Our Favorite Inclusive Kids Books
I was going through some of the books we have the other day, transferring some into my son's stuff because he's getting a little older. After looking through so many of our books, I decided to share some of our favorite inclusive, empowering, and just all around good children's books.
Our Favorite Inclusive Kids Books | Empowering POC/Bilingual
The Dream Big Little One books by Vashti Harrison are a favorite. We have a few in the series. There is Dream Big Little One which is about inspiring women of color, which I absolutely love. We also have Think Big Little One which is about women of all different backgrounds and the great things they have done
We love Mae Among the Stars about Mae Jemison because not only is she inspirational for being the first black woman in space, but her family was super supportive and encouraging of her. Even when she was told by a teacher she couldn't be an astronaut, her parents still really encouraged her and ensured that she did in fact become not only an astronaut, but a doctor as well.
¡Mi Comunidad! • My Community! By 123 Andrés is a favorite because it is both in English and in Spanish. We have a lot of books like this as well as a lot of Spanish books because my husband is bilingual and we try to foster that in our kids in our home. I love this one because it talks about community and community helpers. It has it in both English and Spanish and kids can learn the names of these community helpers in both languages.
Our Favorite Inclusive Kids Books | Women in STEM
I love a good science book, ESPECIALLY women in STEM. Are You a Scientist? by Tad Carpenter is a favorite for us.
I love the book Dream Big by Joyce Wan as well, because it goes over all of the women scientists it refers to in the back of the book.
The Ada Twist Scientist books by Andrea Beaty books are SO great. There is also a show on Netflix based on this series. This book was gifted to my daughter along with an Ada Twist doll for her birthday last year. I love this book because it highlights her interest in science and how she keeps pursuing it. She really goes after everything she tries and is absolutely brilliant. I love books that foster that curiosity and love of science in kids, especially girls.
Our Favorite Inclusive Kids Books | Inclusivity
We love the book All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold. It talks about how we are all different, but we are all allowed in spaces, especially at school, how everyone is allowed to feel safe, every child and every family. I love how diverse this book is for so many different families and so many different experiences and life situations.
Press here by Herve' Tullet is such a fun book and it's so great for kids, especially younger ones, who are autistic. It's a really engaging book and it's really fun.
This Beach is Too Loud by Samantha Cotterill is a really great book highlighting sensory overwhelm. I like how the dad actually uses coping mechanisms for himself and his son to help him get through the noisy part of the beach so they can get to a quieter space. It's one of those books that shows how easy it is to have accommodations.
You Are Enough by Margaret O'Hair is a book I absolutely love. It is inspired by Sophia Sanchez who has Down Syndrome and it talks about her life and some of her experiences. It emphasizes the message that no matter what you go through and how different you might be, you are actually enough. There's a little bio about her at the end of the book, as well as information about Down Syndrome and the Down Syndrome Society.
Another favorite is Say Something by Peter H. Reynolds. I love this book because it talks about how to use your voice and how it's so important, especially for a child that doesn't have as much of a voice, whether they are non-verbal or shy or have something else that may impede their voice. This book really encourages those kids to say something no matter how they do it.
Our Favorite Inclusive Kids Books | Fostering Love
Because of You by B.G. Hennessy and The Wonderful Things You Will Be by Emily Winfield Martin are both favorites. They are just really sweet books about loving a child and how much they're loved.
The Tiny T Rex books by Jonathan Stutzman are very popular in our house. We absolutely love these. I think they're so cute. They're funny, sweet and they have simple but impactful messages.
Our Favorite Inclusive Kids Books | Big Feelings/Emotions
I love books that help kids navigate big feelings/emotions. The Invisible String by Patrice Karst was really helpful when my grandmother passed away a few years ago. It's a really sweet book that is great for children who are dealing with parents who aren't together, people who live far away, and people who have passed away.
Big Feelings by Alexandra Penfold goes over different feelings kids have and how it's totally normal to have these feelings as well as coping mechanisms. It encourages kids to share their feelings because, at the end of the day, we each experience these feelings and each experience hard times, but we're all in this together. There's something about the detail of the leaves and the grass in this book that I absolutely love.
What If I Know My Feelings by Michelle Nelson Schmidt and Sometimes I Feel Like a Storm Cloud by Leslie Evans are both great books for walking through what different feelings are and how they can be shown.
Worrisaurus by Rachel Bright is a great tool for me as the parent of a child with a lot of anxiety. It highlights all the different things that can cause worry, anxiety and concern and some of the things you can do to work through it. These big emotions are hard for kids to understand so helping them work through them is so great.
I'm sure I could keep going, because we have SO many books that we love, but I will stop there. You can find all of the books mentioned here as well as a few more of our favorites listed below.
Our Favorite Inclusive Kids Books | Shop
