Staff Picks
Read All about It: Diverse Families in Picture Books
- Heather M.
- Saturday, November 07, 2020
Collection
Celebrate all kinds of families and their love for one another by reading these wonderful picture books with your very own family.
Looking for even more good books? Check out our personalized recommendations or call us at 803-799-9084. Find more resources on race, equity, and inclusion, here.
Black is Brown is Tan
Published in 2002
Describes in verse a family with a brown-skinned mother, white-skinned father, two children, and their various relatives.
Thunder Boy Jr.
Published in 2016
"Thunder Boy Jr. wants a normal name ... one that's all his own. Dad is known as Big Thunder, but Little Thunder doesn't want to share a name"-- Provided by publisher.
The Case for Loving
The Fight for Interracial Marriage
Published in 2015
The story of interracial couple Mildred and Richard Perry, who got married in Washington, D.C., and were arrested after they returned to Virginia, and took their legal case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Love Makes a Family
Published in 2018
Whether you have one parent, two moms, two dads, a mom and a dad, or another wonderful caregiver, there's one thing that makes a family a family ... and that's love.
Marisol McDonald Doesn't Match
Published in 2011
Marisol McDonald, a biracial, nonconformist, soccer-playing pirate-princess with brown skin and red hair, celebrates her uniqueness.
Sometimes It's Grandmas and Grandpas, Not Mommies and Daddies
Published in 2009
A young girl who lives with her grandparents experiences warmth, love, and closeness, even when she wonders why her parents are not raising her.
Fred Stays with Me
Published in 2007
A child describes how she lives sometimes with her mother and sometimes with her father, but her dog is her constant companion.
I'm an Immigrant Too!
Published in 2018
Illustrations and simple, rhyming text reveal how all of our lives are enriched by the vibrant cultural diversity immigrants bring to their new communities.
My New Mom & Me
Published in 2016
"A puppy comes to live with his adoptive mother, who is a cat."-- Provided by publisher.
A Shelter in Our Car
Published in 2004
Since she left Jamaica for America after her father died, Zettie lives in a car with her mother while they both go to school and plan for a real home.
Missing Daddy
Published in 2019
"A little girl who misses her father because he's away in prison shares how his absence affects different parts of her life."- back cover.
Real Sisters Pretend
Published in 2016
"As they play, Mia and Tayja confirm that there's one thing they don't have to pretend: They know in their hearts that they're real sisters, even though others don't always recognize this since they're adopted and don't look alike. Safe in the knowledge that adoption has made them "forever family," the sisters end their make-believe journey with a joyful homecoming to a real home with their two moms."--Jacket flap.
This is How We Do It
One Day in the Lives of Seven Kids from Around the World
Published in 2017
Follows the daily lives of seven children from around the world, including such places as Japan, India, Uganda, and Italy, and discusses how schools, meals, and play can be different or similar in different places in the world.
Drawn Together
Published in 2018
A boy and his grandfather cross a language and cultural barrier using their shared love of art, storytelling, and fantasy.
Monday is One Day
Published in 2011
A rhyming countdown of the days of the week as a father and child find ways to spend time together while waiting for the weekend.
Dim Sum for Everyone!
Published in 2001
A child describes the various little dishes of dim sum that she and her family enjoy on a visit to a restaurant in Chinatown.
Just Right Family
An Adoption Story
Published in 2018
"When Meili learns her parents are adopting another child, she must accept the role of big sister and realize a new addition can be just right too"-- Provided by publisher.
When Aidan Became a Brother
Published in 2019
"Aidan, a transgender boy, experiences complicated emotions as he and his parents prepare for the arrival of a new baby"-- Provided by publisher.
Going Down Home with Daddy
Published in 2019
Alan looks forward to the annual family reunion at the farm where Daddy grew up, but everyone is supposed to share something special and Alan worries about arriving with empty hands.
