If you are in a position this year to give gifts to young people in your life, consider giving books!
Where you put your money this year makes a BIG difference—particularly to small businesses. By supporting diverse books, independent publishers (like us!), and local booksellers, you can make sure that your holiday spending has a real social impact and ensure a vibrant literary landscape for 2021 and beyond.
We’ve rounded up our favorite books for gifting. For this blog post, we’re sharing a few joyful diverse picture books.
When Aidan Became a Brother: This sweet #ownvoices picture book celebrates the changes in a transgender boy’s life, from his initial coming-out to becoming a big brother.
I Remember: Poems and Pictures of Heritage: An outstanding celebration of diversity and family: fourteen poets and sixteen illustrators of diverse backgrounds share memorable childhood experiences and reflect upon their different heritages, traditions, and beliefs.
A Morning with Grandpa: A curious and active little girl spends the day learning tai chi from her grandfather, and in turn tries to teach him how to do yoga. Backmatter features poses you can do with your little ones!
Galápagos Girl/Galapagueña: This charming bilingual picture book introduces the fascinating creatures of the Galápagos Islands through the life of one very lucky girl. A perfect read-aloud for animal lovers!
Sumo Joe: In this sweet and funny story, Sumo Joe and his friends enjoy pretending to be sumo wrestlers. But when his little sister wants to join their boy-only game, what should Sumo Joe do?
Marisol McDonald and the Clash Bash/Marisol McDonald y la fiesta sin igual: In the follow-up to the Pura Belpré Award Honor-winning Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match/Marisol McDonald No Combina, everyone’s favorite mismatched heroine turns eight and throws a fabulously mismatched party. Want the full series? Find the Marisol McDonald collection here!
¡Los Zombis no comen verduras!: En este encantador debut de una talentosa pareja, Mo Romero es un zombi con un secreto profundo y oscuro…/In this delightful debut by a talented husband-and-wife team, Mo Romero is a zombie with a deep, dark secret . . . he eats veggies!
Black All Around:The fun and excitement never stop in this joyous and playful book. Join a young girl as she discovers all the wonderful things around her that are black.
The Hula Hoopin’ Queen: A spunky African American girl has a hula-hooping competition with her friends in Harlem, and soon everyone in the neighborhood—young and old alike—joins in on the fun. With vibrant illustrations by Vanessa Brantley-Newton, The Hula-Hoopin’ Queen is a charming celebration of family and community ties. Set in Harlem, this intergenerational story shows the importance of staying young at heart.
There are so many great books that it was hard to choose—what else would you add?
