12 books that teach kids about diversity, inclusivity, and kindness
Important conversations, one chapter at a time
I got my first lesson on why it’s important to teach kids about diversity back when I was a curious seven-year-old.
I loved reading, but I loved writing more – creating universes of my own with fantastical whimsical creatures.
When on a field trip from school, we got to attend a literature festival and actually interact with authors, I carefully put in my school bag a clear folder with loose sheets of paper that in my opinion was my most impressive work till date. The tales of a clumsy little elf called Jessica.
When I finally approached the author whose talk we’d just attended, she graciously agreed to tell me what she thought of my story. I tried to read her expression while waiting for her to be completely floored by my writing (like my parents).
Her first comment was her guessing accurately my fondness for Enid Blyton, but her second bit of feedback stuck with me – “Why does Jessica have blond curls and not wavy black hair, and why are her eyes blue and not a beautiful brown like your eyes?
Think about it I did. My first reaction was, “Elves don’t have black hair and dark skin or brown eyes”.
All because I had never read about elves who were brown or for that matter any fantastical creatures who were anything but the colour of peaches and cream.
“But there can be one, right?” asked my mother.
That night my mother and I wrote a story about an Indian elf whose name was Karishma, my favourite Bollywood actor at the time. With that, I learnt the importance of having characters you can relate to, to be able to experience what they do, and eventually learn from their journeys.
Why you should stock up on books that teach kids about diversity
Children are believed to start applying stereotypes when they are as young as three to five years old, and that’s exactly why they must be taught how different doesn’t equal bad – a concept subconsciously introduced in your child’s life from the beginning.
“The princess was beautiful, and her skin was the colour of snow”; “They had a perfectly normal family – a dad, a mom, and a little girl” might seem harmless to someone who doesn’t intend to propagate stereotypes, but from the child’s perspective, they absorb that beautiful means fair, and having two mothers or two fathers or a single parent isn’t normal.
But even if parents want to teach kids about diversity, they tend to struggle with what to say, and the best way to broach the subject. That’s where the best learning tool sweeps in to save the day – story books.
Colourism, sexism, gender, sexuality, race, religion and disability are some of the topics that new-age children’s books have managed to cover, with a lot of sensitivity. They give you tools that will help you build a world for your children that will never want them to shy away from showcasing everything that makes them stand apart.
Children’s brains are like rasgullas, and with this selection of books that teach kids about diversity, they can soak in compassion, empathy, and inclusiveness, helping them evolve into kind adults.
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Just Ask!: Be Different, Be Brave, Be You by Sonia Sotomayor
In Just Ask, United States Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor celebrates the different abilities kids (and people of all ages) have. Using her own experience as a child who was diagnosed with diabetes, Justice Sotomayor writes about children facing all sorts of challenges.
The story begins with children of various ethnicities, shapes and sizes working on a garden. Through the course of the story, we’re introduced to characters with dyslexia, ADHD and autism, and more. Drawing parallels with how a variety of plants make a garden beautiful, Sotomayor highlights how every unique child makes the world a more beautiful place.
Sotomayor reminds little ones of a very important lesson – “When we come across someone who is different from us but we’re not sure why, all we have to do is Just Ask.”
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The Proudest Blue by Ibtihaj Muhammad and S.K. Ali
Faizah couldn’t be more excited to go to school. With her light-up shoes fastened tightly, she is ready to take on a new year and is especially excited because her older sister Asiya will wear a hijab to school for the first time ever.
But Faizah’s excitement is dampened when Asiya’s blue hijab that reminds Faizah of the ocean, isn’t received with the same enthusiasm as hers.
This book is co-authored by Olympic medalist and social justice activist Ibtihaj Muhammad and S.K. Ali, and brought to life by Hatem Aly’s beautiful illustrations.
This story of two sisters who are faced with unkind and hurtful words only because of their attire is both powerful and uplifting. The unconditional bond between the siblings who are at the receiving end of racism is sure to spark compassion, and kindness in your little one’s heart.
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Different Differenter by Jyoti Gupta
The activity book that gently introduces your child to the concept of colourism and the biases that come with judging someone based solely on their skin colour, also manages to effectively answer questions that your child may have about colour, caste and race.
This book is a great way for your child to find beauty in differences while having the time of their life as they make art, whip up something fun in the kitchen or put up a play.
It also sets the stage to have difficult conversations about discrimination based on colour, and identity. Illustrated by Tarannum Pasricha, Different Differenter touches upon the biology behind skin colours being varied, the social impact and bullying that comes with having a certain skin colour and offers solutions that will help put an end to this archaic bias.
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Happy in Our Skin by Fran Manushkin
This is another book that deals with discrimination based on skin colour. This party of a book is here to tell your little ones that their skin – “cocoa-brown, cinnamon or peaches and cream” – is special and beautiful.
The book starts from the basics – introducing your child to the diversity of skin colours and then talking about the primary biological functions of skin. It goes on to break down complex concepts by using simple examples — like how no two people can have the same fingerprints.
This celebration of skin and its wonderful functions is made even more exciting with fun rhymes and playful illustrations by Lauren Tobia.
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The World Needs More Purple People by Kristen Bell and Benjamin Hart
This book that will help teach kids about diversity, is about accepting and embracing all the things that make you special while allowing others around you to do the same.
Who are purple people? For one, they ask a lot of questions, they don’t say hurtful things, they work hard, oh, and they absolutely love to laugh.
