Board books starring children of color

This list is a combination of depressing and uplifting. Depressing, because the selection of board books with children of color at their center is truly limited. Uplifting, because many of the individual titles are fantastic. This is one where I will really really appreciate tips on other books that fit the criteria--remember, board only, not picture books, and focused on one particular child of color, not just inclusive. This list is intended for very young kids, 0-3. See also the version of this list on Bookshop.org, where proceeds support both me and local bookstores.

It's important for all kids to see themselves reflected in story--if your child hasn't seen a kid in a book who looks like the one in the mirror yet, keep looking. The payoff can be striking. Photo books (Global Babies, American Babies) and books you make yourself from family photos are starting points if there isn't a satisfactory storybook published. Once your baby graduates to picture books, you are almost certain to find something great--there are links at the bottom of the page to get you started there.

It's just as important that children see kids who don't look like them in the starring role too. Narrative is one way to learn to identify with other people. If all the stories we hear are about people who look one way, that becomes a default. It increases the perception that people who look different are "other." That's damaging to everyone.

The books here are great for all kids, but I have divided the list up to match the apparent race of the protagonist to help if you're looking to mirror a particular child. I try to mention age and gender where they're defined for the same reason. I’m trying to tag things as #ownvoices where the info is readily available, but it’s not always clear who does and doesn’t identify in which category—so apologies if I’ve missed or misidentified anyone. Corrections, additions, and comments are welcome at drivelanddrool@gmail.com.

This is a running list. Asterisks* denote family favorites. Links, where present, are Amazon affiliate/indie bookstore. Please send any suggestions to drivelanddrool@gmail.com or @drivelanddrool.

Last updated: February 2020

Black kids

The Wild Waves Whist features two children, a black boy of perhaps 6 and a brown-skinned girl a year or two older, exploring a tropical island and playing to the words of Shakespeare’s The Tempest.
*Please Baby Please (Amazon/Indiebound): The rhythm and repetition of the baby-pleases means this one sometimes has to be read three times in a row. Toddler girl with primarily mom. #ownvoices
*Girl of Mine (Amazon/Indiebound): A singsong bedtime celebration of a toddler girl, sung by her dad. LeUyen Pham’s illustrations are adorable. The rhythm of the text leaves me a little wrong-footed though. #ownvoices
Peekaboo Morning (Amazon/Indiebound): A small child finds Mommy and Daddy, among plenty of other peekaboo targets. The baby could be a boy or a girl. There are also two sequels, Peekaboo Bedtime and Uh-Oh, available as picture books. #ownvoices
*Ten, Nine, Eight (Amazon/Indiebound): A counting backward book about getting ready for bed. Features a girl somewhere between 2-5 and her father.
I Am So Brave! (Amazon/Indiebound): A toddler boy talks about what he used to be afraid of, and how he conquered those fears. Part of the Empowerment Series, which also has a story about a black toddler girl, I Know a Lot (Amazon/Indiebound).
Whose Toes Are Those? (Amazon/Indiebound): A song about sweet little brown toes, which turn out to belong to a toddler girl. #ownvoices
Whose Knees Are These? (Amazon/Indiebound): A celebration of some excellent knees, belonging to a toddler boy. #ownvoices
I Can Do It Too! (Amazon/Indiebound): A toddler girl revels in new skills, like pouring juice and dressing herself, just like the big people in the family.
Jacob Lawrence in the City (Amazon/Indiebound): A collection of Jacob Lawrence’s paintings (depicting black people at daily tasks during the 1930s) with text added to celebrate city life. Text flow is a bit clunky.
Whistle for Willie (Amazon/Indiebound): Featuring Peter, who also stars in The Snowy Day (Wintertime setting) and Peter’s Chair (about a new sister), among others. These are lovely but originally meant as picture books, not board books, and thus aimed at a slightly older audience. A little simplification and improvisation on the text can suit them to a younger crowd.
Corduroy (Amazon/Indiebound): Technically the stuffed bear is the protagonist, but Lisa (the 6-7ish year old girl who takes Corduroy home) is the love interest. There are several in the series.
More More More Said the Baby (Amazon/Indiebound): Three toddler protagonists, a white boy, a black nongendered child, and an East Asian girl. Hard to get a very small kid to sit through all three stories but one or two at a run go over well.
Charlie Parker Played Be Bop (Amazon/Indiebound): An odd one and a picture book conversion, but tries to translate the experience of jazz to the page via nonsense and rhythm. Features grown-up Charlie Parker but mostly just pictures of stuff.
*What a Wonderful World (Amazon | Indiebound): The song made famous by Louis Armstrong accompanied by happy, lovely illustrations of a brown-skinned little boy enjoying the wonders of the world. A big hit with my family.
Feast for 10 (Amazon | Indiebound) is a counting book about making dinner with five kids, parents, and grandparents, starting at the grocery store and with everyone involved in the process.
Good Job, Athena! (Amazon/Indiebound) The Mini Myths series illustrated by Leslie Patricelli takes classical Greco-Roman figures and plot elements and translates them into tongue-in-cheek teaching stories for preschoolers. This one, in which lil' Athena gets upset when lil' Ariadne takes credit for her shoe-tying work, is one of a few framed with positivity. Make a Wish, Midas! features a black toddler boy.
Homemade Love (Amazon/Indiebound) This approachable free-verse original from bell hooks celebrates a little girl's love for her family, and theirs for her. #ownvoices
Happy to Be Nappy (Amazon/Indiebound) A celebration of hair from bell hooks, illustrated by Caldecott-winner Chris Raschka. The two also collaborated on Be Boy Buzz, a beat-poetry song of a boy's self. #ownvoices
Dream Big, Little One (Amazon/Indiebound) A lightning-fast introduction to real historical black women who have achieved great things, couched as an invitation to a child to “dream big” like they did. Adapted from the bestselling picture book with changes to make it more age-appropriate; also Think Big, Little One #ownvoices
Baby Goes to Market (Amazon/Indiebound) A charming counting adventure through a West African marketplace. See also B is for Baby. #ownvoices
Hey, Baby! A Baby’s Day in Doodles (Amazon/Indiebound) Photos of a cutie toddler going about daily activities with bold black-and-white doodles around the rest of the page and simple descriptive text. #ownvoices
Baby Says (Amazon/Indiebound) Originally published in 1988, this is the story of a baby trying to get his big brother to notice him and new to board book format.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Amazon/Indiebound) A very abridged version of Alice's adventures.
The Wizard of Oz (Amazon/Indiebound) An extremely abridged version of the film.
Jack and the Beanstalk (Amazon/Indiebound) A very simple version of the English fairy tale.
Woke Baby (Amazon/Indiebound) Poet Mahogany L. Browne answers the (somewhat questionable in my opinion) politics-for-infants genre with a readable and adorable journey through a small, socially conscious black baby's day. #ownvoices
Hey Black Child! (Amazon/Indiebound) The famous 1975 poem set to bold collage illustrations. #ownvoices
The Little Mermaid (Amazon/Indiebound) A Caribbean setting for the Hans Christian Andersen tale, featuring brown-skinned major players. Romance-forward but no knife-feet!
What Will Fit? (Amazon/Indiebound): Olivia, a preschool-aged girl, explores spatial reasoning at the farmer’s market. Coming in 2020. See also the upcoming The Last Marshmallow, in which Mei and Olivia learn to split three things evenly among two people.

