As a new mother, I was reading a lot of children’s books with my son. He loved them all – animal books, silly books, the classics. Reading with him daily, I realized that none of the characters in his books looked like him. In fact, 71% of children’s books feature characters that are animals or white. I had to seek out certain books in an effort to diversify his bookshelf. Values like inclusivity and compassion are important to me. Why shouldn’t these values be reflected in the books my child reads?
