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Only 1% of the children’s books published in the U.S. in 2016 featured Indigenous characters.

Just a quarter of that 1% were written by Indigenous authors.

“Most of what kids see in books today are bestsellers and classics that stereotype and misrepresent native people in history," says American Indians in Children's Literature's Debbie Reese, who is Nambe Pueblo. She recommends books that veer away from those stereotypes. They feature modern-day culture, countering the notion that Indigenous people somehow vanished with the past.

This list of 13 recommended children’s books by Indigenous writers and illustrators was curated by The Conscious Kid Library and American Indians in Children’s Literature, in partnership with Brooklyn Children’s Museum. With these stories, Indigenous writers share the range of their lives, past and present.

1. "You Hold Me Up" by Monique Gray Smith, illustrated by Danielle Daniel

[rebelmouse-image 19533169 dam="1" original_size="600x577" caption=""You Hold Me Up" by Monique Gray Smith, illustrated by Danielle Daniel" expand=1]"You Hold Me Up" by Monique Gray Smith, illustrated by Danielle Daniel

This vibrant picture book encourages children to show love and support for each other in their everyday actions. This is a foundational book about building relationships, fostering empathy, and encouraging respect between peers, starting with our littlest citizens. Ages 4–8.

2. "When We Were Alone" by David A. Robertson, illustrated by Julie Flett

[rebelmouse-image 19533170 dam="1" original_size="600x660" caption=""When We Were Alone" by David A. Robertson, illustrated by Julie Flett" expand=1]"When We Were Alone" by David A. Robertson, illustrated by Julie Flett

When a young girl helps tend to her grandmother’s garden, she begins to notice things. Why does her grandmother have long, braided hair and beautifully colored clothing? As she asks her grandmother about these things, she is told about life in a residential school a long time ago, where all of these things were taken away. "When We Were Alone" is a story about a difficult time in history, and, ultimately, of empowerment and strength. Ages 4–8.

3. "Little You" by Richard Van Camp, illustrated by Julie Flett

[rebelmouse-image 19533171 dam="1" original_size="386x386" caption=""Little You" by Richard Van Camp, illustrated by Julie Flett" expand=1]"Little You" by Richard Van Camp, illustrated by Julie Flett

Richard Van Camp has partnered with award-winning illustrator Julie Flett to create a tender board book for babies and toddlers that celebrates the potential of every child. "Little You" is perfect to be shared, read or sung to all the little people in your life — and the new little ones on the way. Ages 0–5.

4. "Sweetest Kulu" by Celina Kalluk, illustrated by Alexandria Neonakis

[rebelmouse-image 19533172 dam="1" original_size="500x400" caption=""Sweetest Kulu" by Celina Kalluk, illustrated by Alexandria Neonakis" expand=1]"Sweetest Kulu" by Celina Kalluk, illustrated by Alexandria Neonakis

This bedtime poem written by Inuit throat singer Celina Kalluk describes the gifts bestowed upon a newborn baby by all the animals of the Arctic. Lyrically and lovingly written, this visually stunning book is infused with the Inuit values of love and respect for the land and its animal inhabitants. Ages 3–7.

5. "My Heart Fills With Happiness" by Monique Gray Smith, illustrated by Julie Flett

[rebelmouse-image 19533173 dam="1" original_size="600x562" caption=""My Heart Fills With Happiness" by Monique Gray Smith, illustrated by Julie Flett" expand=1]"My Heart Fills With Happiness" by Monique Gray Smith, illustrated by Julie Flett

The sun on your face. The smell of warm bannock baking in the oven. What fills your heart with happiness? This beautiful board book serves as a reminder for little ones and adults alike to reflect on and cherish the moments in life that bring us joy. Ages 0–5.

6. "I Am Not A Number" by Jenny Kay Dupuis and Kathy Kacer, illustrated by Gillian Newland

[rebelmouse-image 19533174 dam="1" original_size="600x776" caption=""I Am Not A Number" by Jenny Kay Dupuis and Kathy Kacer, illustrated by Gillian Newland" expand=1]"I Am Not A Number" by Jenny Kay Dupuis and Kathy Kacer, illustrated by Gillian Newland

When Irene is removed from her First Nations family to live in a residential school, she is confused, frightened, and terribly homesick. She tries to remember who she is and where she came from despite being told to do otherwise. When she goes home for summer holidays, her parents decide never to send her away again, but what will happen when her parents disobey the law? "I Am Not A Number" is a powerful story of resistance, resilience, family, and identity. Ages 7–11.