East Asian kids

*Boy of Mine, Jabari Asim (Amazon/Indiebound): a singsong bedtime celebration of a toddler boy (Asian, sung by mom). LeUyen Pham’s illustrations are adorable and the text is sweet. Beware demands for repeated readings. #ownvoices
Bringing in the New Year (Amazon/Indiebound): A book about Chinese New Year featuring a Chinese-American girl protagonist and her family (MC seems to be 4-6 or so). (Note: the board book version does NOT have a fold-out dragon at the end, boo.) Grace Lin also has several picture books featuring these characters, based on her own family. This means mostly no little boys, however, as she only has sisters. Dim Sum for Everyone! (Amazon) features the multigenerational family going out for dim sum. #ownvoices
My Friends (Amazon/Indiebound) Taro Gomi’s pigtailed girl protagonist “learns” to walk, run, jump, and swing from various animals in a celebration of childhood energy. Originally published in Japan in 1989. #ownvoices
*Soup Day! (Amazon) features a mother and 4-ish-year-old daughter choosing vegetables, preparing them, and making a meal, with attention to the details and a comforting, homey progression. The daughter is Asian, mom is white; we never get a good look at dad.
Snow White (Once Upon a World) (Amazon/Indiebound): The Grimms' story of Snow White, set in Japan. Illustrations are aiming to reference ink-brush technique.
Be Patient, Pandora! (Amazon) The Mini Myths series illustrated by Leslie Patricelli takes classical Greco-Roman figures and plot elements and translates them into tongue-in-cheek teaching stories for preschoolers. This one features a box of squashable cupcakes.
Little You (Amazon/Indiebound): A spare and loving celebration of what a new person means to his or her family. Described online as featuring an Asian family but author and illustrator are both First Nations so may be ethnically ambiguous.
Toddler Two (Amazon/Indiebound): All about the pairs of things a boy and girl toddler can explore. Illustrated in an unusual felt collage style.
More More More Said the Baby (Amazon/Indiebound): Three toddler protagonists, a white boy, a black nongendered child, and an East Asian girl. Hard to get a very small kid to sit through all three stories but one or two at a run go over well.
I Love You Like Crazy Cakes (Amazon/Indiebound): A story of a single white woman adopting a baby girl from China, this is a picture book also available in board book format.
We’re Going to the Doctor (Amazon): A mother prepares for a checkup for her two kids, preschooler Billy and toddler Nell. Has liftable flaps!
Hand in Hand (Amazon/Indiebound): A soft and sweet welcome-text for a baby, featuring a mother and child.
Baby Astronaut (Amazon/Indiebound): A small girl explores space.
Up to My Knees (Amazon/Indiebound): Mei, a preschool-age girl, explores measurement math in her garden. #ownvoices (coming in 2020). See also the upcoming The Last Marshmallow, in which Mei and Olivia learn to split three things evenly among two people.

