I’ve written before about the importance of consdering “mirrors and windows” when choosing media for your child. “Mirrors” are books that tell stories about people like them who have similar life experiences – seeing yourself reflected lets you know that you are valued and that you belong. “Windows” are stories about people who look different than you, or live differently than you live – that gives children a window into the beauty and richness of diverse identities and builds empathy for others.

This post is to help you get started on finding great stories… If you’re looking for recommended books about any identity, such as “Jewish families”, then find that category below and click on it, and it will take you to a whole list of recommended books. AND for each category, I offer an example of one great book about that identity. These books are for preschool or early elementary age children.

Diverse Faiths:

• Jewish Families: Measuring a Year – A Rosh Hashanah Story by Marshall. (Preview Video) A book about reflecting on the joys and regrets of the past year.
• Muslim Families: Ramadan Moon by Robert (video) about how families celebrate the month of Ramadan. Or The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family. Ibtihaj Muhammad.
• Christian Families: Early Sunday Morning by Millner. (video) Features a Black girl who is preparing to do her first solo with her church choir.
• Hindu: Let’s Celebrate Diwali by Anjali Joshi. Features kids telling stories at circle time at school.

Diverse Cultures:

• Native American / Indigenous Families: We Are Grateful – Utsaliheliga. (video) Written by a Cherokee citizen, it follows a full year of Cherokee celebrations and experiences. Or My Heart Fills with Happiness by Smith. (video) Written in Plains Cree and English – shares some of the things that fill our hearts with happiness.
• Indian Families: Tomatoes for Neela by Lakshmi. (video) Neela loves cooking with her amma (mother) and learning about her paati (grandmother) who lives in India and the family recipes.
• Hawaiian Families – Colors of Aloha by Arteaga (video) Learn about colors in English and Hawaiian as two children explore their island.
• Asian Families – Bee-bim Bop – A playful rhyming book about a Korean child cooking with her mother. (video)
• Hispanic Families: Dreamers by Morales about an immigrant family from Mexico and how they adapt to America with the help of a public library. (video) Also check out a Paintbrush for Paco by Kyle (video) – good for artists, and those who have a hard time paying attention.
• Black Families: the Electric Slide and Kai by Baptist. (video) Kai is worried about attending his aunt’s wedding because he does not yet know how to dance the Electric Slide. Also check out Don’t Touch my Hair which is good for teaching consent.

Disabilities:

• Wheelchair Users: I Will Dance (video) by Flood about a dance class for people of all abilities.
• Amputee: What Happened to You by Catchpole (video) A child with one leg is playing on the playground and wishes other kids would stop asking what happened and start playing with him. (Note: as a leg amputee myself, I can say that this book is an example of how any one book on diversity never tells the story of everyone who has that identity. I do not mind when people ask me about my leg…)
• Autism: All My Stripes by Rudolph. (video) Features Zane the zebra and illustrates some things autistic children may find challenging and some things that make him wonderfully unique.
• Blind: My City Speaks by LeBeuf. (video) A visually impaired child who uses a white cane explores her city with her father and performs in a concert on her violin.
• Deaf: Hands and Hearts by Napoli. (video) A child and her mother spend a lovely day at the beach, communicating in sign language. The book teaches 15 signs.

Families who are Separated

• Military Families: Lily Hates Goodbyes by Marler, illus Stoltenberg. (video) Alternatives include: Night Catch and I Miss You!: A Military Kid’s Book About Deployment. These all address sadness related to deployment and coping tools for managing it.
• Children with a parent in jail: Visiting Day by Woodson (video). About a child and their grandmother taking the monthly bus trip to visit the child’s father in prison. Alternatives: Far Apart Close in Heart by Birtha (video) and the Night My Dad Went to Jail by Higgins.
• Divorced Families: Two Homes by Masurel. (video) A child talks about their two homes – one with Dad by the water, and one with Mom in the city.

Gender / Sexual Orientation

• Gender Roles: Except When They Don’t by Laura Gehl. Talks about gender role assumptions and the fact that they don’t always apply.
• Gender Identity: Introducing Teddy by Walton. (video) Teddy explains to a friend that in her heart she has always known she was a girl and wishes her name was Tilly.
• Gender Expression: Jacob’s New Dress; My Princess Boy – both about boys who love to wear dresses and how their family / teachers support that.
• Gay or Lesbian Parents: Stella Brings the Family by Miriam B. Schiffer (video) about a child who brings her two dads to the Mother’s Day party. Or Families Families Families! by Lang. (video) covers all sorts of family configurations (though it uses animal characters rather than humans so it may be more abstract for your child to understand humans also have diverse families.)

Here are a few additional posts I’ve written with recommended books for children: books for shy kids, books about new babies in the family, books about starting preschool, books about big feelings, books for children about sexuality and touch, and kids books about STEM topics.

You may also like this post on choosing books for your child (includes info on where to find books, including libraries, online books and free videos of books read aloud), and if you’re in King County Washington, tips on using our library.

Book titles are linked to listings on Amazon – as an affiliate, I do get a financial bonus from Amazon if you purchase something after clicking on the link. But I encourage you to check your local library for the books – and recommend that they purchase them if they don’t already have them!

The videos are to read alouds on YouTube. Some of these are approved by the creators of the book, but others may be copyright violations – I encourage you to seek out and purchase books written by diverse authors to support their work.