Big Topics for Little People: My Top 10 Children Books on Social Justice

10 Books about Social Justice for Young Children

Throughout quarantine (or as I like to call it, the era of “accidental homeschool teachers”), we’ve acquired a good bit of knowledge on some of the most fun and educational resources for preschoolers. These include math and number games with wooden blocks, phonetic flash cards, scavenger hunts and obstacle courses, and of course, many books. And today, I’ll like to share some of Norah’s favorite books with you (parents, parents-to-be, educators, or just someone interested in children books). These books are some of the best children books in their own right. But they happen to also seamlessly introduce at times “heavy” topics in a way that children as young as 3 years old can appreciate.

One: Sulwe by Lupita Nyong’o, illustrated by Vashti Harrison

Norah’s most favorite book at the moment, Sulwe tells the story of a little girl whose name means “star”, her skin the color of midnight. She learns to love herself for who she is through her mother’s words and a little touch of magic. Bittersweet but also deeply hopeful, Sulwe empowers little girls everywhere to be comfortable in their own skin with gentle narrative and beautiful illustrations.

Themes: racism, self-identity, beauty

Two: The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

Any book by Dr Seuss is guaranteed to be a favorite in this household, and this one is certainly no exception, plus some more. The Lorax is divided into 2 periods: before and after the “invasion” of the land by the Once-lers. The land, guarded by the Lorax, is full of luxurious, bright-colored Truffula Trees and occupied by playful animals like the Brown Bar-ba-loots, the Humminig-Fish and the Swomee-Swans. Yet, the Once-lers figured out how to make money with the tufts of the trees, at the expense of all the animals whose livelihood depends on the integrity of the land’s natural ecosystem. In classic Seussian style, the Lorax is a cautionary tale about serious topics told with whimsical imagination and an abundance of silliness.

Themes: climate change, capitalism, nature

Three: Uncle Bobby’s Wedding by Sarah Brannen, illustrated by Lucia Soto

Chloe’s favorite uncle Bobby is getting married to his boyfriend Jamie and she’s not happy about it. She’s worried that her uncle will no longer hang out with her and have fun together. Little did she know, Jamie was just as fun and loving as Bobby, and now she has TWO uncles and double the amount of fun! Simple and lighthearted, this is a cute story about, well, love is love.

Themes: gay marriage, LGBTQ+, love

Four: Vote for our Future by Margaret McNamara & Micah Player

Staton Elementary takes Election Day very seriously. Even though the school kids can’t vote themselves yet, the school closes every 2 year on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November to become a polling station. The kids take that time off to volunteer to educate adults in their lives about the importance of voting via flyers, door-to-door canvassing, and bake sales! This book gives simply concise answers to complicated questions like “why should we vote” and “does my vote even matter”. Perfect for 2020 and any year beyond.

Themes: democracy, civic duty, voting rights

Five: Feminist Baby by Loryn Brantz

Norah was gifted this book by her uncle Kien on her first birthday and she’s loved it ever since (to the point that she can recite every single word)! The book is about a rambunctious little baby girl who loves to play with both dolls and cars, picks her own outfit, and makes a lot of noise. It has hard pages for those tiny little hands to flip easily. Highly recommended for kids as young as 6 months old :)

Themes: feminism, independence, self-identity

Six: I dissent! by Debby Levy, illustrated by Elizabeth Baddeley

This is a wonderful biography about everyone’s favorite Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Norah is a quarter Jewish (fun fact: the one time we saw a large group of kids who look so much like Norah was when we strolled through a Hasidic Jewish neighborhood in Brooklyn New York… the resemblance is uncanny) so I thought she would be able to see herself some in Ruth (brown hair, dark eyes, serious look). The story took us from the little neighborhood in Brooklyn (ha yes) where Ruth grew up, to the day she lost her mother right before her high school graduation, and to her being sworn in as the only second female ever to serve as a Justice in the highest court of the land. The book also comes with real photographs and details of Ruth’s life at the end.

Themes: equality, feminism, law

Seven: The world needs more purple people by Kristin Bell and Benjamin Hart

Written by perhaps the most versatile actress in America (who plays Anna and also voices Gossip Girl!), the book, in short, teaches kids how to be kind, curious, and uniquely and perfectly themselves. It features kids of all colors and subtly uses the metaphor of “Purple” as the mix of “Red” and “Blue” to refer to something good. I don’t think it intentionally sets out to be a political statement but I like the effect it likely has in the long run for kids.

Themes: kindness, bullying, self-identity

Eight: Separate is never equal by Duncan Tonatiuh

Illustrated in artful Mixtec style, the book is a real life tale that follows Sylvia Mendez and her family’s fight for Desegregation in the 1940s. Back then, white-looking kids went to white-only schools, and Mexican kids could only go to much inferior Mexican-only schools. Sylvia Mendez’s family refused to segregate, and successfully took their case to court, paving way for the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education.

Themes: racism, segregation, law

Nine: It began with a page by Kyo Maclear & Julie Morstad

Another biography :) This one follows the life of Japanese American artist Gyo Fujikawa who has a gift for creating beautiful art from a young age. The story took us through the dark period in the life of many Japanese American who were put in concentration camp because of the heightened tension and all-time-worst relation between Japan and the US circa 1940s, including Gyo and her family. But ultimately, the story celebrates Gyo the artist, who brought diversity to children books by drawing kids of all colors, not just blonde haired blue eyed white kids, in her now-famous 1963 book Babies, and beyond.

Themes: racism, war, diversity

Ten: The Wizard of Oz illustrated by Carly Gledhill

Last but not least, a classic with a twist! The original story by L Frank Baum wasn’t illustrated and leaves it to the imagination of the readers what Dorothy, Toto, or any of the witches look like. In this iteration, illustrator Carly Gledhill drew the entire cast of the Wizard of Oz as black! The story is still the same, but it’s amazing to see Dorothy, aunt Em, or even the Wicked Witch as not the default white characters they often are assumed to be in other books.

Themes: representation, kindness

Closing Words

I have always been of the opinion that children are a lot more resilient and capable than adults often give them credit for. At the beginning of the pandemic, we did sit down with Norah and explained to her why she couldn’t see her friends or go to the local kid gym. She’s been saying “when the coronavirus goes away, I’ll see Karsyn at tumble tots again” for months now. Poor kid 😢 When the racial awakening unveiled in the country and around the world, I started to re-evaluate the way in which we could start the conversation about race among other important topics with our own toddler. The question was always how, and not whether.

Remember, these books are just the beginning. As their parents, you have the opportunity to teach by example. Children learn from a young age and will really absorb everything you say, do, believe in without saying, sometimes without you even notice.