Children's Book Suggestions | Disability Pride Month Picture BooksUnpublished

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A small bear who has trouble hearing the world around him until he visits an audiologist, who fits him with hearing aids. (Picture Book Age 3-7)

An award-winning story from English author James Catchpole, who uses gentle humor to navigate an all-too-common question asked of people with visible disabilities. (Picture Book Age 4-8)

A young girl with Down syndrome encourages readers to see differences of all kinds as something to be valued and celebrated. (Picture Book Age 3-8)

An author with cerebral palsy shares an inclusive back-to-school shopping story about the various seats that help a young girl with CP enjoy a day at the mall with her friends. (Picture Book Age 4-8)

Deaf percussionist Evelyn Glennie used her bare feet to feel the sounds of the orchestra around her and changed the musical world for D/deaf and hard of musicians everywhere. (Children's Nonfiction Age 4-8)

A girl and her dad set out to spend a day in their city in this sensory exploration of sound, smell, taste, and touch. (Picture Book Age 3-7)

Braille and textured illustrations provide a tactile guide to colors as experienced through touch in an accessible book for both sighted and non-sighted readers. (Picture Book Age 4-8)

A day of ups and downs in the life of a nonverbal boy, showing all of the ways he communicates with friends, family, and his community. (Picture Book Age 4-8)

A neurodivergent author shares a story inspired by his childhood struggles with reading as a nontraditional learner. (Picture Book Age 4-8)

A trip to her grandparents' lakeside store helps a girl with Down syndrome develop the skills and confidence to step in when her grandfather is unable to make his usual deliveries by boat. (Picture Book Age 4-8)

Textured illustrations make this book about sensory perceptions accessible to sighted and non-sighted readers alike. (Picture Book Age 5+)

Inspired by the true story of Jessica's dog Rescue, who trained to be a service dog and joined her family after Jessica and her husband were injured in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings. (Picture Book Age 5-9)

Despite some setbacks, a puppy and her boy enjoy a day of playing and exploring together. (Picture Book Age 4-7)

An encounter with Maya the octopus helps a young boy with sensory sensitivities feel less alone in a sometimes-overwhelming world. (Picture Book Age 4-8)

Vibrant photos show kids with all sorts of visible and invisible differences playing and learning together, celebrating the many ways our different bodies experience the world. (Picture Book Age 3-6)

A trip to the river with his father helps a young boy see his stutter in a new way after a bad speech day at school in this story based on a true event from the author's childhood. (Picture Book Age 4-8)

Inspired by Supreme Court justice Sonia Sotomayor's experiences as a child with Type 1 diabetes, this book shares the ways people of all abilities contribute to their communities as young Sonia and her friends plant a garden. (Picture Book Age 4-8)

A biography of disability rights activist Judith Heumann, focusing on her childhood experiences as a kid with a disability and her work as an activist to improve the lives of people with disabilities, including the 504 Sit-In and other protests that led to the passage of the ADA in 1990. (Children's Nonfiction Age 6-9)

A wheelchair athlete reflects on the ways her family support, problem-solving skills, and individual determination helped her embrace her love of sports. (Children's Nonfiction Age 5-8)

A biography of disabled veteran and US Senator Tammy Duckworth, one of many books in our biography section highlighting amazing people with disabilities from the past and the present. (Children's Nonfiction Age 6-9)

The Capitol Crawl was a little-known pivotal moment in the fight for the passage of the ADA--and elementary school student Jennifer Keelan was part of it! (Children's Nonfiction Age 4-9)

This early reader series, based on Bailey's award-winning picture book A Friend for Henry, explores the joys and challenges of an elementary school classroom for a kid who appears to be on the autism spectrum. Gentle, empathetic, and never preachy. (Easy Readers Level 4)

Author and YouTuber Shane Burcaw answers some of the common questions kids have about his disability with humor and warmth. This is a favorite with local elementary school teachers and their students as well! (Children's Nonfiction Age 6-9)

Deaf-blind author C.L. Reid incorporates ASL into this easy reader series about a young girl who uses cochlear implants and sign language to navigate the everyday challenges of childhood. (Easy Readers Level 4)

It's hard to believe that there was a time when kids with disabilities often couldn't go to school with their friends and neighbors! This picture book shares the history of the legal fights that guarantee all kids a place in their public schools. (Children's Nonfiction Age 4-8)