Selecting Picture Books

Inspiring a love of reading begins at birth. Reading together and enjoying storytime at the library are great ways to start children on their reading journey. Some books work better for one-on-one sharing and others work well to read aloud to a group (and a lot of books work well for both!). As always, choose a variety of books based on the child’s interests and developmental stage and be intentional in your choice to support Equity, Diversity, Inclusion (EDI) and Social Justice.

Selecting Books to Support Development

When selecting books to read at storytime, consider the age group you are reading to. As children grow and develop their needs and interests change.

Selecting Books to Support Early Literacy

Every picture book you share with a child will help that child develop every early literacy skill and practice. Some books, however, are especially supportive of the Every Child Ready to Read skills and practices. For title recommendations and activity sheets, check out the CLEL Bell Book Awards.

Books that Support Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

¹ _{Rudine Sims Bishop, The Ohio State University. “Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors” originally appeared in Perspectives: Choosing and Using Books for the Classroom, v.6, n. 3, Summer, 1990}

When selecting diverse picture books it is important to think critically about our choices. Too often we only feature diverse characters during a certain time of year (Hispanic Heritage Month, Lunar New Year) or focus solely on historic representations or cultural differences (foods, festivals, and folk tales). There is a place for these books, but it is a problem when it is the only story we share. It is important to include children of color engaging in everyday activities and expressing pride in their culture and appearance. We also need to examine all picture books to avoid stereotypes, bias, tokenism, or other negative portrayals. 

Below you will find resources to help you discover more high quality picture books featuring diverse characters, positive anti-bias messages, and written and/or illustrated by people of color. Diverse and anti-bias books can fit easily into any storytime theme and can be shared at every storytime to reflect the daily lives of children of color in the stories we tell. 

Diverse Book Finder:  a comprehensive, searchable catalog of children’s picture books featuring Black and Indigenous people and People of Color (BIPOC)

Embrace Race: Resources for parents and educators of young children to guide the development of healthy racial identities. A few of our favorite resources from this site include:

• 8 Tips for Choosing “Good” Picture Books Featuring Diverse, BIPOC Characters
• 10 tips for Reading Picture Books with Children through a Race-Conscious Lens
• Talking to Young Children About Race

Social Justice Books: A “Teaching for Change” project that offers booklists, reviews, and a Guide for Selecting Anti-Bias Children’s Books

We Are Kid Lit Collective: Publish annual Summer Reading Lists to promote books written by and about Indiginous and People of Color.

We Need Diverse Books: WNDB advocates for changes in publishing so that all children can see themselves in the pages of a book. In addition to programs and resources, WNDB has compiled a list of recommended sites and blogs to help find diverse books.

Tips for Parents and Caregivers

Use these tips when helping caregivers select books for one-on-one sharing or print the handout to use in your library.