Browse Items · Windows and Mirrors: Diversity in Books for Young Readers

Lerwill, Ben

A freelance writer and children’s author for over 20 years. Much of his work can be found in national and international magazines, newspapers and websites.

Tags: author; man (author); picture book; white (author)

“Young Kalia has never known life beyond the fences of the Ban Vinai Refugee Camp. The Thai camp holds many thousands of Hmong families who fled in the aftermath of the little-known Secret War in Laos that was waged during America’s Vietnam War. For…

Tags: Asian (primary character); Asian (secondary character); early reader (ages 5-9); human (primary character); human (secondary characters); language: English; picture book; unspecified gender (primary character); unspecified gender (secondary characters); unspecified sexuality (primary character)

The Bookshop Cat

A cat finds a job in a children's bookshop, where he helps children of many races and genders come together over books.

Tags: Asian (secondary characters); Black/African (secondary characters); boy/man (primary character); boy/man (secondary characters); brown skin (secondary characters); girl/woman (secondary characters); human (secondary characters); language: English; non-human (primary character); non-human (secondary characters); picture book; white, assumed (secondary characters)

Love in the Library

A short recollection of how Maggie Tokuda-Hall’s grandparents met during their time in a Japanese internment camp. A story about love as persistence and resistance in times of hardship.

Tags: boy/man (primary character); girl/woman (primary character); human (primary character); language: English; picture book; straight (primary character)

Wonky Donkey's Big Surprise

A young donkey missing her mother is excited as her father sits her down to give her a surprise. With its funny rhyming words and its charming illustrations, this Children's Choice Award Wonky Donkey sequel tells the tale of a loving family and…

Tags: boy/man (primary character); girl/woman (secondary characters); language: English; non-human (primary character); non-human (secondary characters); picture book; straight (primary character); unspecified sexuality (secondary characters)

Outside Over There

When her baby sister is abducted by goblins, Ida must enter a strange and bizarre world to rescue her. As noted on the Harper Collins website, this book has been the recipient of multiple awards, including the National Book Award, New York Times Best…

Tags: girl/woman (primary character); girl/woman (secondary characters); human (primary character); human (secondary characters); language: English; non-human (secondary characters); picture book; unspecified sexuality (primary character); unspecified sexuality (secondary characters); white, assumed (primary character); white, assumed (secondary characters)

Mother Goose Goes to India

A colourfully illustrated book which combines timeless nursery rhymes with an introduction to Indian culture.

Tags: Asian (secondary characters); boy/man (secondary characters); girl/woman (secondary characters); human (secondary characters); language: English; non-human (primary character); picture book

Daniel Misses Someone

Daniel misses Grandpere because he lives so far away! What can he do to cope with this feeling? Follow Daniel as he discovers there are tons of things to do to feel better about missing Grandpere.

Tags: boy/man (primary character); boy/man (secondary characters); language: English; non-human (primary character); non-human (secondary characters); picture book; unspecified sexuality (primary character); unspecified sexuality (secondary characters)

Richard Scarry's A Day at the Police Station

Follow Sergeant Murphy, Busytown's favourite police officer, as he helps Busytown citizens find their lost items, handle huge traffic jams, and teach the town about safety. Children of all ages will love this fun and exciting story from the one and…

Tags: boy/man (primary character); boy/man (secondary characters); girl/woman (secondary characters); language: English; non-human (primary character); non-human (secondary characters); picture book; unspecified sexuality (primary character); unspecified sexuality (secondary characters)

The Frozen Monster (Disney Frozen)

Follow Elsa, Anna, Olaf, Kristoff and Sven as they go on a very cold journey through the Mountains. Kristoff and Sven are convinced that they saw a very scary monster and want their friends the help find him again. But what if their eyes fooled them,…

Tags: boy/man (secondary characters); girl/woman (primary character); human (primary character); human (secondary characters); language: English; non-human (secondary characters); picture book; straight (primary character); straight (secondary characters); white, confirmed (primary character); white, confirmed (secondary characters)

Pups to the Rescue! (Paw Patrol)

This beautiful book has paw patrol stickers for you to use on all the pages! Ryder and his dogs all have different capacities and tools, which is was makes the team so great. In this book, you will learn all about Marshall, Chase, Skye, Rubble, Rocky…

Tags: boy/man (primary character); girl/woman (primary character); human (primary character); language: English; non-human (primary character); picture book; unspecified sexuality (primary character)

Quackenstein Hatches A Family

A spooky and kooky tale about a lonely duck and his unexpected new friend.

