50 multicultural books every child should read

This list of must-have multicultural books was compiled by the Cooperative Children's Book Center, School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and is reprinted here with their permission.

The following titles are listed by age.

Preschool
Ages 5-7
Ages 7-9
Ages 9-12

• What a Wonderful World by George David Weiss and Bob Thiele, illustrated by Ashley Bryan. Atheneum, 1995.(Multi-ethnic)
• One Afternoon by Yumi Heo. Orchard, 1994. (Asian Pacific American)
• Grandmother's Nursery Rhymes/Las Nanas de Abuelita by Nelly Palacio Jaramillo, illustrated by Elivia. Holt, 1994. (Latino)
• Margaret and Margarita/Margarita y Margaret by Lynn Reiser. Greenwillow, 1993. (Latino)
• Baby Says by John Steptoe. Lothrop, 1988 (African American)
• I Love My Hair! by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley, illustrated by E. B. Lewis. Little Brown, 1998. (African American)
• Baby Rattlesnake by Te Ata, illustrated by Mira Reisberg. Children's Book Press, 1989. (American Indian)
• You Are My Perfect Baby by Johce Carol Thomas, illustrated by Nneka Bennett. HarperCollins, 1999. (African American)
• Round Is a Mooncake: A Book of Shapes by Rosanne Thong, illustrated by Grace Lin. Chronicle, 2000. (Asian Pacific American)
• Where Did You Get Your Moccasins? by Bernelda Wheeler, illustrated by Herman Bekkering. Peguis, 1986. (American Indian)
• More, More, More, Said the Baby: Three Love Stories by Vera B. Williams. Greenwillow, 1990. (Multi-ethnic)
• Do You Know What I'll Do? by Charlotte Zolotow, illustrated by Javaka Steptoe. HarperCollins, 2000. (African American)

• Drumbeat... Heartbeat: A Celebration of the Powwow by Susan Braine. Lerner, 1995. (American Indian)
• Grandfather Counts by Andrea Cheng, illustrated by Ange Zhang. Lee & Low, 2000. (Asian Pacific American)
• Halmoni and the Picnic by Sook Nyul Choi, illustrated by Karen M. Dugan. Houghton Mifflin, 1993. (Asian Pacific American)
• Hairs/Pelitos by Sandra Cisneros, illustrated by Terry Ybáñez. Knopf, 1994. (Latino)
• Abuela by Arthur Dorros, illustrated by Elisa Kleven. Dutton, 1991.(Latino)
• Honey, I Love, and Other Poems by Eloise Greenfield, illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon. Harper, 1978. (African American)
• The Good Luck Cat by Joy Harjo, illustrated by Paul Lee. Harcourt, 2000. (American Indian)
• Celebrating Families by Rosemarie Hausherr. Scholastic, 1997. (Multi-ethnic) Mirandy and Brother Wind by Patricia McKissack, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. Knopf, 1988. (African American)
• Shades of Black: A Celebration of Our Children by Sandra L. Pinkney, photographs by Myles C. Pinkney. Scholastic, 2000. (African American)
• Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message by Jake Swamp, illustrated by Erwin Printup, Jr. Lee & Low, 1995. (American Indian)
• Morning on the Lake by Jean Bourdeau Waboose, illustrated by Karen Reczuch. Kids Can Press, 1998. (American Indian)

• My Name Is Maria Isabel by Alma Flor Ada. Atheneum, 1993. (Latino)
• From the Bellybutton of the Moon, and Other Summer Poems/Del Ombligo de la Luna, y Otros Poemas de Verano by Francisco X. Alarcon, illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez. Children's Book Press, 1998. (Latino)
• Golden Tales: Myths, Legends and Folktales from Latin America by Lulu Delacre. Scholastic, 1996. (Latino)
• The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales by Virginia Hamilton, illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon. Knopf, 1985. (African American)
• Maples in the Mist: Poems for Children from the Tang Dynasty by Minfong Ho, illustrated by Jean and Mou-sien Tseng. Lothrop, 1996. (Asian Pacific)
• John Henry by Julius Lester, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. Dial, 1994. (African American)
• Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki, illustrated by Dom Lee. Lee & Low, 1993. (Asian Pacific American)
• Wings by Christopher Myers. Scholastic, 2000. (African American)
• The People Shall Continue by Simon Ortiz, illustrated by Sharol Graves. Children's Book Press, 1988. (American Indian)
• Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold. Crown, 1991. (African American)
• What's the Most Beautiful Thing You Know about Horses? by Richard Van Camp, illustrated by George Littlechild. Children's Book Press, 1998. (American Indian)
• Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World by Mildred Pitts Walter. Lothrop, 1998. (African American)

• Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges. Scholastic, 1999. (African American)
• American Indian Animal Stories by Joseph Bruchac. Fulcrum, 1992. (American Indian)
• Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis. Delacorte, 1999. (African American)
• The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich. Hyperion, 1999. (American Indian)
• The Journey: Japanese Americans, Racism and Renewal by Sheila Hamanaka. Orchard, 1990. (Asian Pacific American)
• Oh, Freedom! Kids Talk About the Civil Rights Movement with the People Who Made It Happen by Casey King and Linda Barrett Osborne. Knopf, 1997 (Multi-ethnic)
• Family Pictures/Cuadros de Familia by Carmen Lomas Garza. Children's Book Press, 1990. (Latino)
• Now Is Your Time! The African-American Struggle for Freedom by Walter Dean Myers. HarperCollins, 1992. (African American)
• The Tree Is Older Than You Are by Naomi Shihab Nye. Simon & Schuster, 1995. (Latino)
• Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan. Scholastic, 2000. (Latino)
• Quilted Landscape: Conversations with Young Immigrants by Yale Strom. Simon & Schuster, 1996. (Multi-ethnic)
• Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor. Dial, 1976. (African American)
• The Rainbow People by Lawrence Yep. HarperCollins, 1989. (Asian Pacific American)
• The Friends by Kazumi Yumoto. Farrar Straus Giroux, 1996. (Asian Pacific)