Culturally & Linguistically Responsive Initiatives

Diverse Book List: PreK-2

A Band of Angels

Author: Deborah Hopkinson

Description: A Band of Angels is fiction, but it is based on real events and people. The character of Ella was inspired by Ella Sheppard Moore, who was born February 4, 1851, in Nashville, Tennessee. Her father was able to free himself and young Ella from slavery, but before he could buy freedom for Ella's mother she was sold away.

Beautiful Blackbird

Author: Coretta Scott King

Description: In a story of the Ila people, the colorful birds of Africa ask Blackbird, whom they think is the most beautiful of birds, to decorate them with some of his "blackening brew."

Brilliant Brown Babies

Author: Desiree L. Williams

Description: Brilliant Brown Babies is a picture book showcasing how special and beautiful it is to be a child of color. This book uses simple pictures and language to convey pride in the rich culture that our brilliant brown babies have!

Brown Like Dosas, Samosas, and Sticky Chikki

Author: Rebecca Manari

Description: Brown Like Dosas, Samosas, and Sticky Chikki is an Indian story book that challenges and debunks the discriminatory idea of "fair is beautiful." This book is valuable for building positive self-esteem as it tells children them that skin comes in all different shades of brown and that they are beautiful just the way they are. It also reinforces the notion that we are defined by our thoughts and actions, not by outside appearances.

Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella

Author: Robert D. San Souci 

Description: A Caribbean Cinderella story, told from the perspective of the magical godmother.

Daddy Calls Me Man 

Author: Angela Johnson

Description: Inspired by his family experiences and his parents' paintings, a young boy creates four poems. In four vibrant verses and spectacular oil paintings, a young boy revels in the everyday pleasures of growing up in a family of fine artists.

The Emancipation of Grandpa Sandy Wills

Author: Cheryl Wills

Description: Based on a true story, veteran television journalist Cheryl Wills tells a powerful tale about her enslaved ancestor who fought for his freedom as a soldier during The Civil War.

For You Are a Kenyan Child

Author: Kelly Cunnane 

Description: Imagine you live in a small Kenyan village, where the sun rises over tall trees filled with doves. You wake to the sound of a rooster's crow, instead of an alarm clock and the school bus.

Hair Love

Author: Matthew A. Cherry

Description: It is up to Daddy to give his daughter an extra-special hair style in this ode to self-confidence and the love between fathers and daughters, from Academy-Award winning director and former NFL wide receiver Matthew A. Cherry and New York Times bestselling illustrator Vashti Harrison.

Honey, I Love

Author: Eloise Greenfield 

Description: To one young narrator, it's the simple things that mean the most, like sharing laughter with a friend, taking family rides in the country, and kissing her mama's arm.

I Am Enough

Author: Grace Byers

Description: This book features an African American girl who celebrates herself by perceiving the ways she resembles beautiful things in the world around her -- including people who look different.

Jumping the Broom

Author: Sonia W. Black

Description: Erin's big sister Simone is getting married, and Erin is upset because she doesn't have enough money to buy a fancy gift.

Just For You!: Stop, Drop, And Chill

Author: Derrick Barnes 

Description: Rhyming words help a grade-schooler deal with his angry feelings in a more constructive way.

Just the Two of Us

Author: Will Smith 

Description: Will Smith--- musician, actor, and father--brings us a moving celebration of fatherhood.

Langston’s Train Ride

Author: Robert Burleigh 

Description: Robert Burleigh's inspiring text captures the magical moment when Langston Hughes came to believe in himself as a writer, as he first wrote "The Negro Speaks of Rivers."

The Leaving Morning

Author: Angela Johnson

Description: On the leaving morning, a child watches for the moving men, has a cup of cocoa in the deli across the street, and leaves lip marks on the window of the apartment before departing for the new home.

Let’s Talk About Race

Author: Julius Lester

Description: Beneath our skin, we all look alike; there is no need to argue which race is better than the other. Instead, what matters is who we are by what is not seen on the outside. It helps readers to think about the tough issues of race and prejudice.

Lost and Found Cat: The True Story of Kunkush’s Incredible Journey

Author: Doug Kuntz

Description: This heartwarming true story of one lost cat's journey to be reunited with his refugee family gently introduces children to a difficult topic and shows how ordinary people can help with compassion and hope.

Stop Calling Me That! My Name is Araminta

Author: Dr. Virginia A. Batchelor

Description: Taunted and teased, Araminta’s experiences in school are negatively shaped by classmates who bully her about having to enroll in Special Education classes.

Wind Flyers

Author: Angela Johnson

Description: Three-time Coretta Scott King Award-winning author Angela Johnson and New York Times bestselling illustrator Loren Long invite readers to ponder a band of undercelebrated World War II heroes—the Tuskegee Airmen.