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!)

My Pet Wants a Pet, by Elise Broach

A black boy asks his white mother for a dog.  She (finally) agrees, but then his dog wants a pet.  And then the dog's cat wants a pet!  The boy's mother gets increasingly frustrated until he realizes that she is "a special and important someone, who wasn't happy."  As a solution, he gifts her himself in a box because "whenever you take care of something, that something takes care of you" - a theme that is repeated throughout the story.

There are countless wonderful things about this book that both my son and I adore.  The writing is simple but catchy - the repetitive story leads to us both gleefully yelling out variations on "That worm is the pet of the pet of the pet of your pet!  He does NOT NEED A PET" over and over.  Both the illustrations and the story recognize the boy's mother as an important character with her own interests and needs - she is shown reading, doing yoga, washing dishes (with the boy's assistance), working at a desk, and gardening.  There is no father pictured, and they boy can be read as either her biological child or transracially adopted.

BUY HERE (or request at your local library!)

Dear Dragon, by Josh Funk

George (a black boy) and Blaise become pen pals and exchange rhyming letters, at the request of their teachers.  However, George is a human and Blaise is a dragon - a fact neither is aware of until they meet at the pen pal picnic at the end of the school year.

While there is the obvious message that in forming true friendships it is what is inside that counts, I think most kids will skip over that and just think it's hilarious that a human and a dragon are exchanging letters and focus on the wacky misunderstandings that result from this fact.  I found this book pleasant enough, the rhymes are particularly enjoyable - but my 4 year old (who is a bit young to grasp everything that happens) asked to read this book over and over.

BUY HERE (or request at your local library!)

The Boy and the Whale, by Mordicai Gerstein

Abelardo and his father head out on their panga (boat) only to discover that a whale is tanged in their only fishing net.  The father is furious - they don't have enough money to repair the net and fishing is their only source of income.  Despite the fact that his father forbids him from doing so, Abelardo takes the panga back out and, despite the danger, repeatedly dives and cuts the whale free.  He is thanked by the whale's joyous leaps and spins.  His father pronounces what he did both foolish and brave, before quickly getting back to work.  

Part of the appeal of The Boy and The Whale is that it doesn't pander to its audience.  The story is exciting and tense - Abelardo is facing real danger, diving underwater with a knife near a giant whale (his size repeatedly illustrated in impressive drawings).  My son carefully listens each time we read this book, quietly absorbed (despite typically being chatty and full of questions while we read).  That said, I think I may enjoy this story more than him.

BUY HERE (or request at your local library!)

The Ring Bearer, by Floyd Cooper

I've hesitated to recommend this book since I've seen it so widely recommended already - but my son and I were reading it yet again today and so, why not?  It's a great book that can be read over and over without parent or child getting tired of it (and a must for children whose mom or dad is getting married).  Though this book was published in 2017, it already feels like a classic.

In this book entirely populated by black characters, Jackson's mom is getting married to Sophie's dad.  Jackson is worried about lots of things, but primarily about tripping while carrying the rings down the aisle.  However, when flower girl Sophie trips in front of him, Jackson forgets his fears and rushes to assist his little sister-to-be.  Everyone cheers, and a new family is formed!

BUY HERE (or 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).

BUY HERE (or request at your local library!)