One of my big realizations the past few months is how few books we owned with Black children as part of the storyline. It’s been a focus of mine to add to our home library, which I’ve slowly done and will continue to do with birthdays and holidays.
Books noted with an asterisk are titles we own.
Diverse Books for Preschoolers
ONE // All Are Welcome*: This is a recent addition to our library. It goes through different parts of a school day and describes how everyone is welcome.
TWO // Be Kind*: This book explores what it means to be kind whether that’s helping a friend, saying hello to neighbors or sharing with others. Be Kind is one of my favorite books.
THREE // Parker Looks Up*: Parker, her mom and sister go to the museum. Parker lights up when she sees a portrait of Michelle Obama because Parker can see her grandmother, mom and herself in Michelle’s portrait. Sybil especially loves this book.
FOUR // Little Leaders – Bold Women in Black History*: Each page is dedicated to a Black woman and their role in history. My kids are a little too young to read this cover to cover so we typically read 2-3 pages each time.
FIVE // Ada Twist, Scientist*: Technically we don’t own this book yet, but Sybil is getting it as a gift for her birthday later this month. Ada is endlessly curious and learns to think her way through problems.
SIX // You Matter: This book explores the world from different points of view and how everyone is connected and everyone matters.
SEVEN // The Thing Lou Couldn’t Do*: We’ve had this book for years and my kiddos still reach for it regularly. Lou’s friends are playing in a tree, but she’s scared of heights. Although Lou overcomes her fear, she isn’t successful climbing the tree. She’s determined not to give up and vows to try again the next day.
EIGHT // Love Is*: Gosh, this book almost brings me to tears every single time. It’s about a little girl and a duckling. They learn what it means to care for each other and that loving means letting go.
NINE // Hidden Figures: This story is about four Black women that helped NASA launch men into space. Lawson is particularly interested in space and I think he’d love this book.
TEN // We’re Different, We’re the Same: The characters of Sesame Street teach us that while we may all look different on the outside, we’re very much alike on the inside. Our differences make this world special and unique. Even though my kids don’t watch Sesame Street often, they love books about the characters.
ELEVEN // The Youngest Marcher: The story of a nine year old girl that joined the protests in Alabama in 1963. I’ve been thinking a lot about how to get my kiddos involved from a young age and think it would be great for them to read about children protesting for what they believe in.
TWELVE // Happy Right Now: My Instagram friend Cassandra mentioned this book and I immediately made note of it. Happy Right Now teaches children it’s great to feel happy, but it’s okay to feel sad too. This is on Sybil’s birthday wish list.
We also have and love The Snowy Day. It’s a repeat read around the holidays. If you are able, I encourage you to purchase books from local, independent bookstores, particularly if there’s a Black owned bookstore in your area.