The 2019 Ultimate List of Diverse Children’s Books
The above linked article goes along with the African American children’s books, and the books the celebrate differences articles that I posted yesterday.
January 2019
Ruby, Head High: Ruby Bridge’s First Day of School by Irene Cohen-Janca
Arcade and the Triple T Token (The Coin Slot Chronicles) by Rashad Jennings
We Are Cousins / Somos Primos by Diane Gonzales Bertrand, illustrated by Christina Rodriguez (Ages 4-8)
Flower Girl Katie Woo by Fran Manushkin, illustrated by Tammie Lyon (Ages 5 – 7)
Superheroes Are Everywhere by Kamala Harris, illustrated by Mechal Renee Roe (Ages 3-7)
The Duchess and the Guy: A Rescue-to-Royalty Puppy Story by Nancy Furstinger (Ages 4-7)
Dark Sky Rising: Reconstruction and the Dawn of Jim Crow by Henry Louis Gates Jr. (Ages 9-12)
Yasmin the Teacher by Saadia Faruqi (Ages 5-8)
The Unsung Hero of Birdsong, USA by Brenda Woods
Grandpa Stops a War by Susan Robeson, illustrated by Rob Brown
The Journey of York: The Unsung Hero of the Lewis and Clark Expedition by Hasan Davis
Good Night, Taj Mahal by Nitya Mohan Khemka
Mangoes, Mischief, and Tales of Friendship: Stories from India by Chitra Soundar
A Tear in the Ocean by H.M. Bouwman
Peasprout Chen: Battle of Champions by Henry Lien
Never Caught, the Story of Ona Judge: George and Martha Washington’s Courageous Slave Who Dared to Run Away by Erica Armstrong Dunbar
Breathe With Me: Using Breath to Feel Strong, Calm and Happy by Miriam Gates
I Look Up To… Malala Yousafzai by Anna Membrino
I Look Up to…Serena Williams by Anna Membrino
E is for Easter by Greg Paprocki
Have I Ever Told You? by Shani King
Dear Black Boy by Martellus Bennett
Marley Dias (Influential People) by Jenny Benjamin
Community Soup by Alma Fullerton (in paperback format)
Meet Miss Fancy by Irene Latham, illustrated by John Holyfield
What Is Given From the Heart by Patricia C. McKissack
Dress Like a Girl by Patricia Toht
Out of this World: The Surreal Art of Leonora Carrington by Michelle Markel
All About Mohandas Gandhi by Todd Outcalt
Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America by Ibi Zoboi & others
China: A History by Cheryl Bardoe
Isabella: Artist Extraordinaire by Jennifer Fosberry
All About Barack Obama by Paul Freiberger & Michael Swaine
Jada Jones: Sleepover Scientist by Kelly Starling Lyons
Genesis Begins Again by Alicia Williams
What Momma Left Me by Renee Watson
This Promise of Change: One Girl’s Story in the Fight for School Equality by Jo Ann Allen Boyce
Brave Ballerina: The Story of Janet Collins by Michelle Meadows, illustrated by Ebony Glenn
Inventing Victoria by Tonya Bolden
Honeysmoke: A Story of Finding Your Color by Monique Fields, illustrated by Yesenia Moises
The Piñata That the Farm Maiden Hung by Samantha R. Vamos
Follow Me Down to Nicodemus Town: Based on the History of the African American Pioneer Settlement by A. LaFaye
Fearless Mary: The True Adventures of Mary Fields, American Stagecoach Driver by Tami Charles
Hands Up! by Breanna J. McDaniel
A Song for Gwendolyn Brooks by Alice Faye Duncan
The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan
Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee
Planting Trees: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré by Anika Aldamuy Denise
The Bell Rang by James Ransome
The Roots of Rap: 16 Bars on the 4 Pillars of Hip-Hop by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Frank Morrison
Under by Hijab by Hena Khan
Marianthe’s Story: Painted Words and Spoken Memories by Aliki (paperback version)
Sela Blue and the Missing Key by Alisia Dale
Spin by Lamar Giles
A Grain of Rice by Nhung N. Tran-Davies
When I Fly With Papa by Claudia May, illustrated by Jena Holliday
February 2019
God’s Gift of Family by Brenda Jank, illustrated by Penny Weber
A Scarf for Keiko by Ann Malaspina, illustrated by Merrilee Liddiard
When I Pray for You by Matthew Paul Turner, illustrated by Kimberly Barnes
