5 Children's Books to Start Crucial Conversations

In my work, I get asked a lot, “how can I learn more?” You can ask any of my clients and they will tell you what I have said: listen to the community you are looking to learn from. One of the best ways to do that is by reading their work. Reading is my favorite tool of learning and personal growth. I’m a firm believer that it is never too soon or too late to start having crucial conversations with yourself or the members in your community.

I have rounded up a list of books – ranging from children’s books to books for adults – that can help guide conversations, further your learning, or can just be a fun story with a more diverse group of characters.

This first round up is my pick for children’s books. While I have not read all of these books (I don't have children, y'all!) I have gifted them to my friends with children or young people in their lives.

I chose books with diverse authors/illustrators as I am a firm believer that you have to learn from the community. If you've read any of these with the little ones in your lives - please share your thoughts with me!

If you are able to, I always recommend purchasing books from a local independently-owned bookstore. In Madrid, my favorite is Desperate Literature

Now below, you will find my five recommendations:

1. Hair Love - Matthew Cherry

2. What Happened to You? - James Catchpole

3. It Feels Good to Be Yourself - Theresa Thorn

4. Where Are You From? - Yamile Saied Méndez

5. The Name Jar - Yangsook Choi

Hair Love – Matthew Cherry

Hair Love is a book adapted from the 7-minute animated short film with the same title. The story “centers around the relationship between an African-American father, Stephen, his daughter, Zuri and her hair. Despite having long locks, Stephen has been used to his wife doing his daughter's hair, so when she is unavailable right before a big event, Stephen will have to figure it out on his own. This sounds simple enough, but we soon come to find that Zuri's hair has a mind of its own.” (Matthew A. Cherry)

What Happened to You? – James Catchpole

What Happened to You? is a picture book about a young disabled boy and how a disabled child might want to be spoken to. The little boy, Joe, really wants to make friends but it seems that all that the other children want to know about is: what happened to your leg? The author, James Catchpole, is an amputee who now runs a literary agency with his wife, Lucy Catchpole. The Catchpoles

It Feels Good to Be Yourself – Theresa Thorn

It Feels Good to Be Yourself is a picture book that introduces gender identity. The book’s description says, “some people are boys. Some people are girls. Some people are both, neither, or somewhere in between.” (Theresa Thorn) The illustrations are created by Noah Grigni who is a non-binary transgender illustrator. It Feels Good to Be Yourself is their first picture book. The proceeds from the sale of the book go to support Gender Spectrum .

Where Are You From? – Yamile Saied Méndez Where Are You From? This picture book is about a young girl who is constantly “asked a simple question that doesn’t have a simple answer.” This young girl is asked where she’s from – where she’s really from. The book has themes of “identity, self-acceptance, and home.” (Yamile S Mendez) This book is also available in Spanish: ¿De Dónde Eres?

The Name Jar – Yangsook Choi

The Name Jar is about a young girl who has recently arrived from Korea and is nervous about making friends and that no one will be able to pronounce her name. Because of this, she decides to pick a new name. Yangsook Choi is both the author and the illustrator of this and many of her other children’s books. Yangsook Choi