Tags: language: English; non-human (primary character); non-human (secondary characters); picture book; unspecified gender (primary character); unspecified gender (secondary characters); unspecified sexuality (primary character); unspecified sexuality (secondary characters)

Peppa’s Pizza Party

It's Pizza Time! Based on the TV/Cartoon show, Peppa’s Pizza Party is a tie-in that follows Nick Jr’s Peppa Pig and her family as they make the dough, prepare the ingredients, and assemble their own homemade pizzas.

Tags: boy/man (secondary characters); girl/woman (primary character); girl/woman (secondary characters); language: English; non-human (primary character); non-human (secondary characters); picture book; unspecified sexuality (primary character); unspecified sexuality (secondary characters)

This Day In June

This Day In June is a children's picture book made to introduce children to Pride Parades, and all things that happen during them. It carries a simple rhyming scheme with few words that allow the pictures to shine and show the beauty of pride. The…

Tags: American Psychological Association (publisher); Book; brown skin (secondary characters); colour illustrations; group (characters); human (secondary characters); language: English; LGBTQ+ (secondary characters); Litten, Kristyna (illustrator); Magination Press (imprint); picture book; Pitman, Gayle E. (author); Print book (hardcover); This Day In June (book); unspecified sexuality (secondary characters); white, assumed (secondary characters)

Peg+Cat: The Sleepover

Sleepover time! Peg +Cat invites their 4 Pirate + parrot friends over for a slumber soiree. Unfortunately, the pirates get homesick! This causes a big problem… What will they do to save the sleepover?

Tags: Black/African (secondary characters); boy/man (secondary characters); brown skin (secondary characters); girl/woman (primary character); girl/woman (secondary characters); human (primary character); human (secondary characters); language: English; non-human (secondary characters); picture book; unspecified sexuality (primary character); unspecified sexuality (secondary characters); white, assumed (primary character); white, assumed (secondary characters)

A Gift for Pooh (Winnie the Pooh)

Our friend Winnie is going on an adventure with his friend Christopher Robin. Join him in his journey full of friendship and food. As a reader, you will even be invited to make some discoveries yourself, since this is a lift-the-flaps book.

Tags: boy/man (primary character); girl/woman (secondary characters); human (secondary characters); language: English; non-human (primary character); non-human (secondary characters); picture book; unspecified sexuality (primary character); unspecified sexuality (secondary characters); white, assumed (secondary characters)

We Are Water Protectors

In this Caldecott Medal-winning picturebook, a young Indigenous girl must rally her community to defend the Earth's water, the most sacred medicine of all, against a black snake that threatens to destroy the land.

Tags: boy/man (secondary characters); girl/woman (primary character); girl/woman (secondary characters); human (primary character); human (secondary characters); Indigenous (primary character); Indigenous (secondary characters); language: English; picture book

One Moment in Time: Children Around the World

This book teaches about time zones by telling the story of eleven different children from around the world, documenting what each of them are doing throughout the day at the same point in time.

Tags: group (characters); language: English; picture book; unspecified gender (primary character); unspecified sexuality (primary character)

Mindy Kim and the Big Pizza Challenge (Mindy Kim Series)

In the sixth novel of the series, Mindy Kim, an Asian American child, enters a pizza trivia contest with her father. Mindy must help her father overcome some cultural differences and references that he does not understand, while her father simply…

Tags: Asian (primary character); Asian (secondary characters); boy/man (secondary characters); girl/woman (primary character); human (primary character); human (secondary characters); language: English; picture book; unspecified gender (secondary characters); unspecified sexuality (primary character)

PJ Masks Save the School!

Preschool is never boring with Catboy, Owlette and Gekko! Join them as they try to find out who stole the school supply that just suddenly went missing.

Tags: boy/man (primary character); boy/man (secondary characters); brown skin (secondary characters); girl/woman (secondary characters); human (primary character); human (secondary characters); language: English; picture book; unspecified sexuality (primary character); unspecified sexuality (secondary characters); white, assumed (primary character)

Grumpy Monkey

Jim is a grumpy monkey who does not want to admit it. His jungle friends suggest ways he can cheer himself up. But instead of trying to improve his mood, Jim sits with Norman, the gorilla, who lets him just feel his grumpiness. This New York Times…

Tags: boy/man (primary character); language: English; non-human (primary character); non-human (secondary characters); picture book; unspecified gender (primary character); unspecified sexuality (primary character); unspecified sexuality (secondary characters)

The Paper Boat

A unique wordless picturebook that tells the story of a family's flight from Communist-ruled Vietnam. The images were created from paper craft, and ants are used to parallel the experience of the refugees.

Tags: Asian (secondary character); girl/woman (secondary characters); group (characters); human (secondary characters); language: English; picture book; unspecified sexuality (secondary characters)

The Thing About Spring

An exciting story about a Mouse, Bird, Bear, and Rabbit that are all excited friends for Spring looking forward to warm days, lots of good food, blooming flowers, and pleasant surprises.