Black Music Greats by Olivier Cachin, illustrated by Jérôme Masi (Ages 7-10)
Feminism Is… by DK, foreward by Roxane Gay (Ages 12 and up)
Look Up with Me: Neil deGrasse Tyson: A Life Among the Stars by Jennifer Berne, illustrated by Lorraine Nam
Girl Activist by Louisa Kamps
Who Is Michael Jordan? by Kirsten Anderson
Just Read! by Lori Degman
Some Days by Karen Kaufman Orloff
Biddy Mason Speaks Up by Arisa White
Maria the Matador by Anne Lambelet
A Friend for Henry by Jenn Bailey
New Kid by Jerry Craft
Ann Fights for Freedom: An Underground Railroad Survival Story by Nikki Shannon Smith
The Moon Within by Aida Salazar
Fast Enough: Bessie Stringfield’s First Ride by Joel Christian Gill
Muhammad Ali (Little People, Big Dreams) by Isabel Sanchez Vegara
Right This Very Minute: A table-to-farm book about food and farming by Lisl H Detlefsen
Soaring Earth by Margarita Engle
Carter Reads the Newspaper by Deborah Hopkinson, illustrated by Don Tate
Let ‘er Buck!: George Fletcher, the People’s Champion by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson
A is for Awesome: 23 Iconic Women Who Changed the World by Eva Chen, illustrated by Derek Desierto
Remarkably You by Pat Zietlow Miller
On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
I Am Farmer: Growing an Environmental Movement in Cameroon by Baptiste & Miranda Paul, illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon
Sisters: Venus & Serena Williams by Jeanette Winter
Say Something by Peter H. Reynolds
My Mommy Medicine by Edwidge Danticat
Gittel’s Journey by by Lesléa Newman
The Cat Who Lived with Anne Frank by David Lee Miller
Lety Out Loud by Angela Cervantes
Wilma’s Way Home: The Life of Wilma Mankiller by Doreen Rappaport
Watch Us Rise by Renee Watson
The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman
Pancakes to Parathas: Breakfast Around the World by Alice B. McGinty
March 2019
The Boy Who Grew a Forest: The True Story of Jadav Payeng by Sophia Gholz, illustrated by Kayla Harren (Ages 5-8)
Pride Colors by Robert Stevenson
Another by Christian Robinson
Awâsis and the World-Famous Bannock by Dallas Hunt, illustrated by Amanda Strong
The Lost Property Office by Emily Rand
Martin & Anne: The Kindred Spirits of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Anne Frank by Nancy Churnin, illustrated by Yevgenia Nayberg (Ages 8-11)
Oprah Winfrey: Run the Show Like CEO by Caroline Moss
Around the Passover Table by Tracy Newman, illustrated by Adriana Santos (Ages 3-5)
Frida Kahlo by Jane Kent, illustrated by Isabel Munoz
Lubna and Pebble by Wendy Meddour, illustrated by Daniel Egnéus
The Yellow Suitcase by Meera Sriram
Limelight by Solli Raphael
Sam Wu Is Not Afraid of Sharks by Katie Tsang
A Green Place to Be: The Creation of Central Park by Ashley Benham Yazdani
Love You Head to Toe by Ashley Barron
Asian Children’s Favorite Stories: Folktales from China, Japan, Korea, India, the Philippines and other Asian Lands by David Conger
My Grandma and Me by Mina Javaherbin
Japanese and English Nursery Rhymes: Carp Streamers, Falling Rain and Other Favorite Songs and Rhymes by Danielle Wright
Internment by Samira Ahmed
She Spoke by Kathy MacMillian
When Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree by Jamie L.B. Deenihan
One Is a Piñata: A Book of Numbers by Roseanne Thong
When I Found Grandma by Saumiya Balasubramaniam
B is for Baby by Atinuke
Bea’s Bees by Katherine Pryor
Step Into Your Power: 21 lessons on how to live your best life by Jamia Wilson
What Do You Celebrate? Holidays and Festivals Around the World by Whitney Stewart
Be a Maker by Katey Howes
Maria Montessori (Little People, Big Dreams) by Isabel Sanchez Vegara
Cilla Lee-Jenkins: The Epic Story by Susan Tan
Lumber Jills: The Unsung Heroines of World War II by Alexandra Davis
Sarai and the Around the World Fair by Sarai Gonzalez and Monica Brown
Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds
