While I’ve seen such a beautiful swell of love, support and compassion for all kinds of people all over my social media through the years, I’ve also talked to lots of moms who are wondering how to talk to kids about prejudice, racism, antisemitism, homophobia, and other forms of bigotry.
Because even as my kids help me pick out wedding presents for all our friends, prejudice most definitely still exists and becomes amplified during contentious election seasons — whether it’s because of the color of your skin, the person you love, or the country your family came from.
One of my favorite go-to tools for starting hard conversations with my kids is by reading books together. Reading a great story is an easy way for me to get my kids talking about concepts like open-mindedness, embracing people who are different from them, and fighting for the rights of people who have been marginalized. Even if marginalization is still a word that’s a little over their heads.
Just to get you started, here are 12 books our own teams’ kids are enjoying, and that are giving us a chance to have fantastic conversations with them about race and respect. We really hope you’ll like them too.
Note: This has been a rough time in our country, especially for vulnerable people and minority groups who are victims of hate, bigotry, and scapegoating. So we are updating this excellent post about ways to talk to kids about prejudice and hate, with the help of some terrific children’s books. There have been a few terrific new books on the subject since 2015, and those are reflected here in addition to Kate’s original recommendations. – Eds.
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12 children’s books to open up conversations about prejudice and discrimination: From board books to middle-grade reads.
The Ordinary People Change the World series by Brad Meltzer and Christopher Eliopoulos
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My kids are tearing through the Ordinary People Change the World series by Brad Meltzer and Christopher Eliopoulos, a good, easy introductions to biographies. The newest titles include I Am Jesse Owens, and I Am Steven Hawking, which tell stories of incredible “ordinary” people who broke barriers, so we wanted to highlight them here. But there are plenty more terrific titles to teach stories about diversity and discrimination, like I Am Billie Jean King and I Am Rosa Parks — in fact, the series now has 32 books. Which is good because kids will devour them.
One Family by George Shannon and Blanca Gomez
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While we’ve covered so many books featuring diverse heroes over the years, a new favorite of mine is the beautiful depictions of family in One Family by George Shannon and Blanca Gomez. It subtly shows that many families aren’t only one color. Whether your family is multi-racial, your kids have been adopted, or you just have some beloved families in your life who you might see reflected here, this is a great book to add to your library.
You Will Be My Friend by Peter Brown
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Don’t be deceived by the cuddly bear protagonist — You Will Be My Friend by Peter Brown (a sequel to the bestselling Children Make Terrible Pets) is a hip, funny, remarkably illustrated book that incorporates cut paper, photography and real wood grain textures into the imagery. My favorite part, besides the look of it, is the idea that being someone’s friend doesn’t mean you have to forget who you are. The bear, searching for a friend, tries to be like other animals but finally finds his perfect partner…in a flamingo. In other words, look for the friends who aren’t just like you, kids. It makes life so much more interesting.
You Are (Not) Small by Anna Kang and Christopher Weyant
When kids have limited interaction with people who are different, it’s easy for them to default to generalizations. Kids can be so literal that way. But the 2015 winner of the Theodor Seuss Geisel award for beginning readers, You Are (Not) Small by Anna Kang still holds up as a lovely book to help kids understand the concept of stereotyping. Especially with the help of illustrator Christopher Weyant’s adorable characters. It was a favorite with all of my kids, and perfect for bedtime.
What Does it Mean to be American? by Rana DiOrio & Elad Yoran, illustrated by Nina Mata
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Back in 2019, we shared the wonderful What Does it Mean to Be American?— and now, we’re so lucky that co-author Rana DiOrio is part of the CMP team! At a time that there’s a lot of talk about who is a “real” American, this uplifting book truly celebrates the values that America was built on and that we still strive to deliver on — like the belief that all people are created equal. That all should have the opportunity to be happy. That we have the freedom to choose whom we love. That we honor those who protect and serve, and we help people in need.
What’s really special about this book is that two authors from opposite sides of the political spectrum, with very different backgrounds and experiences, came together in friendship and good faith to find the ideals that united them and the result is a book that will spark wonderful conversations — and serve as a reminder why so many people And if the illustrations of the naturalization ceremony
Let’s Talk About Race by Julius Lester, Karen Barbour
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A beautiful book that addresses racial stereotypes explicitly: Let’s Talk About Race by Newbery Award and Coretta Scott King Award winner Julius Lester, whose copious list of titles about social justice goes back to the 60’s. In this book, Karen Barbour’s illustrated characters introduce themselves with different activities and interests, then add, Oh, and I happen to be _________ race. Kids will learn that it’s easy to identify with all different people, if they just give them a chance — and that even if we see skin color first, it doesn’t mean it’s the most important thing to know about a person.
Peace is an Offering by Annette LeBox and Stephanie Graegin
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Ultimately, the most important thing I think we can teach our kids is to choose peace. The lovely Peace is an Offering by Annette LeBox and Stephanie Graegin is a beautiful portrayal of kids playing together harmoniously. (Just like your house during summer break, right?) The illustrations of a diverse group of neighborhood kids playing together — whether or not that’s a familiar sight in your own community — accompanied by a beautiful poem calling for peace, makes this one of my all-time favorite children’s books. Plus, it’s a great quiet-down, ready for rest kind of book for younger kids. Highly recommend.
