#DiverseBks4All

One for
the Books

The Diverse Books for All Coalition is a national consortium of nonprofits and membership organizations working together to increase access to affordable, high-quality children's books by and about diverse cultures, races, identities, and abilities.
A collection of diverse illustrated books

Kids need to be excited about the
excellence of who they are.
Books are a way to understand that
their words matter, their community matters,
who they are matters.

Iheoma U. Iruka, Ph.D.
Research Professor, Department of Public Policy, UNC Chapel Hill
Fellow and Founding Director of Equity Research Action Coalition, FPG

Equity through every page

A cute little book character hanging upside down
1.
Children need to see themselves and others represented in books.

Research suggests that children begin to distinguish faces by race as early as 3-months old1. Reading stories with authentic portrayals of diverse characters from an early age helps children develop a strong sense of self and empathy for others.

2.
Books available for children birth to 8 years old need to reflect the increasingly diverse population.

Data from the 2020 U.S. Census2 showed that more than half of the U.S. population under age 18 identify as Hispanic, Black, Asian, Native, or Multiracial.

3.
Diverse books need to be more accessible.

Books by and about diverse cultures and races are often available only in hardcover editions or in smaller print-runs which increases the price and limits access.

4.
Parents, caregivers, early childhood providers, and educators need help.

Committed adults are asking for support to advocate for and use diverse content.

1 Kelly, D. J., Quinn, P. C., Slater, A. M., Lee, K., Gibson, A., Smith, M., ... & Pascalis, O. (2005). Three-month-olds, but not newborns, prefer own-race faces. Developmental Science, 8(6), F31-F36;
2 Racial and ethnic diversity in the United States: 2020 census. U.S. Census Bureau. (2022, August 18). Retrieved March 23, 2023, from https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/racial-and-ethnic-diversity-in-the-united-states-2010-and-2020-census.html)

A cute little bookmark character

Let's change the plot

Definition of Diversity
from We Need Diverse Books:

We recognize all diverse experiences, including (but not limited to) LGBTQIA, Native, people of color, gender diversity, people with disabilities, and ethnic, cultural, and religious minorities.

For WNDB's full definition, please visit www.diversebooks.org
Our Goals:
Double

the number of affordable, quality diverse children’s books in five years.

Unify

the market of nonprofits to leverage the power of aggregate buying, influencing the availability and pricing of diverse children’s books.

Frame

and elevate a national narrative to promote the importance of diverse books.

Ensure

that parents, primary caregivers, early childhood providers, and educators have the resources and support they need to access and use diverse books in their programs, communities and classrooms.

We're writing this story together

Members:
Initial funding has been generously provided by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to First Book, which is spearheading the Coalition. The Coalition is co-owned and co-developed by its members.
A cute little smiling book character