105 Picture Books for Your Little Rebel Resistance Fighters
When I was doom-scrolling Instagram this week I saw a post about beginning to purchase controversial books before Biden-Harris leave office in January. My mind immediately went to children’s books because my most important work over the next four years will be raising little fire-breathing liberal rebel resistance fighters. There are dozens and dozens and dozens of incredible Instagram accounts who share children’s books about social justice, LGBTQIA+ persons, trans kids, BIPOC history, Muslim culture, neurodivergence, disabilities, immigration and emigration, and other cultures in general. Please take time to seek them out, I’ve listed a few of my favorites below.
@littlejusticeleaders | @ihaveabookforthat | @thekidlitmama | @maistorybooklibrary
But I also wanted to compile a linked list for my friends who have small children of their own or have a small child in their life.
Below you will find a non-exhaustive list with links to small book sellers where you can currently (November 7, 2024) find these titles. My focus was small children as my own kids are 2 and 3. None of the links are affiliates, I’m not taking or making any money sharing these. I simply wanted to give busy, tired, overwhelmed, sad and angry friends a place to start building up their libraries. The list is not categorized or in any sort of order. Pick what speaks to you and start ordering.
It’s very important that we purchase hard copies of these titles - not audiobooks or Kindle (while those are amazing)! Hard copies can be kept safe at home, passed along to future generations and lent to friends.
V is for Voting by Kate Farrell (Author) and Caitlin Kuhwald (Illustrator)
Love in the Wild by Katy Tanis (Author)
Love Under the Stars by Katy Tanis (Author)
I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel
And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell (Author) Justin Richardson (Author) Henry Cole (Illustrator)
The Family Book by Todd Parr (Author)
At The Mountain’s Base by Traci Sorell (Author) and Weshoyot Alvitre (Illustrator)
We Are Water Protectors: (Caldecott Medal Winner) by Carole Lindstrom (Author) Michaela Goade (Illustrator)
All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson
The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi (Author)
Sulwe by Lupita Nyong'o (Author) and Vashti Harrison (Illustrator)
Stella Brings the Family by Miriam B. Schiffer (Author)
Sparkle Boy by Lesléa Newman (Author) and Maria Mola (Illustrator)
How to Be a Real Man by Scott Stuart (Author)
My Shadow Is Pink by Scott Stuart (Author)
My Shadow is Purple by Scott Stuart (Author)
We March by Shane W. Evans (Author)
Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family's Fight for Desegregation by Duncan Tonatiuh (Author)
Red: A Crayon's Story by Michael Hall (Author)
Neither: A Story about Being Who You Are by Airlie Anderson (Author)
Just Ask!: Be Different, Be Brave, Be You by Sonia Sotomayor (Author) and Rafael López (Illustrator)
Your Name Is a Song by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow (Author) and Luisa Uribe (Illustrator)
To the Moon and Back for You by Emilia Bechrakis Serhant (Author)
Wish by Matthew Cordell (Author)
Change Starts with Us by Sophie Beer (Author)
Love Makes a Family by Sophie Beer (Author)
More Than Words: So Many Ways to Say What We Mean by Roz MacLean (Author)
Sometimes People March by Tessa Allen (Author)
Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History by Vashti Harrison (Author)
Brown: The Many Shades of Love by Nancy Johnson James (Author) and Constance Moore (Illustrator)
Change Sings: A Children's Anthem by Amanda Gorman (Author) and Loren Long (Illustrator)
Rupaul by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara (Author) and Wednesday Holmes (Illustrator)
A is for Ambitious by Meena Harris (Author) and Marissa Valdez (Illustrator)
Who Was Ruth Bader Ginsburg? by Lisbeth Kaiser (Author), Who Hq (Author) and Stanley Chow (Illustrator)
Grandad's Camper (in Partnership with Glaad) by Harry Woodgate (Author)
A Take-Charge Girl Blazes a Trail to Congress: The Story of Jeannette Rankin by Gretchen Woelfle (Author) Rebecca Gibbon (Illustrator)
Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña (Author) and Christian Robinson (Illustrator)
Daniel's Good Day by Micha Archer (Author)
How We Say I Love You by Nicole Chen (Author) Lenny Wen (Illustrator)
We Are the Rainbow!: The Colors of Pride by Claire Winslow (Author) and Riley Samels (Illustrator)
What Are Your Words?: A Book about Pronouns by Katherine Locke (Author) and Anne Passchier (Illustrator)
Calvin by Vanessa Ford (Author) and Jr. Ford (Author) and Kayla Harren (Illustrator)
It Feels Good to Be Yourself: A Book about Gender Identity by Theresa Thorn (Author) and Noah Grigni (Illustrator)
Big Truck Playdate by Laurie Carmody (Author) and Jennica Lounsbury (Illustrator)
River of Mariposas: A Picture Book by Mirelle Ortega (Author)
Everyone Is Welcome by Phuong Truong (Author) and Christine Wei (Illustrator)
