As a mom, dedicated kidlit reader, author, and co-founder of the non-profit Multicultural Children’s Book Day, I’ve been on a decade-long journey to discover the best diversity books in children’s literature. With a determination to change the world, one book at a time, I created BEST #OWNVOICES CHILDREN’S BOOKS: My Favorite Diversity Books for Kids Ages 1-12 as a way to highlight books written by authors who share the same marginalized identity as the characters in their books. It’s been a ten-year labor of love!
BEST #OWNVOICES CHILDREN’S BOOKS: My Favorite Diversity Books for Kids Ages 1-12 by Mia Wenjen
Inside the pages, readers, parents, caregivers, educators, and librarians will find extensive book recommendations for Native American Heritage Month #OwnVoices, Muslim #OwnVoices, Holocaust #OwnVoices, African American #OwnVoices, Asian American #OwnVoices, Latinx #OwnVoices, LGBTQ #OwnVoices, Sensory Issues #OwnVoices and much more. While change is a long time coming, it starts with a single book.
In celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, my eBook is free from May 1st through May 5th through Amazon! I’ll be highlighting different books for the next five days!
Best Filipino #OwnVoices Children’s Books
Did you know that more than 1.9 million Filipinos live in the United States, making them the second-largest origin country for immigrants in 1990 and is the 4th largest country since 2010 after Mexico, India, and China?* And yet, I don’t see this representation in children’s books! The House That Lou Built by Mae Respicio and Hand Over Hand by Alma Fullerton, illustrated by Renne Benoit are two of the books highlighted my eBook!
*from Migration Policy
Best Thai #OwnVoices Children’s Books
Did you know that most Thai Americans immigrants came over as the result of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965? The Vietnam War also played a factor. Most Thai immigrants are spouses of members of the U.S. military or professionals, rather than refugees. According to the U.S. census of 2000, 150,283 Americans claimed Thai descent.** Hush! A Thai Lullaby by Minfong Ho, illustrated by Holly Meade and Mela and the Elephant by Dow Phumiruk, illustrated by Ziyue Chen are two books that I recommend in my eBook.
** from Immigrationtous
Best Korean #OwnVoices Children’s Books
In 2017, there were approximately 1 million Korean immigrants mostly from South Korean in the United States which is 2.4 percent of the 44.5 million immigrants in the country. These Korean immigrants tend to be highly educated compared to other immigrant groups and the overall U.S.-born population. *** Two of my favorite #OwnVoices Korean American children’s books are No Kimchi for Me by Aram Kim and A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park.
***from Migration Policy
Best Vietnamese #OwnVoices Children’s Books
An estimated 125,000 Vietnamese refugees immigrated to the United States after the fall of Saigon during the Vietnam War. As the humanitarian crisis and displacement of people intensified, more refugees and their families from Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos were admitted to the United States. In 2017, more than 1.3 million Vietnamese resided in the United States, accounting for 3 percent of the nation’s 44.5 million immigrants and representing the sixth-largest foreign-born group in the country.**** My favorite Vietnamese American children’s books include A Different Pond by Bao Phi, illustrated by Thi Bui, and Drawn Together by Minh Le, illustrated by Dan Santat.
****from Migration Policy
Best South Asian #OwnVoices Children’s Books
There are more than 3.4 million people in the United States with ancestry from South Asian. For example, there are 2.4 million Indian immigrants resident in the United States as of 2015 making them the second-largest immigrant group, and accounting for almost 6 percent of the 43.3 million foreign-born population.
Some of the earliest known South Asian settlers in North America came in the 1800s from the regions of Punjab and Bengal. Today, the majority of Indian immigrants are young, highly educated, and in STEM fields.*****
The countries that makeup South Asia as defined by The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), a contiguous block of countries which started in 1985, are: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Afghanistan was added in 2007.
My favorite South Asian children’s books include Hot, Hot Roti for Dada-ji by F. Zia, illustrated by Ken Min and Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed.
*****from Saada and Migration Policy
Best #OWNVOICES CHILDREN’S BOOKS Table of Contents
I highlight other Asian and Pacific Islander American children’s books as well! Check out my Table of Contents:
BEST #OWNVOICES CHILDREN’S BOOKS: My Favorite Diversity Books for Kids Ages 1-12 by Mia Wenjen
Table of Contents
Introduction
African American #OwnVoices
Black History Month #OwnVoices
Asian American #OwnVoices
Chinese American #OwnVoices
Filipino American #OwnVoices
Japanese American #OwnVoices
Korean American #OwnVoices
South Asian #OwnVoices
Thai American #OwnVoices
Vietnamese American #OwnVoices
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month #OwnVoices
Latinx American #OwnVoices
National Hispanic Heritage Month #OwnVoices
Contemporary American Indian #OwnVoices
Native American Heritage Month #OwnVoices
Muslim #OwnVoices
Holocaust #OwnVoices
Celebrate Holidays with #OwnVoices
El Día de los Muertos #OwnVoices
Juneteeth #OwnVoices
Kwanzaa #OwnVoices
Lunar New Year #OwnVoices
Ramadan #OwnVoices
Thanksgiving/Indigenous Peoples Day #OwnVoices
LGBTQ #OwnVoices
Sensory Issues #OwnVoices
Autism #OwnVoices
Hearing Impaired #OwnVoices
OCD #OwnVoices
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My books:
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World
- Junior Library Guild Gold selection
- Selected as one of 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023 by dPICTUS and featured at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair
- Starred review from School Library Journal
- Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
- 2023 INDIES Book of the Year Awards Finalist
- Green Earth Book Award longlist
- Imagination Soup’s 35 Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 for Kids
Amazon / Barefoot Books / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Scholastic / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Wow–this is so comprehensive! Congrats, Mia!
I am blown away by the amount of work that went into this. I already have 4 books I have to get from this list, when I return my books to the Library Friday. This is broken down beautifully and thoughtfully, Mia. This should be a mandatory list for every teacher and librarian. Actually…good for everyone. Thanks for sharing and congratulations on another great book. Waiting for Sumo Joe!!!😊💙📚