Indigenous kids

This goes by cultural context or callouts, not appearance.

My Heart Fills with Happiness (Amazon/Indiebound): Beautiful, bright illustrations highlight moments of everyday joy for different children. #ownvoices
*On Mother's Lap (Amazon/Indiebound): Michael, a three- or four-year-old child, piles everything imaginable on his mother's lap with him, but is sure there's no room for his baby sister. Of course, there is; this one is sweet and funny and has excellent detail and makes me tear up every time. The edition I have is 1992 illustrations set to text from 1972, and features a very simple interior in a cold environment; the family is identified as "Eskimo" by the cataloguing information. Comes in a Spanish/English bilingual edition.
Little You (Amazon/Indiebound): A spare and loving celebration of what a new person means to his or her family. See also We Sang You Home from the same team. #ownvoices
Sweetest Kulu (Amazon/Indiebound) Warmly adorable artwork illustrates a welcome for a new baby from all the animals of the Arctic, written by an Inuit singer. #ownvoices
Mama, Do You Love Me? (Amazon/Indiebound): A picture book available in board book form featuring an Alaskan Inuit mother and daughter.

Latinx/Hispanic kids

This goes by cultural context or callouts, not appearance.

Fiesta! (Amazon/Indiebound): A bilingual counting book about a group of kids preparing for a party (Seems like in Mexican/Central American setting).
Siesta! (Amazon/Indiebound): A brother and sister collect a bunch of different-colored items from their house in two languages, on a mysterious mission.
Besos for Baby: A Little Book of Kisses (Amazon/Indiebound): A dark-haired little girl gets besos from her mami, papi, the wind, etc. Text plays with both languages but primarily English.
Say Hello! (Amazon/Indiebound) Carmelita lives in a neighborhood with many languages, and she and her dog want to say hello to everyone.
Cinderella (Once Upon a World) (Amazon/Indiebound): The Grimms' fairy tale, set in Mexico with bright, expressive, depthless illustrations that recall Frida Kahlo crossed with cartoons. One especially nice point is that the ugly/beautiful bad/good dichotomy is diminished--the stepsisters are cruel, but not unsightly.
Swim! (Amazon/Indiebound): Features a brown-skinned boy and girl visiting the pool. Illustrations hit the uncanny valley for me, but the concept is fun. #ownvoices
The Lil' Libros series focuses on Hispanic culture, including bilingual books focusing on Frida Kahlo, Celia Cruz, Emiliano Zapata, La Llorona, the Virgen of Guadalupe, and Lucha Libre, but there's no narrative, not much text, and the pictures are mostly just objects identified by shape, number, or color on the "theme" of the book's subject.
Be Bold, Be Brave! Chiquitos (Amazon/Indiebound): Introductions to inspirational Latina women.

South Asian kids

The Wild Waves Whist features two children, a black boy of perhaps 6 and a brown-skinned girl a year or two older, exploring a tropical island and playing to the words of Shakespeare’s The Tempest.
Rapunzel (Once Upon a World) (Amazon/Indiebound): The Grimms' fairy tale, told straight but set in India. Cheery illustrations reference mehndi-style vines, borders, and leaves and impart a sense of motion to the story about a lovely princess and the handsome prince who climbs her tower to see her. I edit out most of the romance when I read this one but it's not too hard to do on the fly.
Padmini Is Powerful (Amazon/Indiebound): A little girl is wise like Ganesh, creative like Sarasvati, and compared to a number of other Hindu gods.
Shubh Raatri Dost/Good Night Friend (Amazon/Indiebound): A South Asian brother and sister say good night to their surroundings in Hindi and English. This is mislabeled as a hardcover on Amazon but it is a board book.
Kahaani Puraani (Amazon): An interactive Hindi/English retelling of the story of Sita and Ram. (If you are interested in Hindi/English books, the author’s Das Din and Bolo Kya? are super-cute interactive animal books.)

Ambiguous Ethnicity

The below feature kids with brown skin and straightish hair.

*Rain! (Amazon) This adorable, low-text story about a grouchy old man and a irrepressible little kid is interesting to both adults and children of many ages—it’s something of a morality tale about perspective and attitude, but without explicit lessons and with a detail-rich look at their city neighborhood and its inhabitants. And that frog hat!
Baby Paleontologist (Amazon/Indiebound) Who doesn't want to dream of digging up dinosaurs?
Whose Toes Are Those? (Amazon/Indiebound): A song about sweet little brown toes, which turn out to belong to a toddler girl.
Don't Get Lost, Odysseus! (Amazon) The Mini Myths series illustrated by Leslie Patricelli takes classical Greco-Roman figures and plot elements and translates them into tongue-in-cheek teaching stories for preschoolers. Odysseus is shopping with his mom and gets tempted away by an aquatic-themed playland. Be Patient, Pandora! features a box of squashable cupcakes.
As of this writing, I have not found any board books with main characters of other ethnicities. Still looking. Mixed-race kids are included in some of the above books but given the difficulty of determining the author and illustrator's intent there I have not called it out.