Five Lens of Diversity Picture Book List: Home

What is it like to work at night, while the rest of the city is asleep? Newbery Medalist Karen Hesse's quietly powerful story of a boy and his father is tenderly brought to life by G. Brian Karas in this luminous tribute to an enduring, everyday sort of love.

Molly and her mom do not always have enough food, so when they visit their local food pantry Molly she sees her classmate Caitlin who is embarrassed to be there, so Molly helps Caitlin realize everyone needs help sometimes.

A young boy rides the bus across town with his grandmother and learns to appreciate the beauty in everyday things.

Two children learn from their experiences of homelessness and uncertain housing that despite their living circumstances there are aspects of their lives that remain constant.

Adrian Simcox brags about owning a horse, and Chloe just knows he's making stuff up ... until she learns an important lesson in empathy.

Based on the true story of a boy named Jimmy who takes another kid's lunch at school every day. But through the power of kindness he is transformed into a compassionate human being.

Jeremy, who longs to have the black high tops that everyone at school seems to have but his grandmother cannot afford, is excited when he sees them for sale in a thrift shop and decides to buy them even though they are the wrong size.

In this historical fiction picture book, Ella Mae and her cousin Charlotte, both African American, start their own shoe store when they learn that they cannot try on shoes at the shoe store.

When Ms. Albert teaches a lesson on kindness, Chloe realizes that she and her friends have been wrong in making fun of new student Maya's shabby clothes and refusing to play with her.

When Liling moves from her home in the mountains of China to the big city, her parents cannot afford to send her to school, and she spends her days with her mother, wishing she had a friend--until she sees a girl in a yellow coat, who lives in the next building, comes from a different mountain, and is happy to be Liling's friend.

While riding the subway home from the pool with his abuela one day, Julián notices three women spectacularly dressed up. Their hair billows in brilliant hues, their dresses end in fishtails, and their joy fills the train car. When Julián gets home, daydreaming of the magic he's seen, all he can think about is dressing up just like the ladies in his own fabulous mermaid costume: a butter-yellow curtain for his tail, the fronds of a potted fern for his headdress. But what will Abuela think about the mess he makes -- and even more importantly, what will she think about how Julián sees himself?

Susan loves her baby sister, Jackie, but as Jackie grows older and behaves more and more like a boy Susan must adjust to having a brother, Jack, instead.

Dolls and trucks are for boys and girls, as are dancing shoes, figure skating and hockey, and many more activities and hobbies. Robb Pearlman and Eda Kaban (Pink Is For Boys) create a celebratory read-aloud book that defies gender stereotypes and encourages the youngest readers to reach for the stars and to follow their dreams no matter what.

An empowering celebration of identity, acceptance and Hawaiian culture based on the true story of a young girl in Hawai'i who dreams of leading the boys-only hula troupe at her school. Ho'onani feels in-between. She doesn't see herself as wahine (girl) OR kane (boy). She's happy to be in the middle. But not everyone sees it that way. When Ho'onani finds out that there will be a school performance of a traditional kane hula chant, she wants to be part of it. But can a girl really lead the all-male troupe? Ho'onani has to try...

A dedicated mom puts love into action as she creates the perfect rainbow-colored wig for her transgender daughter, based on the real-life experience of mother-daughter advocate duo Trinity and DeShanna Neal.

Red's factory-applied label clearly says that he is red, but despite the best efforts of his teacher, fellow crayons and art supplies, and family members, he cannot seem to do anything right until a new friend offers a fresh perspective.

My Dad has a shadow that's blue as a berry, and my Mum's is as pink as a blossoming cherry. There's only those choices, a 2 or a 1. But mine is quite different, it's both and it's none. A heartwarming and inspiring book about being true to yourself, by best-selling children's book creator Scott Stuart. This story considers gender beyond binary in a vibrant spectrum of colour.

A girl recounts her first time marching with her two moms at a Pride Parade.

When Aidan was born, everyone thought he was a girl. But once he came out as a trans boy, Aidan and his parents fixed the parts of his life that didn't fit anymore, and he settled happily into being himself. Then Mom and Dad announce that they're having another baby, and Aidan wants to get everything right for his new sibling. But what does it mean to "get everything right"? And what happens if he messes up? With a little help, Aidan discovers that he already knows the most important thing about being a brother: how to love with his whole heart.

A little girl explains how families, including hers, come in many shapes and sizes--some with a mom and a dad, some with two dads, some with two moms, and more.

Stella brings her two fathers to school to celebrate Mother's Day.

When a teacher asks the children in her class to think about what makes their families special, the answers are all different in many ways -- but the same in the one way that matters most of all. One child is worried that her family is just too different to explain, but listens as her classmates talk about what makes their families special. One is raised by a grandmother, and another has two dads. One is full of stepsiblings, and another has a new baby

This title features a variety of families from big and small, to some with only one parent or some with two moms and dads - but all alike in some ways and special no matter what.

From Down syndrome advocate and viral sensation Sofia Sanchez comes this beautiful and inclusive picture book about all the different ways to make a family. Families come in many different shapes and forms -- but they all teach you how to be strong and show you how loved you are. Alongside a sweet and simple narrative, the warm illustrations tell their own story. Beginning with Sofia Sanchez's adopted family, readers will meet families with two moms and two dads, families with single parents, and kids raised by grandparents, guardians, or older siblings. Big families, small families, extended families, blended families, and mixed race families -- including parents with their own differences that make them unique, too.

Illustrations and simple, rhyming text introduce a school where diversity is celebrated and songs, stories, and talents are shared.

Illustrations and gently rhyming text follow two mothers and their toddler on a sunny day.

Daniel loves birds, and wants to learn how to whistle as a gift for his new adoptive baby sister Angela. On the day of her adoption, Daniel still can't whistle. It is through meeting Jessie, Angela's birthmother, that Daniel may learn the trick to whistle like the birds he loves.

Chocolate brown pup Sutton Button tries her best to look like her smaller, golden yellow siblings, but she soon realizes that love, rather than how you look, is what makes you family.

A picture book featuring culturally rich artwork celebrates the joys, rituals, and traditions that are practiced in mosques throughout the world, and includes a glossary and information about many historical and significant mosques.

A young boy rides the bus across town with his grandmother and learns to appreciate the beauty in everyday things.

As a young boy, Bao Phi awoke early, hours before his father's long workday began, to fish on the shores of a small pond in Minneapolis. Unlike many other anglers, Bao and his father fished for food, not recreation. Between hope-filled casts, Bao's father told him about a different pond in their homeland of Vietnam.

The first day of wearing hijab is important. It means being strong. With her new backpack and light-up shoes, Faizah knows the first day of school is going to be special. It's the start of a brand-new year, and best of all, it's her older sister Asiya's first day of hijab - made of a fabric of beautiful blue, like the ocean waving to the sky. But not everyone sees hijab as beautiful, and in the face of hurtful, confusing words, Faizah will find new ways to be strong. Olympic medalist Ibtihaj Muhammad brings readers an uplifting, universal story of new experiences, the unbreakable bond between siblings, and of being proud of who you are.

Four kindergartners who think they have nothing in common become friends after sharing traditions of their holidays, including Eid-ul-Fitr, Rosh Hashanah, Christmas, and Pi Day.

With the help of her teacher, Mei Mei learns that she can have the best of two worlds by learning to communicate in two languages.

When Dat starts school in a country where he does not speak the language, everything around him sounds like gibberish until a new friend helps him make sense of his new world.

Sisters Faizah and Asiyah learn how to spread kindness on school picture day.