Rowan’s Diverse Baby Book Collection

Since day one, actually, when Rowan was still in my tummy, Curtis and I both agreed we should make sure her book collection was diverse. Sure, we’d buy the cute animal book or classics like I love you forever. But we also wanted to make sure to buy her books about race, feminism, inclusivity, and different cultures. Why aren’t more books for babies culturally diverse? I believe it’s never too early to fill your baby or toddler’s bookshelf with multicultural and inclusive books.

As we now know, children start building their concrete ideas about the world long, long before they can understand the abstract notions of diversity and inclusivity. I didn’t want Rowan to start off on the wrong notion, I wanted diverse and inclusive depictions of the world from the beginning. We need diverse books and movies as a powerful tool to help us raise kids who are open-minded and embrace people who are different from them.

Diverse books are important; especially books that teach empathy, kindness, and acceptance. Multicultural books that show people of different religions, customs, lifestyles, and races should be included in any children’s book collection at home.

I’m sharing a sample of the books we’ve bought for her or were gifted so far! She has more than what I’ve taken photos of, but these are a few of our favourites! Can’t wait to add more as she grows, I’m amazed at all the options now at the store. Finally got my hands on the AntiRacist Baby book, waiting for it to arrive in the mail. That was a popular one! I had to include a classic like Love You Forever and this cool alphabet book, plus a couple of other fun ones for her age that explore colour and texture.

What books have you added to your child’s library at home? And if you’re pregnant, there’s also this handy checklist too!

The Skin You Live In
This book follows a nursery rhyme format to begin to teach young children about social acceptance and appreciation of uniqueness.

Same, Same But Different
This book is about two pen pals who live in America and India. The boys learn that although their worlds look different, they share many similarities.

All Kids Are Good Kids
This sweet board book celebrates different types of children that have one important thing in common: they’re all good kids—and every kid is one of a kind.

Dream Big, Little One
This multicultural book for kids is both inspiring and representative of women and women of color.

ABC What Can She Be? – Not pictured, I forgot to take a photo but it’s a favourite!
The message is simple: girls can do anything. It defies gender stereotypes as it teaches girls, with each letter of the alphabet, about professions they can do when they grow up.

Love You Forever
This book makes me tear up when I read it to Rowan. It is such a sweet story about how we love our children forever, and they will love us the same.

This Day in June
This is a little old for Rowan, but we do want to show her the illustrations until she can read it. It is a simple story about a pride parade and all the lovely people you meet there.

You Hold Me Up
A lovely sweet story, encourages children to show love and support for each other and to consider each other’s well-being in their everyday life. I am so happy to see First Nations families and children doing regular stuff like it is totally normal.

Baby Botanist
My brother picked this book up for Rowan and since then we have added the rest of the series! It really is an adorable board book that shows simple science concepts. It’s really vibrant and Rowan loves to stare at the pages.

Baby Feminists
Want to see Ruth Baden Ginsberg as an illustrated baby? Here’s your chance! Cute book that shows feminist icons in history and that they were babies before they made changes!

Future Baby: Future Astronaut
A cute and simple book that shows an assortment of powerful careers and how your baby’s current skills match up with the job at hand! And at the end are some interesting facts about astronauts!

Maud Lewis 1 2 3
I want to get more books similar to this one and teach Rowan a little art history while she’s young. I majored in it in university (had an idea to be a curator but that didn’t happen), and want to teach Rowan art history because it’s also important to not only Canadian but world history. This one is a counting book and introduction to the joy-filled art of Nova Scotia’s most famous folk painter, Maud Lewis.

Little Feminists Board Book Set
My friend Angela picked this one up for Rowan, another set from a series, this one focuses on famous feminists in history.

Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes
Such a great book about babies, who, although they are from around the world, all share the common trait of having the same number of digits. Hence the name 😉

Where’s the Narwhal?
This is a book from a series of others like Where’s the Hen etc. It has felt pieces cut out like the shapes on the page and flop down to show the animal. Rowan just loves the neon colours and touching the felt!

Search and Find – Alphabet of Alphabets
Jam-packed full of funny things to spot and plenty of pages that are similar to Where’s Waldo. We read Rowan her ABCs and both of us also learn new words too haha.

Notable books that aren’t pictured are the soft, crinkle ones. She loves these to play with all day. And the 100 series where you teach them words and colours. There are so many to choose from.