Corduroy’s Garden by Alison Inches
Corduroy’s Hike by Alison Inches
A Computer Called Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Helped Put America on the Moon by Suzanne Slade, illustrated by Veronica Miller Jamison
My Two Dads and Me by Michael Joosten
My Two Moms and Me by Michael Joosten
A Good Kind of Trouble by Lisa Moore Ramée
Magic Ramen: The Story of Momofuku Ando by Andrea Wang, illustrated by Kana Urbanowicz
Gloria Takes a Stand: How Gloria Steinem Listened, Wrote, and Changed the World by Jessica M. Rinker, illustrated by Daria Peoples-Riley
Here and There by Tamara Ellis Smith
April 2019
Colorblind: A Story of Racism by Jonathan Harris, illustrated by Garry Leach
We Chose You by Tony and Lauren Dungy
My Mama is a Mechanic by Doug Cenko
It’s Trevor Noah: Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood (Young Readers Edition) by Trevor Noah
Thinker: My Puppy, Poet and Me by Eloise Greenfield, illustrated by Ehsan Abdollahi (Ages 4-8)
Going Down Home With Daddy by Kelly Starling Lyons, illustrated by Daniel Minter (Ages 4-8)
A New Home by Tania de Regil
Be Brave, Be Brave, Be Brave by F. Anthony Falcon
How Do You Say Good Night? by Cindy Jin
Ojiichan’s Gift by Chieri Uegaki, illustrated by Genevieve Simms
The Night Before Kindergarten Graduation by Natasha Wing
SprawlBall: A Visual Tour of the New Era of the NBA by Kirk Goldsberry
Manuelito by Elisa Amado
The Gift of Ramadan by Rabiah York Lumbard, illustrated by Laura K. Horton
Luca’s Bridge/El Puente de Luca by Mariana Llanos, illustrated by Anna Lopez Real
Ada Twist and the Perilous Pants: The Questioneers Book #2 by Andrea Beaty, illustrated by David Roberts
Maisie’s Scrapbook by Samuel Narh
Yay! You’re Gay! Now What? by Riyadh Khalaf
Home is a Window by Stephanie Ledyard, illustrated by Chris Sasaki
Birth of the Cool: How Jazz Great Miles Davis Found His Sound by Kathleen Cornell Berman, illustrated by Keith Henry Brown
Planet Fashion: 100 Years of Fashion History by Natasha Slee
What Does It Mean to Be American? by Rana DiOrio, illustrated by Nina Mata
Una Huna, What Is This? by Susan Aglukark
Mango Moon by Diane de Anda
The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander
Hair, It’s a Family Affair by Mylo Freeman
The Last Day of Summer by Lamar Giles
I Used to Be Famous by Becky Cattie, illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff
Playdate by Maryann Macdonald
Nine Months Before a Baby is Born by Miranda Paul, illustrated by Jason Chin
¡Vamos! Let’s Go to the Market by Raúl the Third III
Grandma’s Purse by Vanessa Brantley-Newton (Board Book Edition)
Dazzling Travis: A Story About Being Confident by Hannah Carmona Dias
Babymoon by Hayley Barrett, illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal
A Is For All the Things You Are: A Joyful ABC Book by Anna Forgerson, illustrated by Keturah A. Bobo
Stonewall: A Building. An Uprising. A Revolution by Rob Sanders
The Little Red Stroller by Joshua Furst
Yoga for Littles by Lana Katsaros
How Do You Say Good Night? by Cindy Jin
Caterpillar Summer by Gillian McDunn
Rhymes with Claire by Chad J. Thompson
May 2019
I Am the Night Sky: & Other Reflections by Muslim American Youth by Next Wave Muslim Initiative Writers
Nighttime Symphony by Timbaland, illustrated by Christopher Myers and Kaa Illustration (Ages 2-8)
Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry, illustrated by Vashti Harrison (Ages 4-8)
Jada Sly, Artist & Spy by Sherri Winston
Groundbreaking Guys: 40 Men Who Became Great By Doing Good by Stephanie True Peters, illustrated by Shamel Washington
It Feels Good to Be Yourself: A Book About Gender Identity by Theresa Thorn (Author), illustrated by Noah Grigni
A Place to Belong by Cynthia Kadohata
Rainbow: A First Book of Pride by Michael Genhart, PhD
Daniel’s Good Day by Micha Archer
I Love You So Mochi by Sarah Kuhn
