle and Me by Uma Krishnaswami
Originally published in India, Book Uncle and Me introduces us to Yasmin, a voracious reader who looks forward to visiting Book Uncle’s free lending library each day. When Book Uncle tells her that the mayor is forcing him to shut down his library, Yasmin is not sure what she can do.
Yasmin’s plan begins to come together as she sees propaganda for the mayoral election going up all over town. She thinks about the meaning of a fable she recently borrowed from Book Uncle. Could its story of trapped birds flying all together to escape a hunter teach her something about Book Uncle’s situation?
This book not only gives children a introduce to life in India; it also reveals the power of children to change their communities. (Recommended for ages 8- 12)
Related post: 1 Simple Way to Raise a Kid Activist
Don’t Call Me Grandma by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson and Elizabeth Zunon
The straightforward opening line of this picture book made me laugh out loud: “Great-Grandmother Nell is scary.” Great-Grandmother Nell has strange habits, like eating fish for breakfast that still has the head on it. She’s stern. Her grandaughter is ready to offer a hug, but “Great-Grandmother Nell never hugs.”
But she is still fascinating, and she teaches her granddaughter little life lessons. She shares her many memories, from winning first prize in the church baking contest, to being told by a white friend that they couldn’t be friends anymore. While the connection between these two may not be touchy-feely, it’s evident that their relationship is filled with love. (Recommended for ages 4 – 8).
Related Post: 17 #ownvoices picture books about Native Americans and First Nations Canadians
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El Deafo by Cece Bell
Once I picked up this graphic novel, I couldn’t put it down. In El Deafo, author Cece Bell gives children a window into her own childhood. After contracting meningitis at age 4, Cece becomes profoundly deaf. Her struggle to understand, but most of all to be understood by other children, shines through the pages.
While the subject is a serious one, the book is filled with laugh out loud humor (including plenty of bathroom jokes that kids will love.) Cece’s alternate identity as a superhero named El Deafo helps her deal with the sense of loneliness that follows her during her first few years of being deaf. Every child can identify with Cece’s desire to have magical powers that will get her out of difficult and painful situations. (Recommended for ages 8 – 12.)
Related Post: 17 Funny Multicultural Children’s Books
Dear Juno by Soyung Pak and Susan Kathleen Hartung
When Juno gets a letter from his grandmother in Korea, he has to wait for his parents to read it to him. He doesn’t know how to read Korean. When impatience gets the better of him, he opens the letter and discovers that he does know what it is about. His grandmother must have a new cat, because she’s sent a picture. And she must be growing flowers in her garden, because she enclosed a dried one.
Juno wonders if he can also send his grandmother a letter that she would understand. A special cross-generational, bilingual pen pal relationship is born. (Recommended for ages 4 – 9).
Niño Wrestles the World by Yuyi Morales
The text of this book is very simple, but our 5 year old was talking about it for days. Little niño imagines himself as a lucha libre champion who wrestles formidable opponents like aliens and the famous child-stealing Mexican ghost La Llorona. His ultimate opponent is not the Guanajuato Mummy or the devil. It’s his twin baby sisters, who compete by pulling hair, biting, and eye poking.
Morales also includes a couple of paragraphs after the story that teach basics about the pageantry of lucha libre that help you understand the story. (Recommended for ages 5 – 8).
Grab my printable list of top diverse books for every age, from 2 to 12
Plus, discover which "classic" books I don't recommend because of racist content.
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I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel, Jazz Jennings, and Shelagh McNicholas
When Jazz Jennings was thirteen years old, she co-wrote this picture book about her life with Jessica Herthel. Since the age of two, Jazz knew that she had a girl’s brain even though she had a boy body. Readers see her playing with her friends Samantha and Casey, but Jazz adds that she’s not exactly like her two friends.
Jazz tells about the confusing journey she and her family went through, until they finally met with a doctor that helped them understand what it meant to be transgender. Even then, Jazz faced challenges at school. This simple, straightforward book will help kids and adults alike to empathize with and understand trans kids. (Recommended for ages 4 – 9. Jazz has also written an autobiography for teens, Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen.)
Related post: 5 Young Activists Who Will Inspire Kids
The Sound of Silence by Katrina Goldsaito and Julie Kuo
While walking through bustling, noisy Tokyo, Yoshio hears beautiful music. When he asks the musician “sensei, do you have a favorite sound?” the koto player says that ma, the sound of silence, is the most beautiful sound.
Yoshio longs to hear the sound of silence, but even in the quiet bamboo grove the wind bangs the bamboo stalks together. Where is silence? he wonders.
After the story, the author has included additional information about the idea of ma and how it has influenced Japanese music. (Recommended for ages 5 – 9).
I Got the Rhythm by Connie Schofield-Morrison and Frank Morrison
Preschoolers will love experiencing the rhythm that a little girl expresses with all her senses. Each page has a way for little listeners to join in the rhythm, from a sniff sniff with their noses to a clap clap with their hands to a shake shake with their hips. (Recommended for ages 2 – 5).
Grab my printable list of top diverse books for every age, from 2 to 12
Plus, discover which "classic" books I don't recommend because of racist content.
You'll also get my kids and justice themed resources in your inbox each Tuesday. Don't like it? No problem. You can unsubscribe in one click.
Maybe Something Beautiful: How Art Transformed a Neighborhood by F. Isabel Campoy, Theresa Howell, and Rafael López
If your child, like mine, lists “rainbow” as their favorite color, they will love this true story of colorful urban art. Rafael and Candice López (the same Rafael who illustrates this book) led a project to transform their San Diego neighborhood with beautiful murals and inspiring messages from leaders of peace and justice movements.
The book opens with a neighborhood painted in muted browns and grays, with pops of color from the artwork of one little girl. As she begins to share her art with others, color appears in more and more places in her neighborhood. When she meets the muralist, Mira has the chance to paint a wall “in the loudest color she saw,” leading to an exclamation of “YOW-WEE!” (Recommended for ages 4 – 9).