Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman – Although a classmate says that she cannot play Peter Pan in the school play because she is black, Grace discovers her true identity, that she can do anything she sets her mind to do. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/765193.Amazing_Grace
A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Phillip Stead – Zookeeper Mr. McGee has always kindly cared for his animals until one day he is sick. What should the zoo animals do?!?! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7268995-a-sick-day-for-amos-mcgee
Be Kind by Pat Zietlow – When Tanisha spills grape juice all over her new dress, her classmate contemplates how to make her feel better and what it means to be kind. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34506910-be-kind
Black is a Rainbow Color by Angela Joy – A child reflects on the meaning of being Black in this moving and powerful anthem about a people, a culture, a history, and a legacy that lives on. https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/44280848-black-is-a-rainbow-color
Brian the Brave by Paul Stewart – Every sheep is different. Some white, some black. Some striped, some spotted, some with hats! They’re all still sheep, and they can all play together. At least that’s what Brian thinks–until the other sheep say they can be friends only with sheep that are just like them.https://www.flyawaybooks.com/brian-the-brave
Counting on Community by Innosanto Nagara – a board book counting from 1 to 10 while illustrating the value of a loving and diverse community.https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/251020/counting-on-community-by-written-and-illustrated-by-innosanto-nagara/
Crocodile’s Crossing by Yoeri Slegers- Crocodile is tired, scared, and hopeful as he searches for his new home. Everything will be better where I’m going! he thinks. But where is that? https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/49114740-crocodile-s-crossing
For Beautiful Black Boys Who Believe in a Better World by Michael Waters –Winner of the 2020 Goddard Riverside CBC Youth Book Prize for Social Justice, this book sensitively but with candor addresses the issues of racism and gun violence and how one family responds with activism and hope. https://www.flyawaybooks.com/for-beautiful-black-boys
Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns by Hena Khan – This Parent’s Choice Foundation award winner describes the basic tenets of Islam with vibrant and brilliant colors. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13156623-golden-domes-and-silver-lanterns
Gritty and Graceful: 15 Inspiring Women of the Bible by Caryn Rivadeniera – Stories of women in the Bible who were brave, heroic, adventurous, strong leaders, or teachers with beautiful illustrations and culturally appropriate representations. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40998795-gritty-and-graceful
Hands Up! by Breanna McDaniel – a very engaging picture book that illustrates the many ways that children put their hands up with a wonderful message at the end about using our hands up to raise awareness and bring about social justice. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35927209-hands-up
Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena – winner of the 2016 Newbery Medal, a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor, and a Caldecott Honor, a boy experiences the beauty of his urban environment through the eyes of his grandmother while riding a bus across town on a Sunday. https://socialjusticebooks.org/last-stop-on-market-street/
Maybe God is Like That Too by Jennifer Grant – A 2017 Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards winner. A young boy asks his grandma where God is in their city. It is found in unexpected places. https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/31743712-maybe-god-is-like-that-too
No One Else like You by Siska Goeminne – A young boy asks his grandma where God is in their city. Where love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control are, there too is God. https://www.flyawaybooks.com/no-one-else-like-you
Preaching to the Chickens by Jabari Asim – A young boy wants to grow up to be a preacher – a leader whose words stir hearts to change. So, he is put in charge of the family’s flock of chickens who become his wonderful “congregation”! A story about the early life of John Lewis, civil rights leader. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28588346-preaching-to-the-chickens
Shoemaker Martin originally by Leo Tolstoy and adapted by Bridgette Hanhart and Bernadette Watts – Martin, a Russian shoemaker, wishes to meet Jesus. Instead he finds three strangers in need. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/943452.Shoemaker_Martin
Silent Night by Lara Hawthorne – A beautifully illustrated picture book that brings the lyrics to Silent Night to life for young readers by matching the Christmas carol stanzas to culturally accurate and visually appealing graphics. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38743201-silent-night
Simon and the Big, Bad, Angry Beasts by Ian De Haes – When Simon gets mad, he gets REALLY mad. So mad that big, bad, angry beasts appear. At first Simon loves having the beasts around to help scare off anyone who upsets him, but over time he realizes that no one wants to be around him or the beasts. https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/36982132-simon-and-the-big-bad-angry-beasts
Stick and Stone by Beth Ferry – a delightful and funny twist on the phrase “sticks and stones may break my bones…” where a stick and a stone overcome their differences and realize their individual uniqueness. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22749702-stick-and-stone
The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig – A simple act of kindness can transform an “invisible” boy into a friend. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17140549-the-invisible-boy
The Marvelous Mustard Seed by Amy-Jill Levine and Sandy Eisenberg Sasso – Based on the Biblical parable, a child plants a mustard seed in an empty garden. It is an itty-bitty seed. It isn’t anything very special—yet. https://www.flyawaybooks.com/the-marvelous-mustard-seed
The Night of His Birth by Katherine Paterson – A 2020 Moonbeam Children’s Book Award Winner, the poetic text and beautiful images intimately tell the story of Jesus’s birth from his mother’s perspective. https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/43874133-the-night-of-his-birth
The Story of Hanukkah – a beautifully illustrated board book that explains the story of Hanukkah in an understandable way for preschoolers while faithfully and respectfully following the Jewish story. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12198017-the-story-of-hanukkah
The Wall in the Middle of the Book by John Agee – There’s a wall in the middle of the book and a young knight is sure that the wall protects his side of the book from the dangers of the other side until he needs help from the “monsters and ogres” on the other side of the wall. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37969835-the-wall-in-the-middle-of-the-book
Walls by Brad Holfgrafer – a visually appealing picture book about good and bad walls. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39295745-walls
We Are Grateful Otsaliheliga by Traci Sorell – A look at modern Native American life as told by a citizen of the Cherokee Nation. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36711245-we-are-grateful
