X is for Xiao Long Bao: celebrating diversity in picture books

How to build an anti-oppressive kids’ library - Part 3

This is my absolute favourite topic of book recommendations! The books below cover a wide range of intersectional, diverse lived experiences in picture book form, but they differ from the books in Part 1 of this series in that they are not specifically about experiencing systems of oppression. I am deeply passionate about making sure that the diversity that kids see on their bookshelves does not end at trauma.

Why is this important? Think of it this way - in a library, if all the books with Indigenous characters are about residential “schools”, all the books with racialized kids are about racism, and all the books with queer kids are about being bullied for being queer, then fundamentally we have failed to make the library more diverse. Because this is how we continue to centre and normalize white, cisgender, straight, middle-class, able-bodied, thin kids. These kids get to star in mysteries, have hilarious capers, travel through time, be magicians, have crushes, and so on.

Whereas kids who are not that are only seen through their trauma. Racialized, disabled, fat, poor, queer, kids feature only in books about oppression - in other words, their only narratives become about how they are not the norm.

On top of which, if you are a teacher, you don’t want any kid in your class to feel that their identity can be reduced to trauma and oppression.

Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop famously talked about how books for kids should be both windows and mirrors. We want those windows and mirrors to be fulsome, complete pictures of diverse lived experiences. So I always challenge parents and teachers to make sure they provide as much space for joy as they do for trauma.

Below is a collection of some of my favourite picture books that portray kids and characters with diverse lived experiences, whether that means racial diversity, diverse bodies, diverse class, abilities, gender expression, and so on, without narratives of trauma. Many of these books are full of joy and cheer and laughs, but others are poignant and beautiful. But they are all tremendous books that put a whole range of different kids at the front and centre of their stories. I hope you enjoy them.

This is Part 3 of a four-part series:

Part 1 - picture books to help teach about anti-oppression
Part 2 - middle-grade novels to help teach about anti-oppression
Part 3 - picture books that feature kids of diverse lived experiences just for fun
Part 4 - middle-grade novels that feature kids of diverse lived experiences

As always, hit me up with suggestions or feedback! I love to hear from you.

Printable List

In lieu of describing and gushing over each book, I’m just dropping the covers and links here. Just assume these books are all the best and all a riotously good time. Listed in no particular order!