Rebekah Gienapp

It’s probably hard for my readers in other parts of the U.S. to believe, but today (August 5th) is already my kiddo’s first day of school. He’s switching to a new, much larger school this year so the back to school season has made him a little nervous.

To get ready for today, we had lots of conversations and read lots of books about children starting school.

Whether you’re a parent who needs to ease your children’s worries, or a teacher looking for the perfect first day of school book, you’ll love these multicultural and diverse children’s books about school.

10 diverse and multicultural books to read for the first week of school

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The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson and Rafael López

I’ll just come right out and say it: this is my favorite book on this list! Woodson’s poem is about a child walking into a room where no one else looks like them. The poem soon expands to include other children who feel different from the rest of the class, whether it’s because their name, what they brought for lunch, or what games they can’t play.

The book names many of the fears elementary aged children have about fitting in. What makes it so beautiful is the reminder that “the day you begin to share your stories” is the day you’ll find something you have in common with others. (Recommended for ages 5 – 8)

I’m New Here by Anne Sibley O’Brien

It’s the first day of school for Fatimah, Jin, and Maria. So many things are different here than they were at their old schools, in their home countries of Somalia, Korea, and Guatemala.

The words the other children use sound strange to Maria. The letters on the pages look like scribbles and scratches to Jin. Fatimah can’t figure out what the patterns are at her new school.

But eventually, the strange starts to become a little more familiar to each of the children. They are “finding new friends. And they are finding me.” This is a lovely book for easing jitters and encouraging kindness among young children. (Recommended for ages 3 – 7)

Related Post: 11 Children’s Books about Immigrants and Refugees

Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress by Christine Baldacchino and Isabelle Malenfant

This is not a book about the first day of school, but I love the way it busts gender stereotypes. I think it would be a great read the first week of school in a preschool classroom.

Morris Micklewhite loves so many things, but most of all he loves the tangerine dress from the dress up corner at school. The color “reminds him of tigers, the sun, and his mother’s hair.”

But the other boys tease Morris when he wears the dress, and tell him they can’t play in their spaceship while he wears it. Becky tries to yank the dress off of him, telling him that boys can’t wear dresses.

Because Morris knows who he is and what he loves, he eventually figures out his own solution. (Recommended for ages 4 – 7)

Related Post: How to talk with kids about microaggressions

Brand New School, Brave New Ruby by Derrick Barnes and Vanessa Brantley Newton

Ruby’s old school closed, so now she’ll be joining her three big brothers at their school. She’s determined to “make a name for herself” on the first day of third grade. But the biggest problem seems to be that her big brothers (who are all very different) keep finding different ways to show her up.

Luckily, Ruby’s best friend Teresa helps her remember that even though her big brothers shine and get lots of attention, she has her own special talent.

That talent might just help her figure out how to give some “Ruby Booker flavor” to her new school. (Recommended for ages 7 – 10)

We All Go Traveling By by Sheena Roberts, Siobhan Bell, and Fred Penner

This singalong book and the music CD that come with it would be perfect for preparing a new preschooler for the first day of school. It would also be a lot of fun to use during music and movement time in the classroom.

Children can spy with their little eyes, and hear with their little ears, people getting around in so many ways. Everything from the yellow school bus to a pair of purple shoes make their own fun noises. The song ends when everyone gathers in the school yard to start another school day – “hooray!” (Recommended for ages 2 – 6)

Tip: Another fun multicultural singalong book for back to school is Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush

Related Post: The 10 best diverse singalong books

This Is How We Do It: One Day in the Life of Seven Kids from around the World by Matt Lamothe

Have you ever wondered what a school day is like in another country? The detailed illustrations and straightforward text in this book take us through the day of children in Italy, Japan, Peru, Uganda, Russia, India, and Iran.

We see where each child lives, who they live with, and many details about their school life. From what they wear to school to how they get there to who their teacher is, readers get interesting glimpses into the children’s lives. (Recommended for ages 5-9)

The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi

I’ve lost count of how many different blog posts I’ve recommended this book in, because it sparks so many different conversations.

Few things are more important to a child’s identity than their name (and having it pronounced correctly.)

Unhei is preparing for her first day of school. It was only a short while ago that she and her parents said goodbye to their grandmother in Korea. At the airport, her grandmother gave Unhei a special gift: a little block of wood that she soon learns is a name stamp.

But when Unhei tells the kids on the school bus her name, some of them say it wrong and others start making nonsense rhymes. When her teacher asks her to share her name with the class, Unhei says that she’s going to pick an American name soon.

Classmates offer to help her find a new name, filling up a jar with suggestions. It’s only when a new friend asks her about her Korean name stamp that Unhei begins to think about her name differently. (Recommended for ages 5 – 9)

Related Post:15 Children’s Books for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Ruby’s School Walk by Kathryn White and Miriam Latimer

I have a special place in my heart for Ruby, a spunky and imaginative character who has adventures in three different rhyming picture books. In this volume, Ruby imagines that she’s seeing bats, witches, and goblins on the way to her first day of school.

Ruby’s mother tells her these are just ordinary things, but Ruby knows “she’s wrong. I must be brave, I must be strong.” While Ruby has the courage to make it through her school walk, her bravery isn’t enough to bring her through the classroom door. There, her mother reminds her of all the adventures she’ll have at school, like “sailing ships across the sea and setting mermaids free.” (Recommended for ages 3 – 7)

Related Post: 17 Funny Multicultural Children’s Books

The King of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes and Vanessa Brantley Newton

The same author-illustrator team that brought us the chapter book Brand New School, Brave New Ruby now has an adorable picture book about the first day of kindergarten.

Mommy and Daddy have told the little hero that he’ll be the king of kindergarten, and it shows. His hair is like a crown, and he uses “a golden brush to clean Ye Royal Chiclets.” He carefully dresses himself in clothes from the “far off villages of Osh and Kosh.”

This is a delightful book that will give new kindergartners the confidence they need to start their own new adventures. (Recommended for ages 4 – 6)

All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold and Suzanne Kaufman

In a playful, brightly lit school, children and families who illustrate every possible kind of diversity know that they are welcome.

Parents and teachers will want to leave time for kids to pore over the illustrations. They’ll find children from every continent, faith, race, family structure, and physical ability. The simple rhyming text reminds children of what it means to be part of a joyful learning community. (Recommended for ages 3 – 7)