A booklist about the power of little.
The Children’s Book Review

What to Expect: Social Justice, Activism, Inclusivity.

One of the hardest things about being a kid is the sense of powerlessness. Most kids know they are not in charge, and when something scary happens, that feeling of helplessness can only increase. However, even as current times continue to unfold as a series of anxious, uncontrollable events, children’s authors and illustrators are working hard to remind kids about the power of little: the tiny, easy things that every child can do to make themselves, those around them, and the whole world better.

Little Heroes of Color and The Breaking News are two fantastic examples. Together, these two well-considered picture books offer young readers a powerful message of hope about their powerfulness and resilience—no matter how small they might feel.

Written by David Heredia

Ages 3-6 | 24 Pages

Publisher: Scholastic | ISBN: 9781338326420

Little Heroes of Color is a collection of fifty biographical snippets from the lives of people of color whose achievements have helped change the world for the better.  The range is impressive, featuring heroes from many different races and ethnicities, including Arvind Gupta, Sitting Bull, Mansa Musa, and Maya Lin, to name just a few. The board-book format uses bright colors and simple text to make these stories accessible to the youngest readers, helping them see how single acts and lives can add up to a much bigger picture of change.

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Written and Illustrated by Sarah Lynne Reul

Ages 4-8 | 48 Pages

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press | ISBN: 9781250153562

Written and illustrated by Sarah Lynne Reul, The Breaking News is also about the power of small acts to change the world. The narrative follows an unnamed child protagonist after terrible news of an unspecified nature devastates her town. While she is sad that she can’t do anything big to help the people around her feel better, she learns that small acts of kindness and hope can grow and multiply even in the darkest of times. Told through both minimalist text and expressive illustration, the abstract nature of the story helps readers relate this message of hope to their own lives, whatever the bad news might be.

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The book list 2 Inspiring Kids Books About The Power of Little was curated by Dr. Jen Harrison. Follow along with our articles and reviews tagged with Books with Activism, Inclusion, and Social Justice.