EmbraceRace kidlit conversations and resources

Children's books are one of many tools adults can use to raise kids who are thoughtful, informed and brave about race. But it takes more than simply reading the books to kids to do this work. These archived webinars and action guides are less about which specific books to read. They are more about how to choose and how to read with children to invite conversations about race and other dimensions of difference.

That said, we do strongly recommend #ownvoices books - "kidlit about diverse characters written by authors from that same diverse group." For more understanding about why, check out Zetta Elliott's fabulous article, Let's Talk About Reparations: What Does the Publishing Industry Owe Our Kids?

Webinars

• Fear of a Black Mermaid with Tracey Baptiste and Ebony Elizabeth Thomas
• "Braiding Sweetgrass" with Kids with Monique Gray Smith
• Drawing Across the Color Line with Kids (w/illustrator-authors Grace Lin, Oge Mora and Yuyi Moralies)
• Using Books to Engage Young Children in Talk about Race & Justice
• Choosing “good” picture books featuring diverse (BIPOC) characters (with Diverse BookFinder)
• "Fairies Are For White Girls" And Other Lies My Sister Told Me
• Choosing Excellent Children's Books By And About American Indians
• Finding and Reading GREAT Stories For And With Children
• Addressing Racial Injustice with Young Children
• Reading Picture Books With Children Through A Race-Conscious Lens
• Lets Counter Islamophobia Through Stories

Action guides

• 8 tips for choosing “good” picture books featuring diverse, BIPOC characters
• How to choose excellent children's books by and about American Indians
• Reading aloud with kids to spark conversations about difference
• 7 Ways to Highlight Resistance Efforts When Discussing Oppression with Children
• 10 Tips for Reading Picture Books with Children through a Race-Conscious Lens