I see me, I see you: Why diverse children’s books belong in every child’s hands

By Janet Pagliuca 
Associate Manager
Design & Illustration 

What happens when children never see themselves in the stories they read? Or only see people like them as background characters… or worse, as antagonists, victims or harmful stereotypes.

Now, picture the reverse. What happens when a child only ever sees themselves as the main character, the hero, the one whose experiences are validated and worth telling?

Books are more than just a fun pastime. For children, they are tools for building literacy and identity, developing vocabulary and empathy, and making sense of the world around them and the experiences they live through.  

Children are like sponges. When they hold a book, they are actively learning who belongs, who wins, who struggles, and, in many cases, who doesn’t get to appear at all.

It’s no secret that children’s books featuring white protagonists make up the majority of the market. This is clearly illustrated in the following infographic released by Sarah Park Dahlen, associate professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and illustrator David Huyck. According to statistics compiled by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, only 23 percent of children’s books published in 2018 featured a protagonist who was a person of color. 

Infographic citation: Huyck, David and Sarah Park Dahlen. (2019 June 19). Diversity in Children’s Books 2018. sarahpark.com blog. Created in consultation with Edith Campbell, Molly Beth Griffin, K. T. Horning, Debbie Reese, Ebony Elizabeth Thomas and Madeline Tyner, with statistics compiled by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center, School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Even though the infographic shows improvements in the representation of these communities from earlier studies, it was noted by both the author and illustrator that “children’s literature continues to misrepresent underrepresented communities, and we wanted this infographic to show not just the low quantity of existing literature, but also the inaccuracy and uneven quality of some of those books.” This is in reference to the visible cracks on each of the mirrors held by the children of color.  

Since 2018, the Cooperative Children’s Book Center has reported an increase in books featuring non-white protagonists. However, while stories with white main characters have become slightly less common, there has been a noticeable rise in books centered on animals and objects, which only proves the ongoing imbalance of representation in children's literature. 

As our social climate grows increasingly divided, we must continue to learn and attempt to understand each other. That’s why building a collection of diverse children’s books is more important now than ever. 

But what do diverse children’s books actually look like?  

When we think of diversity, it’s not just about highlighting different cultural backgrounds. A truly inclusive library also includes stories that reflect a range of socioeconomic experiences, gender identities, disabilities and more.  

Below, you will find a video, "What Diversity Means Around the Globe" by Room to Read, which features Carol Burrell, Mahesh Patirathna, Alfredo Santos and Alison Ziki, our Literacy Program publishing specialists, discussing inclusivity in children's books across South Asia, Southeast Asia and Africa. They highlight how diverse stories can help build respect and understanding in multicultural communities. 

Room to Read has benefited 52 million children across 29 countries with foundational learning skills. We have published more than 5,000 original and adapted diverse children’s books and distributed 44.5 million copies of these books around the world.  

Through our unique role as a nonprofit book publisher, we’re helping to build a more inclusive and diverse global market for children’s books, ensuring that every child has access to stories that reflect their experiences and foster a lifelong love of reading and learning.

As part of this mission, we’ve created a completely free virtual library filled with a growing collection of high-quality children’s books. 

A Room to Read illustrator workshop in Santa Fe, New Mexico, during the development of our original Indigenous Book Collection, published in partnership with Black Bears and Blueberries. 

 
Literacycloud.org features books and videos created by local storytellers from around the world. Our collection includes more than 3,000 professionally produced children’s books in 41 languages, along with more than 700 read-aloud videos, library management tools and other helpful resources.  

From decodable books for early readers to chapter books for more advanced learners, all titles are developed through Room to Read’s Literacy Program.

The site offers a variety of user-friendly features for adults who support children in developing literacy skills and a love of reading. Readers can create personalized book lists based on interests and reading levels, and many titles are available for offline access (making reading easy anytime, anywhere). Smart search tools also help users find books by language, category or skill level.  
 
In addition to diverse children’s literature, literacycloud.org also includes resources for caregivers, educators, publishers and book creators on how to support children’s literacy development and a culture of reading. And perhaps the most useful, the site is accessible in 24 different user interface languages, making it welcoming for readers around the world, regardless of their primary language. 

For more information and to join our community of 126,000+ users, click here!  
 
At Room to Read, we create diverse children’s books that allow children to see themselves in a variety of experiences, locations and relationships — ones they may never have previously heard of or imagined possible. Books are valuable resources for entire families to explore different realities and process challenging emotions, dream of new possibilities and navigate life’s choices.  

Every child deserves to find themselves in a story. Every child also deserves the chance to meet someone different from themselves through a book. When we build inclusive collections of diverse children’s books we’re not just filling shelves. We’re shaping minds, nurturing emotional intelligence and fostering a more empathetic future. 

Our approach to foundational learning