*Updated for 2018*
Chances are if you are raising mixed race children, your eyes have been opened to the lack of diversity in children’s books. It’s vital your kids have figures to look at and look up to that resemble themselves.
There was never a time when I was growing up, (or throughout life) that I never had an idol or couldn’t imagine myself as the lead character of a book I was reading. That’s because there is no shortage of white characters in children’s books.
Because I never had that shortage of books with characters like me, I had to open my eyes and look outside of my own experiences once I became a mom.
When my kids were born I knew it would be important to get them dolls that looked like them and once they started watching TV to let them watch shows that had lead characters that were of different races (you can read more about supporting mixed race identity here).
But one thing I had forgotten about was books. I did an inventory of my kids books a few months ago to put away the ones that they outgrew. While I was doing that I realized that nearly ever single children’s book we owned had white characters or animal characters.
I was horrified! I felt like the worst mom because I hadn’t realized that my kids had no books with characters that looked like them.
Imagination starts very young. If you don’t have books where you can see yourself as the character, you may not believe that you can do those same things because you haven’t seen someone like you in that role.
I’m gonna give you a very simplified example. When I would read books when I was young, most of the characters had long blonde flowing hair, tan skin, and blue eyes. I had none of those characteristics and it made me wish I looked like that. But I still was able to relate to them, their families, and I could see myself doing the things they did.
Now imagine your kids reading a book with characters who don’t have the same hair texture, same eye color, same skin color, whose families don’t look like theirs. The characters don’t go through the same challenges your kids do.
I’ve never read a children’s book where the character was asked multiple times if people could touch their hair, or be told how hard it must be to maintain it, or asked what they are. Yet my kids go through that regularly.
Your kids need to hear stories of people who go through the same things they do. Or even read stories that solve problems they have yet to figure out how to solve, but want an answer to. Books are crucial to your child’s self-esteem, imagination, literacy, and so much more!
This list of books will give your kids characters who may look like them. They have families that look different than your typical children’s story. The stories have different plots that may resonate more with your child.
So take your time and look through this list of stories to see which ones may fit best in your household.
Click on the picture to read more about the stories.
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Books That Feature Biracial Children
This tells the story of twins who are learning about their parents different ancestry and what that means to their identity.
This book talks about life as a mixed race little boy who goes through his days with high energy and lots of questions!
This story is about a girl who knows she is different because she is black and white. But she knows that being different is special and embraces her uniqueness.
Such a great book once again about the beauty of having hair that is different than other people’s! Your kids will likely be told many times at school or in their life how different their hair is and this book helps to boost their self-esteem and realize it’s great to have hair like theirs!
This features a biracial girl who has to deal with the tough situation of her dad leaving and not coming back. But she dreams up ways that she and her sisters can make it through life anyway.
I like this story because it isn’t specifically about the family being interracial. It depicts an interracial family going to the zoo. So your child can see their family as the main characters of the story.
This story discusses how a little boy has his father come help him in school one day. His classmates wonder why he and his dad look different, which leads the teacher to share lessons about diversity and family.
This story is about a little girl who begins to wonder why she looks different than her family and why she is made fun of at school for it. Her grandfather teaches her about her racially diverse background while also including sections that allow the reader, (you) to ask questions and discuss these issues with your child!
A story about a little multiracial girl who doesn’t fit in by everyone else’s standards. But Marisol loves being her unique self and is just fine not fitting inside anyone’s box!
While this isn’t an actual story book, I absolutely love this because it takes 24 scenes from fairytales and replaces the regular characters with children of color. It’s no secret that many of the fairy tales have white characters. So now your child can color the picture however they want and see themselves in the fairytale!
Conclusion
If your kids read books with characters who look like them, they are more likely to be engaged in the story. If they are more engaged in the story, they will probably want to hear it again. Hearing or reading those stories builds a love of books and can help grow their self-esteem.
What books that feature biracial children do you have in your collection? I’d love to know your favorites!!
Related Reading
10 Diverse Books For Strong Girls
10 Diverse Books For Confident Boys
Why You Should Discuss Race With Your Biracial Kids
What To Expect When You Have Biracial Children
Top Products For Biracial Curly Hair
How to Care for Mixed Hair (Step by Step Instructions)
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