7. "Hiawatha and the Peacemaker" by Robbie Robertson, illustrated by David Shannon

[rebelmouse-image 19533175 dam="1" original_size="400x478" caption=""Hiawatha and the Peacemaker" by Robbie Robertson, illustrated by David Shannon" expand=1]"Hiawatha and the Peacemaker" by Robbie Robertson, illustrated by David Shannon

Born of Mohawk and Cayuga descent, Robbie Robertson learned the story of Hiawatha and the Peacemaker as part of the Iroquois oral tradition. Hiawatha was a strong Mohawk who was chosen to translate the Peacemaker’s message of unity for the five warring Iroquois nations during the 14th century. This message succeeded in uniting the tribes and forever changed how the Iroquois governed themselves — a blueprint for democracy that would later inspire the authors of the U.S. Constitution. Ages 5–10.

8. "Sharing Our World: Animals of the Native Northwest Coast" — an artists' collaboration

"Sharing Our World: Animals of the Native Northwest Coast" — an artists' collaboration

The images and text in this book are the collective work of First Nations and Native artists from communities throughout the Pacific Northwest. Each artist from the Nuxalk, Namgis, Coast Salish, Kwakwaka’wakw, Haisla, Heiltsuk, Haida, Bella Bella, Tsimshian, Kwa Na Ki Nulth, and Nuchatlaht Nations has shared the importance of their personal and cultural relationship to the natural world. Ages 3–7.

9. "When I Was Eight" by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton, illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard

[rebelmouse-image 19533177 dam="1" original_size="600x603" caption=""When I Was Eight" by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton, illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard" expand=1]"When I Was Eight" by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton, illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard

Olemaun is 8 and knows a lot of things, but she doesn't know how to read. Ignoring her father’s warnings, she travels far from her Arctic home to the outsiders’ school to learn. There she encounters a black-cloaked nun who tries to break her spirit at every turn, but Olemaun is more determined than ever to learn how to read. Based on the true story of Margaret Pokiak-Fenton. Ages 6–8.

10."Wild Berries" by Julie Flett

[rebelmouse-image 19533178 dam="1" original_size="528x581" caption=""Wild Berries" by Julie Flett" expand=1]"Wild Berries" by Julie Flett

Tch, tch, sh, sh, tup, tup. Spend the day picking wild blueberries with Clarence and his grandmother. Meet ant, spider, and fox in the ancestral home of author and illustrator Julie Flett. This book is written in both English and Cree, in particular the n-dialect, also known as Swampy Cree from the Cumberland House area. Ages 4–8.

11. "We Sang You Home" by Richard Van Camp, illustrated by Julie Flett

[rebelmouse-image 19533179 dam="1" original_size="600x600" caption=""We Sang You Home" by Richard Van Camp, illustrated by Julie Flett" expand=1]"We Sang You Home" by Richard Van Camp, illustrated by Julie Flett

In this sweet and lyrical board book from the creators of the bestselling "Little You," gentle rhythmic text captures the wonder new parents feel as they welcome baby into the world. A celebration of the bond between parent and child, this is the perfect song to share with your little ones. Ages 0–5.

12. "Saltypie: A Choctaw Journey From Darkness Into Light" by Tim Tingle, illustrated by Karen Clarkson

[rebelmouse-image 19533180 dam="1" original_size="318x400" caption=""Saltypie: A Choctaw Journey From Darkness Into Light" by Tim Tingle, illustrated by Karen Clarkson" expand=1]"Saltypie: A Choctaw Journey From Darkness Into Light" by Tim Tingle, illustrated by Karen Clarkson

Author Tim Tingle tells the story of his family’s move from Oklahoma Choctaw country to Pasadena, Texas. Spanning 50 years, Saltypie describes the problems encountered by his Choctaw grandmother — from her orphan days at an Indian boarding school to hardships encountered in her new home on the Gulf Coast. Saltypie is the story of one family’s efforts to honor the past while struggling to gain a foothold in modern America. Ages 6–10.

13. "Dragonfly Kites" by Tomson Highway, illustrated by Julie Flett

[rebelmouse-image 19533181 dam="1" original_size="600x708" caption=""Dragonfly Kites" by Tomson Highway, illustrated by Julie Flett" expand=1]"Dragonfly Kites" by Tomson Highway, illustrated by Julie Flett

Joe and Cody, two young Cree brothers, are spending the summer with their family by one of the hundreds of lakes in northern Manitoba. Summer means a chance to explore the world and make friends with an array of creatures, but what Joe and Cody like doing best of all is flying dragonfly kites. Tomson Highway brilliantly evokes the very essence of childhood as he weaves a deceptively simple story about the power of the imagination. "Dragonfly Kites" has a bilingual text, written in English and Cree. Ages 4–7.

This story first appeared on Medium and is reprinted here with permission.

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This woman is on a mission to get diverse books in the hands of every child. Here's why.

