Celebrate Diversity through Picture Books
Teaching kids to appreciate and celebrate diversity is a top priority in today's global landscape. Check out these pictures books that include messages of uniqueness, kindness and inclusion.
A Friend For Henry
Author(s):
Description:
Henry would like to find a friend at school, but for a boy on the autism spectrum, making friends can be difficult, as his efforts are sometimes misinterpreted, or things just go wrong--but Henry keeps trying, and in the end he finds a friend he can play with.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
E Bai
A Year Of Everyday Wonders
Author(s):
Description:
Follows a young girl from the first wake-up of a new year, through many new experiences and 384 fights with her big brother, to the last bedtime stories in December.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
E Kle
All The Way To The Top : How One Girl's Fight For Americans With Disabilities Changed Everything
Author(s):
Description:
"Diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth, Jennifer Keelan grew up battling-and overcoming-the limitations others set for her. From a lack of cutaway curbs and bus lifts to being denied enrollment at her neighborhood school, Jennifer was continually blocked from living the life she wanted. But after discovering the world of disability rights activism, she knew she had to use her voice to change things. When Jennifer was just eight years old, she participated in the Capitol Crawl. The deeply affecting image of Jennifer crawling up the steps of Capitol Hill went viral and helped pressure Congress into passing the Americans with Disabilities Act. A powerfully illustrated biography of Jennifer's life and a celebration of youth activism, All the Way to the Top will teach all children that they have the power to make a difference."-- Provided by publisher.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
E Pim
Awâsis And The World-famous Bannock
Author(s):
Dallas Hunt
Amanda Strong
Description:
"As young Awâsis searches for the ingredients to make Kohkum's world-famous bannock recipe, they run into a variety of other-than-human relatives that help them along in their journey. Includes a pronunciation guide and Kohkum's world-famous bannock recipe at the back of the book."-- Provided by publisher.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
E Hun
Be You!
Author(s):
Description:
"Discover a joyful reminder of the ways that every child is unique and special. Here, Reynolds reminds readers to "be your own work of art." To be patient, persistent, and true. Because there is one, and only one, YOU."--Amazon.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
E Rey
Brown : The Many Shades Of Love
Author(s):
Nancy Johnson James
Constance Moore
Description:
In this loving ode to the color brown, a boy describes the many hues of his family.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
E Jam
Carmela Full Of Wishes
Author(s):
Matt de la Peña
Christian Robinson
Description:
Carmela, finally old enough to run errands with her brother, tries to think of the perfect birthday wish, while his wish seems to be that she stayed home.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
E De L
Chia And The Fox Man : An Alaskan Dena'ina Fable
Author(s):
Barbara J. Atwater
Ethan J. Atwater
Mindy Dwyer
Description:
"This modern retelling of a traditional Dena'ina story is about Chia, a young boy with a hard life, and his encounter with the legendary Fox Man, who just may be able to help. Through the Fox Man, Chia learns that there is strength in humility and in doing what is right, especially when it's hard."-- Provided by publisher.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
E Atw
Danbi Leads The School Parade
Author(s):
Description:
"Danbi is thrilled to start her new school in America. But a bit nervous too, for when she walks into the classroom, everything goes quiet. Everyone stares. Danbi wants to join in the dances and the games, but she doesn't know the rules and just can't get anything right. Luckily, she isn't one to give up. With a spark of imagination, she makes up a new game and leads her classmates on a parade to remember!"--Amazon.com.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
E Kim
Emmanuel's Dream : The True Story Of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah
Author(s):
Laurie Ann Thompson
Sean Qualls
Description:
Born in Ghana, West Africa, with one deformed leg, he was dismissed by most people -- but not by his mother, who taught him to reach for his dreams. As a boy, Emmanuel hopped to school more than two miles each way, learned to play soccer, left home at age thirteen to provide for his family, and, eventually, became a cyclist. He rode an astonishing four hundred miles across Ghana in 2001, spreading his powerful message: disability is not inability. Today, Emmanuel continues to work on behalf of the disabled.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
J 362.4 Tho
Going Home, Coming Home
Author(s):
Description:
A young girl visits her grandmother in Vietnam where her parents were born and learns that she can call two places home.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
E Tra Vietnamese
Hello Goodbye Dog
Author(s):
Maria Gianferrari
Patrice Barton
Description:
A student who uses a wheelchair finds a way to see her dog each day in school.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
E Gia
I Am Every Good Thing
Author(s):
Derrick Barnes
Gordon C. James
Description:
Illustrations and easy-to-read text pay homage to the strength, character, and worth of a child.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
E Bar
Just Ask! : Be Different, Be Brave, Be You
Author(s):
Sonia Sotomayor
Rafael López
Description:
Sonia and her friends plant a garden, and each one contributes in his or her own special way, in a book that celebrates the many differences among humans. In this warm and inclusive story by U.S. Supreme Justice Sonia Sotomayor, inspired by her own childhood diagnosis of diabetes, readers join along as differently abled kids use their strengths to work together and learn about each other.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
E Sot
Leila In Saffron
Author(s):
Rukhsanna Guidroz
Dinara Mirtalipova
Description:
Shy and unsure of herself, Leila discovers all the things that make her special with the loving help of her Naani.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
E Gui
My Three Best Friends And Me, Zulay
Author(s):
Cari Best
Vanessa Brantley-Newton
Description:
"Zulay is a blind girl who longs to be able to run in the race on field and track day at her school"--Provided by publisher.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
E Bes
One Hug
Author(s):
Katrina Moore
Julia Woolf
Description:
A young boy discovers many different kinds of hugs and ways to show love as family members and friends gather to welcome his immigrant relatives from China.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
E Moo
One Little Lot : The 1-2-3s Of An Urban Garden
Author(s):
Diane C. Mullen
Oriol Vidal
Description:
Count the ways two hands, three days cleaning up, four planter boxes, and many more steps show how city neighbors transform one little abandoned lot into a beautiful community garden.-- Provided by Publisher.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
E Mul
Susan Laughs
Author(s):
Description:
Rhyming couplets describe a wide range of common emotions and activities experienced by a little girl who uses a wheelchair.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
E Wil
The First Fire : A Cherokee Story
Author(s):
Brad Wagnon
Alex Stephenson
Description:
"According to Cherokee tradition, when the animals needed fire to keep them warm during cold nights, The Thunder Boys invoked a lightning bolt to strike and light fire to a lone sycamore tree. Water Spider, a tiny savior, boldly creates an ingenious way to bring fire back to the animal community" -- adapted from Kirkus Reviews.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
E Wag
The Ocean Calls : A Haenyeo Mermaid Story
Author(s):
Description:
Wanting to follow in the footsteps of her free-diving haenyeo grandmother, a young Korean girl dutifully consumes her grandmother's strength-building abalone porridge and practices her breath control before suiting up and overcoming fears to make remarkable discoveries.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
E Cho
Your Name Is A Song
Author(s):
Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow
Luisa Uribe
Description:
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.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
E Tho
¡Gracias, Omu!
Author(s):
Description:
¡Todos en el vecindario sueñan con probar el delicioso guiso de Omu! Uno por uno, siguen sus narices hacia el delicioso aroma. Y uno por uno, Omu ofrece una porción de su comida. Pronto la olla está vacía. ¿Ha sido tan generosa que ya no le queda nada?When the aroma of Omu's homemade stew fills the air, her neighbors arrive, one by one, for a taste until all is gone except for her generous spirit.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
E Mor