We Are the Change: Words of Inspiration from Civil Rights Leaders by Harry Belafonte
Serena: The Little Sister by Karlin Gray
Queer Heroes by Arabelle Sicardi
Girls with Guts!: The Road to Breaking Barriers and Bashing Records by Debbie Gonzales
Camp Tiger by Susan Choi
Let’s Make Yoga Magic by Heather Leah
Gandhi by Isabel Sanchez Vegara
The Usual Suspects by Maurice Broaddus
Polly Diamond and the Super Stunning Spectacular School Fair by Alice Kuipers
Titan and the Wild Boars: The True Cave Rescue of the Thai Soccer Team by Susan Hood & Patthana Sornhiran
Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga
Before They Were Authors: Famous Writers as Kids by Elizabeth Haidle
Let Me Hear a Rhyme by Tiffany D. Jackson
Sweet Dreams, Sarah: From Slavery to Inventor by Vivian Kirkfield
Sonny’s Bridge: Jazz Legend Sonny Rollins Finds His Groove by Barry Wittenstein, illustrated by Keith Mallett
My Papi Has a Motorcycle by Isabel Quintero
Grandpa Cacao: A Tale of Chocolate, from Farm to Family by Elizabeth Zunon
I Remember: Poems and Pictures of Heritage by Lee Bennett Hopkins
June 2019
The Extraordinary Life of Katherine Johnson by Devika Jina (Ages 7-12)
Mother of Many by Pamela M. Tuck, illustrated by Tiffani J. Smith
How to Read a Book by Kwame Alexander
Cece Loves Science and Adventure by Kimberly Derting & Shelli R. Johannes, illustrated by Vashti Harrison
Rise!: From Caged Bird to Poet of the People, Maya Angelou by Bethany Hegedus, illustrated by Tonya Engel
Back to School: A Global Journey by Maya Ajmera and John D. Ivanko (Ages 4-8)
Soccerverse: Poems About Soccer by Elizabeth Steinglass, illustrated by Edson Ike
Beyoncé: Shine Your Light by Sarah Warren, illustrated by Geneva Bowers (Ages 4-7)
Hector: A Boy, A Protest, and the Photograph that Changed Apartheid by Adrienne Wright
Wilma Rudolph by Isabel Sanchez Vegara
Puppy Truck by Brian Pinkney
Lola Goes to School by Anna McQuinn, illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw
Leila in Saffron by Rukhsanna Guidroz
Jada Jones: Dancing Queen by Kelly Starling Lyons
The Story of Trailblazing Actor Ira Aldridge by Glenda Armand (Ages 8 – 11)
Where Are You From? by Yamile Saied Mendez
Hannah Sparkles: Hooray for the First Day of School by Robin Mellom, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
Martin Luther King, Jr.: A Graphic History of America’s Great Civil Rights Leader by Rachel Ruiz
July 2019
A Boy Like You by Frank Murphy, illustrated by Kayla Harren
Small World by Ishta Mercurio, illustrated by Jen Corace
The King of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
Not Quite Snow White by Ashley Franklin, illustrated by Ebony Glenn
The Night Is Yours by Abdul-Razak Zachariah, illustrated by Keturah A. Bobo
I Got Next by Daria Peoples-Riley
Sweet Dreams: Bedtime Visualizations for Kids by Mariam Gates
For Black Girls Like Me by Mariama J. Lockington
Clever Little Witch by Muon Thi Van
Bruce Lee by Isabel Sanchez Vegara
Heroism Begins with Her: Inspiring Stories of Bold, Brave, and Gutsy Women in the U.S. Military by Winifred Conkling
August 2019
Red Bird Sings: The Story of Zitkala-Ša, Native American Author, Musician, and Activist by Gina Capaldi & Q.L. Pearce (Ages 8 – 12)
Carson Chooses Forgiveness: A Story About Basketball by Tony & Lauren Dungy (Ages 6 – 9)
A Likkle Miss Lou: How Jamaican Poet Louise Bennett Coverley Found Her Voice by Nadia Hohn, illustrated by Eugenie Fernandes (Ages 4-8)
My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich by Ibi Zoboi, illustrated by Frank Morrison
Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for President Lincoln by Margarita Engle, illustrated by Rafael Lopez (Ages 4-8)
Sadiq and the Desert Star by Siman Nuurali, illustrated by Anjan Sarkar
The Brave Cyclist: The True Story of a Holocaust Hero by Amalia Hoffman, illustrated by Chiara Fedele (Ages 9-10)
Sing a Song: How Lift Every Voice and Sing Inspired Generations by Kelly Starling Lyons, illustrated by Keith Mallett
