10 really great children’s books to help start a conversation with your little ones about race

It might seem like a conversation or topic your little ones are too young for at present.

But the thing is – they are not too young to learn about this. There is no such thing as too early to start showing your children stories and pictures and narratives that show that while we don't all look the same, we still are the same. That we should all be worth the same. Valued the same. Loved the same. Represented the same. And on that note, here are 10 really great books that will introduce the topic of racism in an age-appropriate manner to your children – and will, hopefully, help make it easier for us as parents to have these very important conversations with our own kids – because we all know, they need to be had. Now more than ever. 1. Skin Again Skin Again offers a gentle way to introduce young children to race and identity with poetic verse and simple pictures. 2. Last Stop On Market Street This award-winning children's book celebrates the relationship between a grandparent and grandchild, a bustling city, and economic and racial diversity. This heartwarming story is sure to become a family favourite. 3. The Other Side This classic children's book gives a historical perspective on race. In the book, two little girls, one black and one white, are separated by their towns segregation laws. However, the pair create a friendship that defies their town's arcane rules and embraces difference. 4. Rosa Parks  In this book from the highly acclaimed Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the incredible life of Rosa Parks, the 'Mother of the Freedom Movement.' 5. Henry's Freedom Box The stunningly illustrated, heart-wrenching tale of a slave who mailed himself to freedom. 6. The Girls With a focus on female friendships, empathy and acceptance, The Girls follows four diverse girls who become best friends, and the women they grow up to be. 7. I Am Enough This beautifully illustrated book implores us to be kind to ourselves and to one another. The book, written in the style of a poem, asks us to respect one another and shares motivating positive messages: "We are more than enough. We just need to believe it." 8. A is for Activist  A primer for social justice perfect for even the littlest activist. 9. Malala's Magic Pencil The first picture book from Nobel Prize-winning Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai, Malala's Magic Pencil depicts the story of her childhood for a young audience. 10. The Proudest Blue Olympic medallist Ibtihaj Muhammad’s debut children's book is an uplifting, universal story of new experiences, the bond between siblings and of being strong and proud of who you are.