From The Barefoot Mommy
The lack of cultural diversity in most children’s books is something that I’ve been aware of for a long time. What did surprise me was a study I came across recently that found that 57% of children’s books published each year have a male protagonist, while only 31% have a lead female character.
Many books that do feature girls as main characters do so in stereotypical ways. It’s especially difficult to find children’s books featuring girls of color, as Marley Dias’ 100 Black Girl Books campaign last year illustrated.
The good news is there are fantastic picture books featuring strong, feisty girls and women. I’ve compiled this list of 20 of the best. I hope you’ll share them with the girls AND boys in your life.