Featured Books

Please enjoy perusing a selection of picture books that excel in the areas of equity, diversity, and inclusion

By Jessica Love
From the author's website: "Julián is a Mermaid is a story about a boy and his Abuela. It is a story about being seen for who we are by someone who loves us" (Love, 2018).

Winner of the 2021 Caldecott Medal
Written by Carole Lindstrom and illustrated by Michaela Goade
From the publisher's website: "Inspired by the many Indigenous-led movements across North America, We Are Water Protectors issues an urgent rallying cry to safeguard the Earth’s water from harm and corruption" (Macmillan, 2021).

By Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings, illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas
From the publisher's website: "From the time she was two years old, Jazz knew that she had a girl’s brain in a boy’s body. She loved pink and dressing up as a mermaid and didn’t feel like herself in boys’ clothing. This confused her family, until they took her to a doctor who said that Jazz was transgender and that she was born that way. Jazz’s story is based on her real-life experience and she tells it in a simple, clear way that will be appreciated by picture book readers, their parents, and teachers" (Penguin Random House, 2014).

Winner of the 2016 Newbery Medal
By Matt de la Peña and illustrated by Christian Robinson
From the author's website: "This energetic ride through a bustling city highlights the wonderful perspective only grandparent and grandchild can share" (de la Peña, 2016).

Written and illustrated by Yuyi Morales
From the publisher's website: "Dreamers is a celebration of making your home with the things you always carry: your resilience, your dreams, your hopes and history. It’s the story of finding your way in a new place, of navigating an unfamiliar world and finding the best parts of it. In dark times, it’s a promise that you can make better tomorrows" (Penguin Random House, 2018).

Winner of the 2018 Kirkus Prize for Young Readers
By Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Gordon C. James
From the publisher's website: "This rhythmic, read-aloud title is an unbridled celebration of the self-esteem, confidence, and swagger boys feel when they leave the barber’s chair—a tradition that places on their heads a figurative crown, beaming with jewels, that confirms their brilliance and worth and helps them not only love and accept themselves but also take a giant step toward caring how they present themselves to the world. The fresh cuts. That’s where it all begins" (Agate, 2018).