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Picture Books Library < Positive Qualities < Acceptance & Inclusion

Picture books about Acceptance & Inclusion from the Little Parachutes reviews library

A collection of picture books that encourage children to be accepting and welcoming to all.

Mighty Mara

Mighty Mara celebrates diversity and also explores themes about tenacity, self-confidence, and disability inclusion. The protagonist, a young disabled girl, encounters doubt and some bullying when she signs up to perform in her school talent show. Readers will see how she overcomes biases and ableism to embrace what makes her uniquely herself.

Medieval Mashup: Leigh’s Wheelie Adventures

In this charming picture book, a group of children (including Leigh, a wheelchair user) work together to support each other to make costumes for a school event. Leigh is struggling with feelings of self-consciousness and frustration, but he successfully overcomes this.

The Invisible Boy

This beautiful book promotes inclusivity and empathy, encouraging children to 'leave no-one behind' in friendship groups and to consider other people's feelings.

Squishy Sand

This engaging picture book features Leigh, a disabled child who uses a wheelchair. It highlights some of the everyday obstacles that wheelchair users have to cope with. A great choice for any child, reinforcing the importance of empathy, resilience, teamwork, kindness and creative thinking.

The Only Way is Badger

A book about acceptance, difference and learning to say sorry.

Amazing

A joyful book that celebrates friendship, play and acceptance. The story features 'incidental' inclusion: the central character uses a wheelchair, which features prominently in the illustrations but is not mentioned in the text.

All the Ways to be Smart

So often children are led to believe that being smart is all about academic achievement. This delightful, positive and diverse picture book re-frames the concept of being smart to include many other wonderful qualities.

The Suitcase

This simple and powerful story about the arrival of a stranger could be a catalyst for exploring so many concepts and themes with young children: trust, curiosity, tolerance, hope, kindness, making amends, friendship, ‘doing the right thing’ and telling the truth to name just a few.

Perfectly Norman

"Find the courage to be yourself"

We’re All Wonders

This story shows how one child copes with his own differences, and other people’s reactions to them. The reader will find comfort in Auggie’s imaginative tactics, and his positivity about being able to change the way others see him.

The Great Big Book of Families

Highlighting the fact that families come in all shapes and sizes, this book celebrates diversity, explaining how every personal situation is different. It's a good book for debunking the traditional storybook myth that happy families usually consist of mother, father and two children.

This Book Belongs to Aye-Aye

This entertaining book explores the idea of 'being different'. The central character has less conventional looks than his classmates, but the story reveals that his kindness and intelligence are more important than the way he looks. The book also has an anti-bullying message.

The Great Big Book of Feelings

A child struggling with negative emotions may find great comfort in this sympathetic, entertaining and reassuring book which explores many different feelings: happy, sad, excited, bored, interested, angry, upset, calm, silly, lonely, scared, safe, embarrassed, shy, confident, worried, jealous and satisfied.

Rabbityness

Celebrates individuality, encourages creativity in everyone and positively introduces children to dealing with loss of any kind

Billy Monster’s Daymare

Exploring common night time fears about monsters under the bed, in cupboards or lurking in shadows. This book may help to explain to a child in a humorous way that lots of people feel the same way. The humour lies in the fact that this book is about a monster having a 'daymare' about a child!

I’m the Happiest

A lovely story which teaches children that the path to true happiness is to be content with what you already have. While all the other animals compete and compare, Racoon is happy to be himself.

Eeeek, Mouse!

This book may help a child who is frightened of mice to see a less threatening side to them.

Sophie’s Masterpiece

May encourage a child who is frightened of spiders to look more favourably upon these fascinating creatures. The book also reflects the ageing process, and may strike a chord with a child who has lost an elderly relative. Additionally, it has underlying themes of tolerance and acceptance.

This is Our House

Promoting tolerance, co-operation and acceptance. Celebrating diversity.

Sharing a Shell

Encouraging sharing and co-operation.

The Happy Book

A great starting point for talking about both positive and negative feelings with very young children. This book may gently encourage co-operation and good behaviour.

Amazing Grace

Inspiring children to achieve their full potential by believing that anything is possible. Promoting tolerance and acceptance and celebrating diversity. Boosting self-esteem and dealing with prejudice.