The Light Within You by Namita Moolani Mehra (Author) and Kamala Nair (Illustrator)
My Mommy Marches by Samantha Hawkins (Author) and Cory Reid (Illustrator)
Mary Wears What She Wants by Keith Negley (Author)
Elisapee and Her Baby Seagull by Nancy Mike (Author) and Charlene Chua (Illustrator)
In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse by Joseph Marshall (Author) and Jim Yellowhawk (Illustrator)
Hear My Voice/Escucha Mi Voz: The Testimonies of Children Detained at the Southern Border of the United States compiled by Warren Binford
Watch Me: A Story of Immigration and Inspiration by Doyin Richards (Author) and Joe Cepeda (Illustrator)
Every Child a Song: A Celebration of Children's Rights by Nicola Davies (Author) and Marc Martin (Illustrator)
My Brain Is Magic: A Sensory-Seeking Celebration by Prasha Sooful (Author) and Geeta Ladi (Illustrator)
Like by Annie Barrows (Author) and Leo Espinosa (Illustrator)
Namaste Is a Greeting by Suma Subramaniam (Author) and Sandhya Prabhat (Illustrator)
Be a Bridge by Irene Latham (Author) and Charles Waters (Author) and Nabila Adani (Illustrator)
Téo's Tutu by Maryann Jacob Macias (Author) and Alea Marley (Illustrator)
Pink Is for Everybody by Ella Russell (Author) and Udayana Lugo (Illustrator)
Go, Girls, Go! by Frances Gilbert (Author) and Allison Black (Illustrator)
Except When They Don't by Laura Gehl (Author) and Joshua Heinsz (Illustrator)
Once Upon a Diwali by Anita Mishra (Author) and Diah Chakraborty (Illustrator)
Who's in Charge? by Stephanie Allain (Author) and Jenny Klion (Author) and Marissa Valdez (Illustrator)
Rainbow Allies: The True Story of Kids Who Stood Against Hate by Nancy Churnin (Author) and Izzy Evans (Illustrator)
The Wishing Machine by Jonathan Hillman (Author) and Nadia Alam (Illustrator)
I Am an Antiracist Superhero: With Activities to Help You Be One Too! by Jennifer Nicole Bacon (Author) and Letícia Moreno (Illustrator)
Love Grows Here by Chloe Ito Ward (Author) and Violet Kim (Illustrator)
Everything Possible by Fred Small (Author) and Alison Brown (Illustrator)
I Am Bold: For Every Kid Who's Told They're Just Too Much by Andie Powers (Author) and Betsy Petersen (Illustrator)
I Love My Body Because by Shelly Anand (Author) and Nomi Ellenson (Author) and Erika Rodriguez Medina (Illustrator)
The Very First You by Scott Stuart (Author)
Rivka's Presents by Laurie Wallmark (Author) and Adelina Lirius (Illustrator)
No Matter What . . . We All Belong by Becky Davies (Author) and Fernando Martìn (Illustrator)
P Is for Pastrami: The ABCs of Jewish Food by Alan Silberberg (Author)
P Is for Pride by Greg Paprocki (Illustrator)
C is for Consent by Eleanor Morrison (Author) and Faye Orlove (Illustrator)
Keepunumuk: Weeâchumun's Thanksgiving Story by Danielle Greendeer (Author) and Anthony Perry (Author) and Alexis Bunten (Author) and Garry Meeches (Illustrator)
Stay Angry, Little Girl by Madeleine L'Engle (Author) and Michelle Jing Chan (Illustrator)
The Baby Tree by Sophie Blackall (Author)
The Boy with Big, Big Feelings by Britney Winn Lee (Author) and Jacob Souva (Illustrator)
Buffalo Fluffalo by Bess Kalb (Author) and Erin Kraan (Illustrator)
I Am Enough by Grace Byers (Author) and Keturah A. Bobo (Illustrator)
This Land Is a Lullaby by Tonya Simpson (Author) and Delreé Dumont (Illustrator)
Jacob's New Dress by Sarah Hoffman (Author) and Ian Hoffman (Author) and Chris Case (Illustrator)
Jacob’s Missing Book by Sarah Hoffman (Author) and Ian Hoffman (Author) and Chris Case (Illustrator)
Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love (Author)
Peanut Goes for the Gold by Jonathan Van Ness (Author) and Gillian Reid (Illustrator)
Cupcakes Everywhere: One Sweet Tale of Overcoming Infertility by Erin Sarris (Author) and Barbora Kmecova (Illustrator)
Tala Learns to Siva by Kealani Netane (Author) and Dung Ho (Illustrator)
Juneteenth Is by Natasha Tripplett (Author) and Daniel J. O'Brien (Illustrator)
Free at Last: A Juneteenth Poem by Sojourner Kincaid Rolle (Author) and Alex Bostic (Illustrator)
You Will Do Great Things by Amerie (Author) and Raissa Figueroa (Illustrator)
Beach Hair by Ashley Woodfolk (Author) and Nina Mata (Illustrator)
Be More Dog by Caroline Crowe (Author) and Carlos Velez (Illustrator)
Like the Moon Loves the Sky by Hena Khan (Author) and Saffa Khan (Illustrator)
Little Legends: Exceptional Men in Black History by Vashti Harrison (Author) and Kwesi Johnson
Stacey's Extraordinary Words by Stacey Abrams (Author) and Kitt Thomas (Illustrator)
Mae Among the Stars by Roda Ahmed (Author) and Stasia Burrington (Illustrator)
She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed the World by Chelsea Clinton (Author) and Alexandra Boiger (Illustrator)
She Persisted Around the World: 13 Women Who Changed History by Chelsea Clinton (Author) and Alexandra Boiger (Illustrator)
The ABCs of Black History by Rio Cortez (Author) and Lauren Semmer (Illustrator)
Bloom by Julia Seal (Author)
My Wish for You by Kathryn Hahn (Author) and Brigette Barrager (Illustrator)
I Am a Warrior Goddess by Jennifer Adams (Author) and Carme Lemniscates (Illustrator)