Diversity in Children’s Books
As a cis white woman, I have grown to know and understand the leg up I have in life. I feel (and I hope those that know me feel the same) that I have always tried to be loving and accepting of all types of people, but I am also aware that there is always work to be done. As the mother of a blonde-haired blue-eyed boy, I realize that I have to actively teach my son about the disparities in this world, because he will not know them in the way others do. In the wake of the 2020 BLM movement, I realized there were daily things I could do to put in the work to raise a son who is inclusive to all. I never really thought about the lack of representation in our home library, but it became glaringly apparent to me during the summer of 2020. I have made a conscious effort since then to include books with all BIPOC and even have a running Amazon wish-list of books to expand the diversity of our home library. I’ve come to realize more recently that I need to do more work in the area of inclusivity and I have been looking for books that include different types of families, two moms, two dads, blended families, etc. I think it is SO important to introduce these things early on in life to raise an inclusive, accepting, loving human. In honor of February being Black History Month, I’d like to share some of our favorite books featuring black children and families.
I bought this book early last year when I thought Jack would be starting swimming lessons; we have a pool, and I wanted him to be safe. Unfortunately, as we all know, the world went on lockdown, and swim classes were cancelled. But we still enjoy this book about Leo going to swim class with his dad and meeting up with his friends and how tiring learning to swim is! The best part about this book is that it’s a series, not only about Leo, but also his older sister Lola. It showcases a loving family doing every day things.
Every Little Thing: Based on the Song ‘Three Little Birds’ by Bob Marley - Cedella Marley
If there’s one thing we love equally to books in this house, it’s music. So the fact that we can sing along with parts of this book makes it even better. The positive message in this book is as catchy as the song, and the fact that it has a cat featured throughout makes Jack love it even more.
When I first got this book from Amazon, I was more excited for it than Jack. I love the idea of introducing big concepts to little minds because they soak up any and everything. I’m pretty sure the fact that it didn’t have rhymes bored Jack at first, but now he brings it to me at least every other day to read. This is not the only book in the Baby Loves Science series we own, and I hope one day to have them all! I LOVE that they feature such diverse babies as the main characters in STEM fields. The added bonus of this particular book is that it is a concept that is EASILY practiced at home…. By the way Jack throws food on the floor, I’m pretty sure he thinks we have a puppy to slurp it up like in the book!!
Who Was Martin Luther King, Jr.?: A Who Was? Board Book - Lisbeth Kaiser
This is a newer addition to our library; I saw it on a Black History Month tower at Target a couple of weeks ago and picked it up. I think it really addresses what MLK stood for and does so in an age-appropriate manner. It is straightforward and factual, but also simple; It doesn’t blur the truth. In the few weeks we’ve had it, Jack has brought it to me time and time again to read to him. If I’m being honest, part of me feels uncomfortable reading to him, but I think that’s a part of the continued work that needs to be done. We need to own our history to move forward.
In discussing this post idea with my two best friends, one of them recommended Here Wee Read to me, and I cannot be more thankful that she did. Talk about doing the work! Not only is this a blog about reading for contemporary families, but she has a fantastic Amazon store that groups books into different categories; if your home library is lacking in one area, you can find what you are looking for here I’ve bookmarked this blog and Amazon store for reference in hopes of helping to develop my child into an open, caring human being.