Color Me In by Natasha Diaz
Who Is Oprah Winfrey? by Barbara Kramer, illustrated by Dede Putra
Simonie and the Dance Contest by Gail Matthews
It’s Good to Have a Grandma by Maryann Macdonald, illustrated by Priscilla Burris (Ages 3-5)
It’s Good to Have a Grandpa by Maryann Macdonald, illustrated by Priscilla Burris (Ages 3-5)
Hooray for Women by Marcia Williams
The Buddy Bench by Patty Brozo
Dough Boys by Paula Chase
Sweet Dreams, Zaza by Mylo Freeman
September 2019
A Black Woman Did That by Malaika Adero (Ages 8-12)
I Am Brave: A Little Book about Martin Luther King, Jr. by Brad Meltzer, illustrated by Christopher Eliopoulos (Ages 2-5)
Sam! by Dani Gabriel, illustrated by Robert Lui-Trujillo (Ages 8-12)
Nya’s Long Walk: A Step at a Time by Linda Sue Park, illustrated by Brian Pinkney (Ages 4-7)
My Baby Loves Christmas by Jabari Asim, illustrated by Tara Nicole Whitaker
Dear Haiti, Love Alaine by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite
Thurgood by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Bryan Collier (Ages 5-9)
Paper Son: The Inspiring Story of Tyrus Wong, Immigrant and Artist by Julie Leung, illustrated by Chris Sasaki (Ages 4-8)
The Piano Recital by Akiko Miyakoshi (Ages 3-7)
If Elephants Disappeared by Lily Williams (Ages 4-8)
Becoming Beatriz by Tami Charles
Between Us and Abuela: A Family Story from the Border by Mitali Perkins, illustrated by Sara Palacios
At the Mountain’s Base by Traci Sorell, illustrated by Weshoyot Alvitre (Ages 4-8)
Some Places More than Others by Renée Watson
Arcade an the Golden Travel Guide by Rashad Jennings
Portrait of an Artist: Frida Kahlo by Sandra Dieckmann
Evelyn the Adventurous Entomologist: The True Story of a World-Traveling Bug Hunter by Christine Evans illustrated by Yasmin Imamura
Little Libraries, Big Heroes by Miranda Paul and John Parra
What is a Refugee? by Elise Gravel (Ages 3-7)
How to Code a Rollercoaster by Josh Funk, illustrated by Sara Palacios (Ages 4-8)
At the Mountain’s Base by Traci Sorell, illustrated by Weshoyot Alvitre (Ages 4-8)
October 2019
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, illustrated by Carly Gledhill
Fry Bread: A Native American Story by Noble Maillard Kevin, illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal (Ages 3-6)
Girls Like Us by Randi Pink, Ages 14 and up
Parker Looks Up by Parker & Jessica Curry, illustrated by Brittany Jackson (Ages 4-8)
Be Bold Baby: Sonia Sotomayor by Alison Oliver
It Began With a Page: How Gyo Fujikawa Drew the Way by Kyo Maclear, illustrated by Julie Morstad (Ages 4-8)
M is for Melanin: A Celebration of the Black Child by Tiffany Rose
The Dragon Thief (Dragons in a Bag) by Zetta Elliott
Mama Mable’s All-Gal Big Band Jazz Extravaganza! by Annie Sieg (Ages 4-8)
Saturday by Oge Mora
Sulwe by Lupita Nyong’o
The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family by Ibtihaj Muhammad, illustrated by Hatem Aly (Ages 4-8)
Muslim Girls Rise by Saira Mir, illustrated by Aaliya Jaleel (Ages 6 and up)
Ona Judge Outwits the Washingtons: An Enslaved Woman Fights for Freedom (Library Binding Edition) by Gwendolyn Hooks, illustrated by Simone Agoussoye
Ho’onani: Hula Warrior by Heather Gale, illustrated by Mika Song
Happy Hair by Mechal Renee Roe (Ages 3-7)
Double Bass Blues by Andrea Loney, illustrated by Rudy Gutierrez (Ages 4-8)
Salsa Lullaby by Jen Arena, illustrated by Erika Meza (Ages 3-7)
Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao by Kat Zhang, illustrated by Charlene Chua (Ages 4-8)
November 2019
Little Legends: Exceptional Men in Black History by Vashti Harrison (Ages 8 – 11)
I Look Up to Misty Copeland by Anna Membrino
Sofia Valdez, Future Prez by Andrea Beaty
December 2019
Freedom Soup by Tami Charles
Children of Virtue and Vengeance (Legacy of Orisha) by Tomi Adeyemi
What Were the Negro Leagues? by Varian Johnson, illustrated by Stephen Marchesi (Ages 8-12)
