The Boy Who Grew a Forest, by Sophia Gholz and illustrated by Kayla Harren

 

BUY HERE (or, even better, request at your local library!)

Another Important Book, by Margaret Wise Brown

It's been a while since I've read or recommended a book for infants, but we stumbled across Another Important Book at the library and picked it up because we adore the author Margaret Wise Brown (her book Little Fur Family was an early favorite of ours).  My 6 year old was, of course, way too old but listened gamely (and I was a huge fan).  The illustrations are of tumbling, crying, dancing, giggling babies of all different colors, and I'm positive the lyrical and repetitive text would have appealed to my son if he had been a few years younger.  I'm sad we stumbled onto this book too late to add it to our bedtime collection, but perhaps it isn't too late for you!

BUY HERE (or, even better, request at your local library!)

Saturday is Swimming Day, by Hyewon Yum

This simple story is extraordinarily appealing to children.  A little girl wakes up on the morning of her first swimming class and finds that her stomach hurts.  She still attends class, but the teacher lets her sit on the side of the pool and observe.  Miraculously, the little girl has another stomach ache the next Saturday but the teacher coaxes her into the pool.  Finally, the third Saturday the girl's stomach ache has disappeared and she finds out she loves swimming after all!  My son was entranced by the fact that the girl was attempting to get out of class by falsely claiming her stomach hurt, and has requested this book over and over to delve into her 'deception'.  He is also interested (albeit less so) in the fact that she gradually overcomes her fears.

The Asian author/illustrator has sketched a cast including an Asian protagonist, a black swim instructor, and a diverse swim class.  The daughter's mom is white, and if you choose she can be read as an adoptive mother and/or a single mother (a father is not referenced).  The mother and swim coach are gently supportive and while they don't force the girl in the water, they nudge her along.

BUY HERE (or request at your local library!)

Karate Hour, Soccer Hour, and Baseball Hour, all by Carol Nevius

This three book series is notable for its inclusivity and appealing to children who love sports.  All three books includes coaches and players of both genders and multiple races.  Karate Hour also includes a student using a walker (albeit just in the background in one photo).  The illustrations are realistic and gorgeous - the children look like your son or daughter's friends.

The books take children through practice (or class, in the case of Karate Hour) from beginning to end.  The prose is simple, descriptive, and rhyming, perhaps better for younger children - my 4 (nearly 5 year old) is a bit bored by the simplistic narration of what the children are doing, despite the fact that he is very athletic and takes similar classes himself.  However, if he encountered these books at age 2 or 3 I think he would have spent much longer pouring over them.

BUY SOCCER HOUR, BASEBALL HOUR, AND KARATE HOUR

(or request at your local library!)

We Are Family, by Patricia Hegarty

I typically don't like books without a plot, but this one is an exception.  It follows ten different types of families - two moms, two dads, parents with four children, a single mother and child, a child raised by his grandparents, and so on.  In addition, these families are made up of various races.  Our son was beyond delighted to find a family exactly the same as ours (a transracial adoption) and follow it through various activities and note the similarities - we also eat croissants! we all ride bikes! we like to cuddle on the sofa too, how did they know?!  If by chance your family is one of those pictured, I highly recommend this book.

BUY HERE (or request at your local library!)

Shawn Loves Sharks, by Curtis Manley

Shawn, a boy of color, is obsessed with sharks.  He reads about sharks, eats like a shark, and chases other kids like a shark - especially Stacy, an Asian girl.  However, when doing a class project on predators, Shawn is dismayed when Stacy is assigned the shark and he is assigned the leopard seal.  The tables are turned, as Stacy the shark chases her prey, Shawn the leopard seal.  However, Shawn slowly learns to appreciate the leopard seal and befriends Stacy in the process.

Aside from the fact that it's a really enjoyable book (that, despite regular readings over the last 3 months, we still haven't tired of), this story really has everything.  It's about a child obsessed (what child doesn't have a passion that everyone else is a bit tired of?) but also begrudgingly expanding and eventually embracing new interests, the complexities of friendship. the fun of pretending to be an animal (lots of shark-chomping), a multicultural classroom, and simple, arresting illustrations.

BUY HERE (or request at your local library!)