Picture Books about Diverse Family Structures

Every month, Montessori For All selects an anti-bias, anti-racist book for our teachers to read to their communities. First we select one for 3-6 year-olds, then one for 1st-3rd graders, and finally one for 4th-6th graders. Therefore, if you would like to subscribe to our monthly newsletter to receive links to book guides with discussion questions, vocabulary words, and extension activities to be used in the classroom or at home, you can sign up here. This month we are focusing on diverse family structures. Further, you can find books about peace/justice/empathy here or immigration and refugees here.

Picture Books about Diverse Family Structures: 3-6 year-olds

Two is Enough By Janna Matthew

Two is enough when it’s me plus you!

It’s also enough for joy, love, comfort, support, celebration, a family.

From playing in the snow to a rainy-day ride, to double-scoop treats and crash-landing in leaves, two can be the perfect number for creating life’s memories. And two can definitely be enough for a warm family, full of the love, support, and comfort that every child needs.

Picture Books about Diverse Family Structures: 6-9 year-olds

Who’s In My Family? All About Our Families  By Robie H. Harris

Join Nellie and Gus and their family—plus all manner of other families—for a day at the zoo, where they see animal families galore! To top off their day, Nellie and Gus invite friends and relatives for a fun dinner at home. Accessible, humorous, and full of charming illustrations depicting families of many configurations, this engaging story interweaves conversations between the siblings and a matter-of-fact text, making it clear to every child that whoever makes up your family, it is perfectly normal—and totally wonderful.

Picture Books about Diverse Family Structures: 9-12 year-olds

Bird By Zetta Elliot 

Young Mekhai, better known as Bird, loves to draw. With drawings, he can erase the things that don’t turn out right. In real life, it’s not so easy to fix problems.

As Bird struggles to understand the death of his beloved grandfather and his older brother’s drug addiction, he escapes into his art. Drawing is an outlet for Bird’s emotions and imagination, and provides a path to making sense of his world. In time, with the help of his grandfather’s friend, Bird finds his own special something and wings to fly.

Told with spare grace, Bird is a touching look at a young boy coping with real-life troubles. Bird’s quiet resilience will hearten readers, and move them with the healing power of putting pencil to paper.