What books do your kids love? Anton loves Pacy Lin’s novels: year of the dog, the year of the ratAnd dumpling days. Last month we read the excellent June 19 story by Historian Arlisha Norwood Alston, Ph.D. My Boys Also Just Ripped Colin Kaepernick’s YA Graphic Memoirs Change the game – I read it with them, as there were many nuanced moments about microaggressions and identity that led to longer bedtime discussions. Here, 11 other parents share their favorite books (and please add yours!)…
Babies/Toddlers:
“Our two-year-old spotted Teo’s Tutu by Maryann Jacob Macias at the library recently and have requested it every day since. In the book, Teo dances bhangra and cumbia at home with his parents and is nervous for the first ballet class as a gender-creating child. We love that so many characters are BIPOC and look like our daughter. — Aveena Mathewpictured above with her family
“Last stop on Market Street is not just a hit in our house because my son Otis considers the bus a celebrity. Christian Robinson draws vibrant illustrations (we also like The bench, Milo imagines the worldAnd You count) and Matt de la Peña writes that he sees beauty and joy in the little things around us. I feel like it’s about what it’s like to be a kid – they’re able to marvel at anything. — Chloe Room (and here her beauty uniform)
“I grew up with my mother telling us Aboriginal bedtime stories; and it’s wonderful to find the same cultural stories now in the form of children’s books, like I sang to you from the stars by Tasha Spillet-Sumner. We like too fry bread by Kevin Noble Maillard. — Stephanie Vainer
“I first fell in love with Mexican-American superstar Selena Quintanilla Pérez when I saw the movie. Selena as a young child. We listened to her music at family parties and I even dressed up as her for Halloween. Years later, as soon as my family and friends found out I was pregnant with a girl, I was given several copies of the bilingual newsletter Selena board book. Now, when I get closer to two-year-old Ella, my eyes water when we read about this talented woman who millions of other Mexican Americans also looked up to. It’s also the cutest to hear my daughter learning new Spanish phrases. — Jeannelle SanchezCup of Jo associate editor
“I grew up in Guyana, where the Fête des Couleurs was one of my favorite festivals. We always enjoy the festivities with our multicultural family and neighbors (desserts are the best!), so a book I picked up for my daughter Felicity’s nursery is color party by mother-son team Surishtha Sehgal and Kabir Sehgal. Another picture book is under the mango tree, because I spent most of my childhood under or in a mango tree – a classic meeting place for West Indian children. — Naudia Jones Bella.k.a Guyanese dietician
4-8 years old
“The depictions of our South Asian elders by illustrator Baljinder Kaur in the book Fauja Singh continues (written by Simran Jeet Singh) fills my heart with pride and gives me comfort when I miss my grandparents. Fauja was unable to walk as a child, but grew up to be the oldest person to ever run a marathon. His story teaches us to be strong not only in body but also in spirit. — Sukhie Patel
“Jillian Tamaki’s Picture Book, They say blue, is one of my kid’s favorites, not only because it’s moody and meandering, but also because we keep finding new things to talk about as it grows. First it was the colors (egg yolks orange!); then it was the girl’s imagination and how real pretending can feel. Lately, he’s noticed how the book’s seasons aren’t the same as the ones he experiences in Los Angeles. I appreciate how this book treats my child’s capacity for wonder and sentimentality with such respect. I’m also a huge fan of Tamaki’s young adult books, especially the superb graphic novel This summerwhich has become one of my favourites’forbidden books.’” — Connie Wangauthor of Oh my mother! : A memoir in nine adventures
“In A different pond of Bao Phi (illustrated by Thi Bui), young Bao and his father wake up before the rest of the family to fish near their Minnesota home. As they stand together in the morning light, Bao’s father recounts his memories of a similar pond in Vietnam many years ago. The Caldecott Prize-winning picture book is a moving story of an immigrant family’s experience. — Thao thaiauthor of new novel Banyan Moon
8-12 years old
“My sister-in-law wrote The Adventures of Laila and Ahmed in Syria. It provides insight into Syria’s rich culture and history through the prism of its modern conflicts. Our children wanted to learn about it. — Kavi Ahuja Moltz
“A book we love by Indigenous authors is I am not a number on boarding schools; the character reminds me a lot of my grandfather. — Stephanie Vainer
12-18 years old
“My children are 11 and 14, but they still love big and small books! A book for young adults that they like is Miles Morales Suspended: A Spider-Man Novel. We’ve seen the movie twice and they’re completely obsessed with the character. They also like Like lava in my veins, a graphic picture book about a boy with superpowers. And I can’t wait to get my hands on it Cape, a powerful new book on coping with grief, written by Kevin Johnson and illustrated by Kitt Thomas. — Bunnie Hilliardfounder of Brave + Kind Bookstore
“I love books that understand how deeply tweens feel everything, books that are willing to look at the hardest parts of being human. It’s like having company in a room you thought you were in. alone forever Emily XR Pan’s The amazing color of after tackles so many themes – loss, grief, love, hope – but with such tremendous compassion that she feels like a friend. — Mira Jacobauthor of good conversation
What children’s books are you reading these days? What books reflect your culture or family fundamental values?
PS Six children’s books with black charactersAnd my kids love this cookbook.
(Opening photo of Aveena Mathew and her family by Carley Azorit. Additional photos courtesy of each parent.)
