Kaia and the Bees, by Maribeth Boelts and illustrated by Angela Dominguez

 

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

Kaia and the Bees, by Maribeth Boelts

We read Kaia and the Bees as part of a bee study I did with my son, and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Kaia is shown as having a Black father and a white mother - something that isn't otherwise discussed in the story.  My son strongly identified with this story because of Kaia's fear of bee stings, and it's a quick engaging read.  

Kaia's dad keeps bees on the roof of their apartment building, though Kaia never helps because she was previously stung by a bee.  Though one day she brags to her friends about how much she helps with the bees, only to panic - right in front of them! - when a bee lands on her arm.  Their laughter goads her into actually going on the roof with the bees.  It's great, until . . . she takes off a glove and is stung AGAIN.  The book ends with her overcoming her fear and also learning a bit about bees.  

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

Teddy's Favorite Toy, by Christian Trimmer

I was so skeptical of this book - we once read a book about a boy who preferred to wear dresses and I think it had the opposite of its intended effect.  My son went from thinking that there was absolutely nothing unusual about a boy wearing a dress, to being a bit suspicious based on the reactions of all the children in the book.

This book is at the same time subtle and straightforward in addressing the fact that Teddy's favorite toy is a doll.  It starts by noting that Teddy has lots of cool toys such as a fire engine he can ride on (my son was blown away by this), a rocket ship, puzzles, a hula hoop . . . but his favorite one is a doll named Bren-Da, Warrior Queen of the Pacific.  Bren-Da enjoys a tea party and dressing up but also has the "sickest fighting skills."  When Teddy's mom accidentally throws away Bren-Da while cleaning his room, his mom uses all of Bren-Da's various talents (manners, cool moves!) to rescue Bren-Da from the garbage truck.  All in all, a pretty perfect introduction to a boy who just happens to love his doll.

In addition to all of the wonderfulness above, Teddy is a child of color and, if you choose, can be read as either adopted or biracial (his mom is the only parent pictured and appears to be white).

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Twindergarten, by Nikki Ehrlich

Dax and Zoey are biracial twins (with a white mom and black dad) are are starting kindergarten, but in different classes.  Dax is initially quite afraid of being separated from his sister, but it turns out that Zoey is the one who has a lot of difficulty being away from Dax on the first day of school.  In the end, Dax makes Zoey a card and Zoey starts to relax into school, and all is well!

This is a simple story with delightful details and presents school in a positive light.  My son is a couple years away from kindergarten (and is frightened at the prospect of being in a big kid school every single day), but seems to find this book soothing.  Dax, Zoey, and their classmates are presented as thoughtful, fun, and kind (a contrast to books which seem to highlight the worst aspects of kids... ahem llama llama).

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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!)

Hello Goodbye Dog, by Maria Gianferrari

Zara, a biracial girl with a black mom and white dad, has a dog named Moose that won't stop following her to school!  As a solution, Moose attends therapy dog school and becomes the class reading dog.  Zara uses a wheelchair, a fact that is not referenced aside from once during Moose's therapy dog test - he's good at sitting, being with children, and (of course) being around wheelchairs.

This is perhaps the first book we've stumbled upon that features a child of color who has a disability (though hopefully there are many more we've yet to find), and I love that neither of those facts are central to this delightful story of a dog that misses his child and loves to be read to.  In addition, the book is pleasingly repetitive in a way that appeals to children.

  BUY HERE (or request at your local library!)

The Airport Book, by Lisa Brown

I love this book because it features a loving (and frazzled) family with a white mom, black dad, and two mixed kids.  My son loves this book because OH MY GOSH IT ILLUSTRATES EVERY SINGLE PART OF TRAVELING BY PLANE AND CAN WE READ IT AGAIN FOR THE SEVENTH TIME IN A ROW?  Seriously, there was a period when he was particularly obsessed with air travel when this was the only book he wanted to read, and it is a testament to the readability of this book that I do not hate it with every fiber of my being.  We have brought this book on every single plane trip our son has taken since this book was purchased and acted out the nuances of air travel portrayed in the book approximately 47 times (that is my realistic estimate).  The illustrations are incredibly detailed and allow you to follow the trip not only of the family at the center of the book, but many of the other passengers as well.

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(For awhile, this book was our go-to birthday gift for 3 year olds!)