Looking after Louis

Explaining to young children how autism can affect behaviour and promoting tolerance and understanding of others.

I Talk Like A River

A moving book about how it feels to have a stutter and have difficulty expressing yourself.

Brody The Lion: The Shopping Flip

Teaching positive behaviour strategies to children experiencing big emotions, this fun picture book is particularly helpful for children with autism or sensory processing disorders.

Off to School in my Wheelie Chair

A light-hearted and engaging picture book that focusses on a young boy’s journey to school in his manual wheelchair. The story gives a very positive view of wheelchair use, emphasising that it can be fast and fun, while at the same time making the reader more aware of the challenges and obstacles that wheelchair users face each day. Promotes resilience, kindness and acceptance.

The Girl With Two Dads

This story does a brilliant job of normalising the non-traditional family. It is a great book for all children to read, so that they have acceptance and understanding, and fewer preconceptions about what a "normal" family looks like.

Harrison Spader, Personal Space Invader

This book discusses the importance of considering other's personal space, and offers practical tips for "personal space invaders".

We Are Together

A visually pleasing book about togetherness.

Not Yet a Yeti

We are not always happy to do what is expected of us, and for any child struggling with such expectation, or for those who feel they do not fit in, this book is a refreshing tonic.

Arabella and the Magic Pencil

Acknowledges that a new baby in the house can mean big changes, but these changes can be positive ones (although a period of adjustment is needed)

I Don’t Want to be Small

A picture book about learning to love what you have and who you are, it will inevitably chime with any child who can't wait to be grown up.

That’s NOT how you do it!

This book demonstrates how we can all be good at things - but we don't always do them the same way. There are many different ways of doing things which are equally valid.

A Rainbow of Fun

An entertaining story about finding out who you really are and being true to yourself, and learning to stand up to prejudice and criticism.

Along Came A Different

A fun story about different shapes who learn to put aside their differences and get along. Promotes open-mindedness, kindness and tolerance.

The Prince and the Frog

This book will certainly provide reassurance to any child who may be experiencing confusion regarding their sexuality. it encourages children to listen to others, be kind, and embrace diversity and equality.

Odd Dog Out

This appealing and witty picture book has a very important central message for children: you don't have to be like everybody else - be who YOU are.

Tyrannosaurus Drip

While predominantly being a book for pure entertainment, this book also has the underlying themes of bullying, acceptance and prejudice.

The Cow That Laid an Egg

A great choice to cheer up a child going through difficult times - they will probably be giggling out loud by the end of the book! There's also an underlying theme of acceptance, and may even strike a chord with adopted children.

Dogs Don’t Do Ballet

I Don’t Care!: Learning About Respect

The book explains what respect means and shows a child the different ways respect can be shown and received. It also explains how negative it is when you are not respected or do not respect other people.

Beegu

A story for anyone who has ever felt lonely, lost and unloved. Children who have experienced loneliness may empathise with Beegu. This book teaches the importance of being kind to others, particularly those who have moved from a different place and may be feeling homesick and anxious.

Everybody Matters: A First Look at Respect for Others

This non-fiction picture book introduces children to the concept of respect, fair treatment and anti-discrimination. It explains that you can earn respect by being polite, honest and by listening to others: qualities that will ultimately lead to making the world a better place.

Odd Bird Out

Whilst generally children want to fit in with their peers many others either cannot or do not want to be like everybody else.

Mr Big

Ready, Steady, Grow!

Describing to the very young positive things they can do to help their bodies grow strong and healthy. May also reassure a child eager to 'be grown up' that each day, little by little, they are moving towards this. Personal safety issues, healthy eating and good hygiene are also touched upon.

Back to School Tortoise

It shows how even though we all worry about situations, they usually turn out to be a lot more fun than we first thought.

Blue Chameleon

Monsters Not Allowed

A story that may help children understand that if you give someone who is different a chance you may actually really like them and they can do really well in class with some self esteem.

Playing in the Park (Why Manners Matter)

This book covers the important aspects of playing with others in the park. It provides good examples of the little things that can make life much more agreeable for everyone and that make no-one feel excluded. It is written in language that children can easily understand.