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Cultural Diversity in Children's Picture Books

A general guide to children's books and websites that showcase and celebrate diverse cultures and ethnicities and multicultural families, focusing on picture books.

Olathe Public Library

34 items

  • When Yoko brings sushi to school for lunch, her classmates make fun of what she eats--until one of them tries it for himself. This book is the first in a series.
    BookNew York : Hyperion Books for Children, c1998. — E FICTION Wells
  • In English and Cree Indian. Clarence and his grandmother pick wild blueberries and meet ant, spider, and fox in a beautiful woodland landscape.
    Book[Vancouver] : Simply Read Books, 2013 — E FICTION Flett J. 02/2013
  • A Korean child, eager for a favorite meal, helps with the shopping, food preparation, and table setting.
    BookNew York : Clarion Books, 2005. — E FIC Park Linda
  • Both of Aston's Granddads play in different types of bands. Can Aston find a way to bring everyone together?
    BookLondon : Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2011, c2010. — E FICTION Benjamin F. 03/2010
  • A young girl enjoys the similarities and the differences between her English-speaking and Spanish-speaking grandparents.
    BookNew York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers, c2002. — E FICTION Ada Alma
  • Follows a girl in the 1920s as she strives to become a drummer, despite being continually reminded that only boys play the drums, and that there has never been a female drummer in Cuba. Includes note about Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, who…
    BookBoston ; New York : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015. — E FIC Engle Margarita 03/2015
  • A unique, spunky, multiracial, bilingual girl plans a one-of-a-kind birthday party and hopes her abuelita (grandma) will be able to come from Peru to join the festivities.
    BookNew York : Children's Book Press, an imprint of Lee & Low Books Inc., [2013] — E FIC Brown Monica BILINGUA SPANISH
  • In this bilingual version of the classic rhyme, Maria takes her llama to school one day.
    BookNew York : Henry Holt, 2013. — E FIC Domingue Angela BILINGUA SPANISH
  • Mama's Nightingale

    a Story of Immigration and Separation

    Danticat, Edwidge, 1969-
    When Saya's mother is sent to jail as an illegal immigrant, she sends her daughter a cassette tape with a song and a bedtime story, which inspires Saya to write a story of her own--one that just might bring her mother home.
    BookNew York, New York : Dial Books for Young Readers, [2015] — E FIC Danticat Edwidge 08/2015
  • Sepia photographs interpret the much-loved poem on being an African American today.
    BookNew York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers/ginee seo books, 2009. — E 811.52 Hughes
  • The theme of friendship and use of Swedish and French makes this a good book for introducing foreign languages and cultures.
    BookToronto : Kids Can Press, 2015. — E FIC Dunklee Annika 03/2015
  • Pen pals Elliott and Kailash discover that even though they live in different countries--America and India--they both love to climb trees, own pets, and ride school buses.
    BookNew York : Henry Holt, 2011. — E FIC Kostecki
  • Loki & Alex

    the Adventures of a Dog and His Best Friend

    Smith, Charles R., Jr
    Photographs and text from the points of view of both a young African American boy and his dog tell the story of their trip to the park.
    BookNew York : Dutton Children's Books, 2001. — E FICTION Smith Charles
  • Explores the many different shades of human skin, and points out that skin is just a covering that does not reveal what someone is like inside.
    BookNew York : Holiday House, c2009. — EP PICTURE Rotner Shelley
  • Colorful scenes of Carnival costumes and multicultural rural life in a Caribbean community.
    BookToronto ; Berkeley : Groundwood Books : House of Anansi Press, 2016. — E FIC Hohn Nadia 03/2016
  • A sweet story about sisterhood and a Korean first-birthday tradition. Big sister Hazel can't wait to find out what item baby sister Twig will pick in her doljabi, or birthday fortune.
    BookSomerville, Massachusetts : Candlewick Press, 2018. — E FIC Yu Brenna 06/2018
  • A kitten named Yoomi usually loves the Korean food that her grandmother makes, but kimchi is just too spicy! Yoomi tries to find a way to make it more appealing. Includes a recipe to try at home.
    BookNew York : Holiday House, [2017] — E FIC Kim Aram 10/2017
  • On a family trip to Coney Island, Rashin reminisces about summer days in her home country of Iran, comparing them to her new experiences in America.
    BookNew York, NY : Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., 2018. — E FIC Kheiriye Rashin 05/2018
  • A retelling of The Princess and the Pea set in a colorful Peruvian town. Spanish words are sprinkled throughout, with a glossary at the end.
    BookNew York, NY : G.P. Putnam's Sons, [2017] — E FIC Elya Susan 08/2017
  • Based on the author's childhood memories. A Vietnamese-American boy imagines what life was like for his dad in his home country while they fish together.
    BookNorth Mankato, Minnesota : Capstone Young Readers, an imprint of Capstone Press, 2017. — E FIC Phi Bao 08/2017