8 Kids’ Books That Celebrate Being Different

Aimed at ages 5 to 8, The Day You Begin uses lyrical text and vibrant illustrations to explore what it feels like to be the “only” in a classroom, whether because of your accent, experiences, or background. It's told through the perspectives of several children, including Rigoberto, a boy from Venezuela who is laughed at when he introduces himself. Written by National Book Award winner Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by two-time Pura Belpré Award winner Rafael López, the book encourages kids to discover common ground and recognize the connections that exist beneath any external differences.

A Bad Case of Stripes by author-illustrator David Shannon follows a girl named Camilla who hides her true preferences to fit in. "When my son first started preschool, every kid in the class was given A Bad Case of Stripes, which made it a great talking point in the year about celebrating what makes us different,” shares Megan Gray, shopping writer at Apartment Therapy Media. “The book tells the story of a young girl who loves lima beans but pretends she doesn't because her friends dislike them. Ultimately, she learns the important lesson of being authentic and embracing the things that make her unique — even if they seem ‘weird’ to others."

Kids will be drawn in by the artistry of this colorful book by writer Alexandra Penfold and illustrator Suzanne Kaufman, which focuses on how kids of differing backgrounds and experiences learn and play together throughout a single day at a warm, inclusive school. Yet its underlying theme is just as important. As the New York Times bestselling picture book puts it, "In our classroom safe and sound. Fears are lost and hope is found."

In this book written by Patty Lovell and illustrated by David Catrow, Molly Lou Melon is short, clumsy, and teased for her looks and voice (which “sounds like a bullfrog being squeezed by a boa constrictor!”), but when a bully makes her a target at her new school, Molly Lou confidently follows her grandma’s wisdom to stand tall and embrace what makes her special.

A number-one New York Times bestseller written by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and award-winning artist Rafael Lopez, Just Ask! Be Different, Be Brave, Be You follows a group of kids with different abilities who work together to plant a garden, sharing their strengths and encouraging others to ask questions about differences kindly and with curiosity. It’s based in part on Sotomayor’s childhood diabetes diagnosis.

The Dr. Seuss-esque rhymes that lead readers through this book (“even when I look a mess, I still don't like me any less”) by Karen Beaumont and illustrator David Catrow tell the tale of a little girl who dares to like herself. “I Like Myself! is filled with unique illustrations and catchy rhymes, but also sends home a powerful message that acceptance starts from within and is something worth celebrating every day,” recommends Marisa Ortiz, the director of sales research and consumer insights at Apartment Therapy Media.

I personally love Gerald the giraffe — the star of this toddler-age picture book by Giles Andreae, illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees — and the sing-songy text that narrates his journey from awkward outcast to star of the show. For the uninitiated, Gerald is a giraffe who doesn’t believe he has any rhythm, thanks to his long gangly legs. When the jungle dance rolls around, his worst fears seem to be confirmed, and he leaves in embarrassment. But after meeting a wise cricket who encourages him to find his own rhythm, everything begins to change. You’ll have to read the book to see how it all pans out!

Sandra Nickel’s new picture-book biography The True Ugly Duckling reimagines the classic tale as a story about its author Hans Christian Andersen’s journey from a child who feels out of place to a celebrated writer. Its hand-cut illustrations by paper sculptor Calvin Nicholls, inspired by Andersen’s own intricate paper-cut creations, play a role in the tale and bring the story to life. As Nickel shares with Cubby writer Sara Mount, “What I’m really hoping is that kids [who read this book] who feel different feel connection, just like with the original Ugly Duckling story. I really hope that they say: ‘He was like me and it’s okay to be different, and maybe even my differences will become a great gift for me.’”