As Black Lives Matter protests make headlines across the globe, many Australian parents are wanting to diversify their child’s bookshelves.
They want to give their children a greater view of the many colours, cultures and people that make up the world rather than the “white-washed” pictures we overwhelmingly see.
We’ve put together a short list of books that help illustrate exactly that. It is not a definitive list, so if you know of others comment below and let us know!
Some ideas, but not limited to, include:
A letter to Amy by Ezra Keats
Baby business by Jasmine Seymour
Change starts with us by Sophie Beer
Kindness Makes is strong by Sophie Beer
Counting our country by Jill Daniels
Cunning crow by Gregg Dreise
Good night stories for rebel girls (part one and two) by Elena Favilli, Francesca Cavallo
Finding our heart by Thomas Mayor and Blak Douglas
Hair love by Matthew Cherry
I’m Australian Too by Mem Fox
Hello Little Babies by Alison Lester
Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox & Helen Oxenbury
Everywhere Babies” by Susan Meyers
All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold & Suzanne Kaufman
Lovely by Jess Hong
The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi
Just the Way We Are by Jessica Shirvington & Claire Robertson
Little People, Big Dreams Series (including but not limited to) – Martin Luther King Jr., Jesse Owens, Muhammad Ali & Rosa Parks
My Muslim Mate by Amal Abou-Eid
Why Does Mum Wear a Hijab? by Amal Abou-Eid
My kind by Eddie Betts
Not my idea by Anastasia Higginbottom
Saturday by Oge Mora
The last dance by Sally Morgan
This love, Isabel Otter
All Because you Matter by Tami Charles
The Proudest Blue by by Ibtihaj Muhammad
The Colors of U by Karen Katz
I Too, Am America by Langston Hughes
It Began with a Page: How Gyo Fujikawa Drew the Way by Kyo Maclear
Where Are You From by Yamile Saied Méndez
The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson
My Hair is a Garden by Cozbi A. Cabrera
Mae Among the Stars by Roda Ahmed
Something Happened in Our Town by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, and Ann Hazzard
Skin Like Mine by Latisha M Perry
Hair Like Mine by Latisha M Perry
Harlem’s Little Blackbird: The Story of Florence Mills by Renée Watson
Woke Baby by Mahogany L. Browne
Thread of Love by Kobir Sehgal and Surishtha Seghal
Peaceful Fights for Equal Rights by Rob Sanders
The Skin You Live in by Michael Tyler
All are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold
Black is Beautiful by Ann McGovern
Have you Thanked and Inventor Today by Patrice McLaurin
Lila and the Crow by Gabrielle Grimard
An ABC of Equality by Chana Ginelle Ewing
A is for Activist by Innosanto Nagara
Seasame Street – We’re Different, We’re the Same by Bobbi Kates
Little Legends Exceptional Men in Black History by Vashti Harrison
Black is a Rainbow Colour by Angela Joy
I am Enough by Grace Byers
Sulwe Hardcover Lupita Nyong’o
I Am Human: A Book of Empathy by Susan Verde
Willy-willy Wagtail by Helen Milroy
