There needs to be much more representation of historically marginalized peoples in children's books. Representation and inclusion of diverse races, abilities, neurodivergence, gender identities, and sexualities should be as common as the wide range of titles that feature white protagonists. There has definitely been progress made in the last several years, with titles like "Julian is a Mermaid" leading the way, as well as all recipients of the Coretta Scott King and Belpre Awards. What shows progress, but also that more work is needed, is the general search results for children's books on issues of gender identity. There are a bounty of lists, but most feature many of the same handful of titles. There should be more. Also, there should be more stories that don't solely center around the pain and oppression of People of Color, especially BIPOC, but show the joy that can be had as well. The term "Black boy joy" came about in response to the main portrayals in media of black men and boys being negative, as was also seen when news outlets and media tried to find photos of black men who were victims of police brutality that showed them in an unflattering and threatening light, like in a mugshot, not photos of them that showed joy or accomplishment. There has been debate on using the word "boy" in the term, which harkens back to racist and disrespectful referrals of black men as "boys". The concept behind the term "Black boy joy" though is one used to direct light onto Black men and boys experiencing joy. Representation is critically important. It is important to see joyful depictions of oneself, especially as a child, when one is still developing a sense of self.