Best Diverse Books for Preschool and Reception

We have selected a list of recommended diverse and inclusive books for children in nursery, preschool and reception (ages 2-5), which feature characters that are traditionally under-represented in children’s books.

This list of the best diverse books for children in the Early Years includes books with minority ethnic main characters, books that celebrate difference and books with representations of cultural diversity, different types of families, physical disabilities, visual impairment and neurodiversity. 

The list includes the story of Noor’s quest to find out more about the hijabi women in her family in Not Now, Noor! and the celebration of traditional Traveller virtues in The Can Caravan, as well as the tale of a deaf character finding ways to communicate in Can Bears Ski? and the heartwarming retelling of an adoption experience in When You Joined Our Family.

We’ve also included books about celebrating difference and including everyone, like All Are Welcome (a must-have for classrooms) and A World for Me and You. The books selected are chosen to represent a diversity of cultures and experiences that reflect the realities of life for children in modern-day UK classrooms.

You can find Diverse & Inclusive children’s book lists for other primary year groups here:

• Diverse Books for KS1 (Ages 5-7)
• Diverse Books for Years 3 and 4 (Ages 7-9)
• Diverse Books for Years 5 and 6 (Ages 9-11)

Schools can purchase full packs of our diverse book lists via Peters.