Diversity and inclusion in

children’s libraries
Storyboard by Autumn Rendall
Title/Captions & dramatic question: Why and how should educators make
diverse and inclusive children’s books a staple of their library?

Narration: In this video, we’ll be answering the question “Why and how
should educators make diverse and inclusive children’s books a staple of their
library? Children’s literature serves an incredibly important part in a child’s
education -- however, the strong majority of children’s books only showcase
white children and white families.

Images/Video Clips: Huyck, David and Sarah Park Dahlen. (2019 June 19).
Diversity in Children’s Books 2018. sarahpark.com blog. Created in
consultation with Edith Campbell, Molly Beth Griffin, K. T. Horning, Debbie
Reese, Ebony Elizabeth Thomas, and Madeline Tyner, with statistics compiled
by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center, School of Education, University of
Wisconsin-Madison: ccbc.education.wisc.edu/books/pcstats.asp. Retrieved
from
readingspark.wordpress.com/2019/06/19/picture-this-diversity-in-childrens-
books-2018-infographic
.

Music: “Underwater (instrumental)” by Blanket Barricade. Pay as you want

download for non-commercial purposes. Found music here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdx4MtPKNww. Downloaded from
https://underwaterinstrumental.bandcamp.com/track/underwater-instrumenta
l
on 26th October 2020.

Notes: Start music on title slide, but don’t add voiceover till after 3 seconds
Title/Captions: What happens when we
lack diversity in literature?

Narration: Most of the time, children of

color do not see themselves in their literature,
causing them to feel marginalized or invisible.
Also, white children are led to believe that their
stories and culture are the most important
because that’s all they see.

Images/Video Clips: Gonzalez, M., & SG,

M. (2018). Where we stand as of 2017 in U.S. Children’s
Book Industry. Reflection Press.
https://reflectionpress.com/childrens-books-radicalact/.

Music: Same as above

Notes: Use animation effect with

image, and all following images
Title/Captions: How should we use
children’s books?

Narration: Children’s literature should serve as mirrors

and windows. Children should be able to see themselves and
their culture represented while also seeing the lives of other
children to feel valued while gaining an understanding of the
multicultural world we live in.

Images/Video Clips: Photo by Akela Photography

from Pexels. Free for download and use. Downloaded from
here
https://www.pexels.com/photo/blur-children-class-classroom
-448877/
on 26 October, 2020.

Music: Same as above

Notes:
Title/Captions: How can we do our part as educators?

Narration: As educators, it’s our job to make all children

feel important and capable of achieving great things. By
hosting diverse and inclusive children’s literature, we can
show our students that their stories, cultures, struggles,
and dreams are valued. Teachers can select anti-bias
children’s literature by reviewing the following aspects of
books:

Images/Video Clips: Photo by cottonbro from Pexels. Free

for use and download. Downloaded from
https://www.pexels.com/photo/brown-cardboard-box-on-
brown-wooden-table-4690297/ on 26, October 2020.

Music: Same as above

Notes:
Title/Captions: (In a bulleted list) Check the illustrations. Check the storyline and relationships between people. Look
at messages about different lifestyles. Consider the effects on children’s self and social identities.

Narration: Check the illustrations and look for stereotypes, tokenism and invisibility. Check the storyline and
relationships between people. Yes, there might be representation of children of color in this book, but what kind of story are
they being represented in? In many stories, characters of color are limited to historical books that focus on the legacies of civil
rights and slavery. They’re often never given stories focused on adventure, curiosity, imagination or personal growth. Look at
messages about different lifestyles. For example, does the existence of people of color or people living in poverty in the story
contrast unfavorably with the normality of white, middle-class suburban life? Consider the effects on children’s self and social
identities. What values will this book reinforce?

Images/Video Clips: No images, just the text in the title/captions

Music: Same as above

Notes: Make sure to leave enough time when creating this for the audience to read
the text.
Title/Captions: (In a continued bulleted list) Look for books about children and adults engaging in
actions for change. Consider the author or illustrator’s background and perspective. Watch for loaded words. Look at the
copyright date. Assess the appeal of the story and illustrations to young children

Narration: Look for books about children and adults engaging in actions for change. Children need to learn that people
are fighting for justice. Consider the author or illustrator’s background and perspective. What qualities does this author have to
deal with the subject at hand? Watch for loaded words. Some words make people feel invisible or unvalued because of their
identity. Look at the copyright date. More recently published books are more likely to include more diverse and inclusive
stories. And lastly, assess the appeal of the story and illustrations to young children. Children’s books must be enjoyable and
hold their attention in order for them to make an impact.

Images/Video Clips: No images, just the text in the title/captions

Music: Same as above

Notes:
Title/Captions: Where can I find diverse
books?

Narration: The “We Need Diverse Books”

campaign created a comprehensive website for
those trying to find diverse books. Here’s
where you can find it

Images/Video Clips: Photo is the logo from

the We Need Diverse Books organization.
Downloaded here: https://diversebooks.org/
on 26, October 2020.

Music: Same as above

Notes: Include this link in the text on screen

https://diversebooks.org/resources/where-to-find-
diverse-books/
Title/Captions: What did we learn?

Narration: The value of children’s literature

cannot be overstated, so our classroom libraries
must allow all students to benefit from it.

Images/Video Clips: Photo by Max Fischer from

Pexels. Free to use and download. Downloaded
here
https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-in-gray-dres
s-shirt-and-black-pants-standing-beside-boy-in-bl
ue-long-sleeve-shirt-5212703/
on 26, October 2020.

Music: Same as above

Notes: Start to fade out music

Title/Captions: Citations

Narration: Here are my sources, and thank you for watching this video.

Images/Video Clips: No images, just the citation

Music: Same as above

Notes: Music will end and presentation will fade out