Penny Purple will take your kids on a journey to become a purple person by obviously asking a lot of questions, and by allowing them to feel inspired by whatever it is that sparks joy in them.
The book is co-authored by actor and producer Kristen Bell, and creative director Benjamin Hart, and their story has been brought to life by Daniel Wiseman’s wondrous illustrations.
Purple people are here to put an end to the blacks and whites, and blues and reds, and paint the world in hues of inclusivity and… yes, you guessed it – purple.
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Pink Is for Boys by Robb Pearlman
You might’ve painted your child’s nursery a neutral yellow, and let them pick whatever toy they might want to play with, but it still is mandatory to prepare them for a world that is pretty much defined by the blue-pink gender binary.
Colours are for everyone is the empowering message that this book is all set to ingrain in your little one’s mind. Pink is for everyone as is blue, purple, and yellow.
The relatable characters featured in this book encourage children to be whoever they want and do whatever they like, and along the way, also gives them their very first lesson in identifying colours with a little help from the vivid illustrations by Eda Kaban.
Let this endearing book empower your kids to break away from the colour code.
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Maiden & Princess by Daniel Haack and Isabel Galupo
What’d better than reading a fairy tale to your kid right before kissing them goodnight?
Reading them a modern-day fairytale that effortlessly shows homophobia (and any biases pertaining to the LGBTQIA+ community) the door, and introduces your children to an inclusive happily ever after.
In this book, there is a faraway kingdom, home to a fierce maiden, who has been forced to attend a ball thanks to her mother’s incessant coercing. But what she expects to be a dreadfully boring and uneventful evening, takes a surprising turn when she lays her eyes on, no, not the prince, but his sister.
This tale of true love can be your child’s introduction to the concept of love is love, and the beginning of them growing up to be sensitive, and inclusive adults.
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Dress Like a Girl by Patricia Toht
Get set to take your little girl to the most empowering sleepover yet.
Sure, there is the regular dressing up, but this time around we bend the traditional rules of what a lady should wear, and repurpose them with a healthy dose of feminism – wearing white is considered appropriate for summer-time so why not pull out a pristine white spacesuit and take over the universe?
A playful and engaging way to teach your kids to dream as big as they want and do whatever they please without being bogged down by societal norms – this book is empowering, and engaging thanks to the playful illustrations by Lorian Tu-Dean.
Oh and for all the adults who still find themselves unconsciously trying to fit the societal moulds of being the ideal woman, just repeat these lines from the book to yourself and you should be good to go:
“Many will tell you in this big, wide world
that there are strict rules that must be addressed,
rules you will need when looking your best.
But when you are given these rules to obey,
the secret is heeding them—in your own way.”
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El Deafo by Cece Bell
This book is a humorous and honest account of what it’s like living with a disability. This graphic novel might be a little too complex for the little ones but is perfect for children who can read and write all by themselves.
Loosely based on author Cece Bell’s experiences of growing up after losing her hearing at an early age, it will add another, much needed dimension to the conversations you have when you sit down to teach kids about diversity.
The protagonist sets out on interesting adventures with her hearing aid called the Phonic Ear. It allows her to hear things that sometimes she maybe shouldn’t be hearing, but also makes her an outcast among her classmates.
One fine day, she decides to use the power of the Phonic Ear for good and turns into El Deafo, and carves a unique niche for herself where she more than fits in.
This book is a great way to educate your children about disabilities, and sensitise them to the concept.
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The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi
It’s never fun to be the new kid in school, especially when you know there is something that might draw attention to you – it could be the tuna sandwich in your lunchbox that you think everyone can smell, or as is in the case of this book, it could be the pronunciation of your name.
Unhei on the first day of school is apprehensive to tell her American classmates her Korean name. So, she instead decides to tell them that she is still choosing a name for herself. In order to make the process easier, her classmates put together a name jar filled with suggestions for names that Unhei could pick from.
But one of her classmates, at some point, happens to find out what her real name is and its beautiful meaning. What follows is a heartwarming act of kindness that’ll make your child not just more accepting of others, but also less apprehensive about sharing their cultural heritage with others.
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Where Are You From? by Yamile Saied Méndez
Where are you from?
A question you’ve definitely been at the receiving end of and one your little one will soon be expected to answer.
When a little girl is asked where she is from, she looks to her grandfather for help, but his response is most unexpected – “You’re from hurricanes and dark storms, and a tiny singing frog that calls the island people home when the sun goes to sleep…”
With its lyrical narrative by Yamile Saied Méndez, and endearing illustrations by Jaime Kim, this book teaches lessons of self-acceptance, embracing identity, and the true meaning of home.
When I Grow Up, I Want To Be… by Tweak Books
This compilation of stories from Tweak India, features local heroes. Your kids will meet Dutee Chand, a girl from a small-town in India who fought the odds to become a gold-medal winning athlete, and put it all on the line, when she revealed she was in a same sex relationship. With her brave announcement, she became a champion of inclusivity.
They’ll meet hotelier Keshav Suri, whose modern day fairytale, where the prince meets his prince, is nothing like anything you ever read as a kid. They’ll meet Arunima Sinha, the world’s first Indian female amputee to climb Mount Everest.
The heart-warming, inspiring book presents their differences as advantages, highlights just how they overcame their challenges and helps kids see beyond circumstances, right into the soul of the individual.
Because that’s the most important part of being a human, and a hero.