Rainbow Allies: The True Story of Kids Who Stood Against Hate by Nancy Churnin and Izzy Evans
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Kids love books where they can see themselves as the heroes, and that’s just what they’ll get in this popular new picture book from award-winnning author Nancy Churnin with joyous, vibrant illustrations from Izzy Evans. It’s based on the true story about one Massachusetts community that rallied together to support Cari and Lauri (and their two dogs) when they were targeted for vandalism. It’s a wonderful lesson in how we can all actively be forces of change to create more love and respect in the world for people who may be different from us. Even in our own neighborhoods.
That Flag by Tameka Fryer Brown and Nikkolas Smith
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Included in our 2024 list of The best new Black history picture books for kids that they’ll love all year is That Flag. Tameka Fryer’s book is timely and important, bringing today’s racial tension in America to life in a way that’s personal and relatable. In it, two best friends, one Black and one white, grapple with their friendship when the white girl’s family starts flying a Confederate flag at home. Each family explains its meaning and symbolism differently — until a tragedy creates the need for some new understanding. The illustrations from the prolific artist Nikkolas Smith make it all the more evocative and memorable — and it’s an excellent opportunity to spark conversations about a form of racism that’s grounded in history, but still very much alive today.
We Are Displaced: My Journey and Stories from Refugee Girls Around the World, Malala Yousafazi
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Malala is certainly a compelling figure, especially for young girls; she’s young, relatable, and alive today, still doing remarkably important work that seems so beyond her years. (And of course, it’s important for boys to grow up knowing that girls are doing a lot of essential work in the world!)
For younger children, check out the 2014 picture book Malala Yousafazi: Warrior With Words, by Karen Leggett Abouraya and L.C. Wheatley, which we recommended previously. It’s also a great way to talk about the significance of a traditional Hijab headscarf, for kids who may not be families with girls or women who wear one.
We highly recommend her nonfiction anthology, We Are Displaced: My Journey and Stories from Refugee Girls Around the World, which brings stories of individual female refugees and their families to life. As we know, empathy starts with seeing our shared humanity with others. And with a lot of talk about refugees, asylum-seekers, and deportations, this helps bring a human perspective to these issues that kids may not be hearing.
It’s Trevor Noah: Born a Crime Stories from a South African Childhood (Adapted for Young Readers)
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“We do horrible things to one another because we don’t see the person it affects…We don’t see them as people.” What could be a more pointed thesis about discrimination today for middle-grade and middle-school readers? If you or your older kids haven’t read the original Born a Crime memoir (or the audiobook, narrated by Noah is excellent) you absolutely should. For younger kids, this riveting story uses humor and biting honesty to engage readers with his story of growing up biracial in South Africa when it was not only alienating — it was illegal, under a racist government. How’s that for a conversation starter?
We all hope we keep the positive momentum of love going. Have the hard-weird-awkward conversations with your kids; we can give them the tools they need to be the generation that puts an end to so much of the hatred many of us have been fighting against our whole lives.
Generaly tips for finding good children’s books that help start conversations about prejudice and discrimination
As you browse your bookstore or local library, here are a few tips we’ve found to be helpful when we’re looking for new titles:
1. Above all, make sure the story is good. Because even if the lesson is well-intentioned, your kids won’t pay attention if the book is boring. No matter their age.
2. Choose books with characters that are different than the people in your family. And consider more than race. It’s always important to see yourself reflected back in the books that you read — particularly if you’re a person of color, and fewer picture books are about people who look like you. But it’s also important to read about people who are different than you — beyond race — especially if you have the intent of discussing those differences with your kids.
For example, if your family is white or of European descent, seek out books about kids whose heritage stems from Latin America, Asia, or Africa. If you’re in a male-female marriage, try stories about kids with single moms, single dads, or same-sex parents. Look at books about families practicing a different religion than your own. If you have neurotypical kids, check out books about neurodiverse heroes or kids who are differently-abled. It really helps build an excellent learning foundation for preschoolers and young kids. And of course, if you have a family of boys, make sure they’re reading books about female heroes!
It’s not just about education by the way; Imagining other ways of life can be pretty exciting for kids — whether it’s life on a pirate ship, in a big city, or in a village in another part of the world.
3. Look for books that show unexpected friendships — A book about a bird and a hippo or a duck and a cow may have nothing to do with prejudice specifically, but it can be a great way to open up a conversation about how it’s so cool that two different characters are friends, even though they aren’t the same. You may even have books like this already in your library.
4. Look for biographical and historic stories. These are always a great way to take your conversations with your kids deeper. Read your children age-appropriate biographies about the giants who have fought hard for basic human rights — for Black Americans, for women, for the LGBTQ community, for those with disabilities. You may be surprised just how much even the youngest kids can process.
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