A Most Unusual Day
Published in 2018
Caroline is anxious all day at school, nervous about her newly-adopted sister's arrival from far away.
Alma and How She Got Her Name
Published in 2019
If you ask her, Alma Sofia Esperanza Jos? Pura Candela has way too many names: six! How did such a small person wind up with such a large name? Alma turns to Daddy for an answer and learns of Sofia, the grandmother who loved books and flowers; Esperanza, the great-grandmother who longed to travel; Jos?, the grandfather who was an artist; and other namesakes too. As she hears the story of her name, Alma starts to think it might be a perfect fit after all?and realizes that she will one day have her own story to tell. Through Alma's vibrant story, Juana Martinez-Neal opens a treasure box of discovery for children who may be curious about their own origin stories or names.
Alma and How She Got Her Name
Published in 2018
A 2019 Caldecott Honor Book What's in a name? For one little girl, her very long name tells the vibrant story of where she came from ? and who she may one day be. If you ask her, Alma Sofia Esperanza Jos? Pura Candela has way too many names: six! How did such a small person wind up with such a large name? Alma turns to Daddy for an answer and learns of Sofia, the grandmother who loved books and flowers; Esperanza, the great-grandmother who longed to travel; Jos?, the grandfather who was an artist; and other namesakes, too. As she hears the story of her name, Alma starts to think it might be a perfect fit after all ? and realizes that she will one day have her own story to tell. In her author-illustrator debut, Juana Martinez-Neal opens a treasure box of discovery for children who may be curious about their own origin stories or names.
Alma and How She Got Her Name
Published in 2018
When Alma Sofia Esperanza Jos©♭ Pura Candela asks her father why she has so many names, she hears the story of her name and learns about her grandparents.
De Dónde Eres?
Published in 2019
When other children and their parents keep asking a young girl where she is from, she puts the same question to her grandfather who describes the land and people from which her family originated.
Where Are You From?
Published in 2019
"When a young girl is asked where she's from�where she's really from�she's no longer as she was. She decides to turn to her dear abuelo for some help with this ever-persistent question. But he doesn't quite give her the answer she expects."--Page [2] of cover.
A Family is a Family is a Family
Published in 2016
After their teacher asks them what is special about their families, a class full of students each give an answer, but one student is worried that her family isn't that special at all.
The Family Book
Published in 2003
Represents a variety of families, some big and some small, some with only one parent and some with two moms or dads, some quiet and some noisy, but all alike in some ways and special no matter what.
My Brother Charlie
Published in 2010
A girl tells what it is like living with her twin brother who has autism and sometimes finds it hard to communicate with words, but who, in most ways, is just like any other boy. Includes authors' note about autism.
In Our Mothers' House
Published in 2009
Three young children experience the joys and challenges of being raised by two mothers.
Families
Published in 2015
"Big or small, similar or different-looking, there are all kinds of families. Some have one parent, some have two, and many include extended family. This inclusive look at many varieties of families will help young readers see beyond their own immediate experiences" --Amazon.com.
Stella Brings the Family
Published in 2015
Stella brings her two fathers to school to celebrate Mother's Day.
One Family
Published in 2015
A family can be many things, in this story that introduces numbered groups from one to ten.
Mommy's Khimar
Published in 2018
A young Muslim girl puts on a head scarf and not only feels closer to her mother, she also imagines herself as a queen, the sun, a superhero, and more.
Kiss by Kiss
A Counting Book for Families = Ocêtôwina
Published in 2018
"Count your kisses with baby in this delightful dual-language rhyming board book, written in English and Plains Cree."-- Provided by publisher.
Home at Last
Published in 2016
"After Lester is adopted from his foster home by Daddy Albert and Daddy Rich, he can't fall asleep in his new bed. What will it take to make Lester feel home at last?" -- Provided by publisher.
Our Gracie Aunt
Published in 2002
When a brother and sister are taken to stay with their mother's sister because their mother neglects them, they wonder if they will see their mother again.