True

Ginger Young was reading "Martin’s Big Words" — a picture-book biography of the life of Martin Luther King Jr. — to a fifth-grade class.

When she finished, one of the students ran up to her excitedly. She had enjoyed the book so much that she wanted to know how she could get a copy of her own.

“You can have my copy,” Young told her.

The girl’s jaw dropped and her eyes lit up. She thanked Young and then ran over to her mother, who was watching nearby, to show off the gift.

For Young, these moments aren’t just heartwarming — they’re why she does this work.

That’s because when you give a book to a child, it’s so much more than a simple act of kindness — it can have a powerful impact on their life.

All photos provided by First Book and Ginger Young.

This is especially true if that kid has never seen themselves in the books they’re reading.

As a literacy educator and founder of Book Harvest, a nonprofit in North Carolina that has now distributed over half a million books to kids in need, Young has seen firsthand how powerful it is when children connect with the diversity they see in the stories they read, especially given that there aren't actually that many of these kinds of books out there.

In fact, that’s why she started Book Harvest’s “Mirrors and Windows” program in partnership with First Book, a nonprofit social enterprise organization that provides new books and resources to classrooms and programs in under-resourced communities, helping create equal access to quality education.

She was inspired to name the program after reading the work of Rudine Sims Bishop, who coined the phrase to describe how books can act as “mirrors” to reflect a child’s world or “windows” into worlds other than their own.

Young wanted to make sure the kids receiving books could see their own experiences and identities reflected in these narratives — and that they could read about other communities too.

It can be powerful for a child who hasn't had access to a story with characters that reflect their own experiences to finally see themselves in what they read.

That's because it can be especially challenging, if not impossible, for children of color, children with disabilities, children who identify as gender nonconforming or transgender, or children who come from nontraditional families to find books that speak to their experiences. And without that representation, these kids will struggle to feel that their own stories matter.

In fact, the Cooperative Children’s Book Center reviewed 3,400 children's books that they received in 2016 and they found that only 287 of the books were about black characters, which amounts to only 8.4%. Further, only 240, or 7% were about Asian Pacific Americans and 169 (4.97%) were about Latinos. Only 55 (1.6%) were about Native Americans.

While these ratios have improved in recent years, there are still more books that feature animals than children of color.

"Every child wants to see themselves mirrored in stories, wants to be connected to others as who they are. It’s a fundamental, basic human need," Young says.

It can be challenging for children from marginalized communities to see what's possible when there is little positive and dynamic representation of their experiences. Children both need and deserve affirmation from the outside world that their stories matter too. And if they don't get that validation, it can cause them to lose interest in reading — something that could affect their ability to succeed in school later in life.

Not only do these books affirm a child’s sense of self-worth, but they also help cultivate empathy by exposing them to other worlds.

Building empathy in children early is key to creating an accepting, inclusive society. "[Books offer] a sense of others mattering as much as we do," Young explains.

"Stories are how you create that," she continues. "It’s very important to have the avenues to developing empathy in place way before children get to school."

Research has shown that reading fictional stories can break down stereotypes. Reading multicultural children’s literature can have a powerful impact on social and emotional learning, enhancing empathy toward others. It can also get kids more excited to understand the world around them.

That’s why Young created a book list that goes all the way from pre-K through middle school, including many titles from First Book’s Stories for All Project collection, which places a special emphasis on diverse books and books by underrepresented authors and illustrators. Young believes that parents need to create a strong foundation for empathy with their kids before they even get to school, and they can do that by reading books to them.

"Those are the kind of young readers who grow up to be the citizens of the world we should be aspiring to," Young says.

The good news is, the momentum is building.

There is an increasing demand for books that are as complex and thoughtful as the communities reading them — books that represent a variety of races, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, religions, abilities, languages, and cultures from storytellers whose backgrounds also reflect that rich diversity.

And this, Young hopes, can grow into something larger than her own efforts. As she says, "We can knit this into something that is much bigger than any one community."

After all, children across the country deserve access to stories that inspire them, with characters and themes that ring true to their experiences, particularly in a world that rarely offers these children the affirmation they need.

“If we are to create the kind of society we want for our children, we have to use the power of stories to show our children that they matter,” she explains. “If we haven’t done that for every child, then all children have suffered.”

If we want to create an empathetic society in the future — one where all children believe in the value of their own story — these books are critical.

With the help of First Book, Ginger Young is giving children books that are truly empowering, helping kids navigate a divisive and challenging world.

Millions of children from low-income areas don’t have the tools needed to learn, placing them at a disadvantage that perpetuates poverty. First Book is a community that believes education is the way out of poverty for kids in need.

Visit First Book’s website to learn how you can help.