Top 11 Children's Books About Immigration Updated 04 /2024

The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi

People in Unhei's class might not be able to say her name. They don't believe her when she says that she'll pick a name for the child later. People in her class want to help her find a name for this girl who doesn't have one. They decide to help by filling the glass jar with names for her to choose from. She decides to keep her real name after trying a few of those names. As a new person in a new country, the Name Jar tells an interesting story about how important it is to keep your roots. It's called "Asian-Preschool."

Two White Rabbits byJairo Buitrago

The book, Two White Rabbits, is told from the point of view of a little girl and her father as they drive north to the US border. It's a long way to get there, but the girl keeps a record of everything she sees. A 2016 Américas Award-nominated movie shows kids how hard it is for undocumented immigrants to make their way across the country. A Hispanic person is a child in preschool.

More 2016Américas Award-winning children's books: 2016Américas Award Winning Children's Books

The Seeds of Friendship by Michael Foreman

Little Adam is happy with his new high-rise home in the city, but he also misses his home country. He has pictures of African animals all over his room, and he draws them on the frosted windows in the winter when it is cold. When Adam and his friends get seeds from a teacher, they plant them all over the place until their city neighborhood turns green. Fable: The Seeds of Friendship is about a little boy who brings the green warmth of his home country to the city where he lives. African-Preschool

Elementary School

African Immigrants

My Name Is Sangoel by Karen Williams

Leaving Sudan after his father died in the war, Sangoel arrives in the US with his mother and sister. Everything is very different from home, and no one can say his name, which is a tribal name that has been passed down from his father and grandfather. She thinks of an idea that will work, and in the process, she feels more at home. My Name Is Sangoel is a heartfelt story about refugees and their struggles to find a place in the world that fits them. African – First grade.

My Two Blankets by Irena Kobald

Moving from Sudan to Australia with her aunt, everything feels strange for Cartwheel in the new country: the food, the people, the animals, and even the wind. She gets a lot of comfort from an old blanket until she meets a new friend who helps her learn new words and makes her feel more and more at home. I love this book because it shows how difficult it can be to move to a new country, but it also shows how powerful friendship can be. In elementary school, African people go to school.

Dear Baobab by Cheryl Foggo

With his aunt and uncle, little Maiko is moving from Tanzania to Canada. He misses his home. People in his home village had a lot of big baobab trees. He thinks about that tree and how it made him feel. As a child, Maiko was seven years old. He talks to trees, and he tells him what he's learned. It's a bad idea to cut down the tree because it's too close to the house. Maiko tries to save the tree, though. After all he knows what it feels like to be planted in the wrong place. Dear Baobab is one of my favourite multicultural picture books about immigration, because of its easy-to-relate-toallegory of an uprooted tree. In elementary school, African people go to school.

Colour of Home by Mary Hoffman

Hassan was forced to flee Somalia and now lives in a cold and grey country. He misses the colors of Africa in his new home. As part of an art project at school, the boy paints a picture of his old home. This helps him deal with his homesickness and the trauma of leaving a war-torn country. When Hassan sees the beauty of his new home in America, too, he starts to get excited. The Colour of Home is a heartfelt story about the pain of being a refugee, and the bright, impressionistic illustrations make it even more beautiful and poignant than it already is. In elementary school, African people go to school.

A Shelter in Our Car by Monica Gunning

They moved from Jamaica to the United States, where they didn't know what was going to happen. It's not possible to rent a flat because Mama can't find work. They have to live in their car. Mama's unwavering love and gutsy determination help Zettie get through this hard time. A Shelter in Our Car is a real and heartfelt story about immigrants who are living on the streets. The story comes to life with dramatic chalk pastel illustrations. In elementary school, African people go to school.

Mama’s Nightingale: A Story of Immigration and Separation byEdwidge Danticat

It helps Saya when her mom is sent to an immigration detention center to record bedtime stories and send them. She likes to listen to them. Her mother's stories about Haitan folklore and her father's efforts to bring their family back together make Saya want to write her own story. One that might even bring her mother home. It is a heartwarming and tender story about an immigrant family that shows that a child can make a difference. African – First grade.

Hispanic Immigrants

Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote by Duncan Tonatiuh

.A young rabbit is waiting for his father, who went to work in the great carrot and lettuce fields. Finally, Pancho decides to go and look for his father. One of the coyotes agrees to help him in exchange for some of what he has. It doesn't matter if there is no food, because the coyote is still hungry. Award-winning People who come to this country as undocumented immigrants have to deal with a lot of hardships. Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote is a story that is both heartfelt and suspenseful about this. Folk art illustrations and heartfelt text make this multicultural picture book about immigration one of the most unique of all multicultural picture books about immigration. This group is mostly Hispanic and goes to elementary school.

My Diary from Here to There/Mi diario de aqui hasta alla byAmada Irma Perez

When Amada hears her parents talking about moving from Mexico to California, she can't sleep because she is so afraid. Her best friend won't see her again. Suppose she can't learn English. Amada starts writing down her feelings and thoughts in her diary. She does this the whole way north, and she doesn't stop. It's a heartfelt story about a young girl who learns that if she has the love of her family and a strong belief in herself, she can deal with anything. This group is mostly Hispanic and goes to elementary school.

My Name Is Jorge: On Both Sides of the River by Jane Medina

new to the United States, Jorge can't decide if he wants to fit in or if he doesn't want to forget about home. In Mexico, his family does everything the same way they did before. But now that he's in the United States, Jorge wants to learn English and make friends. In 27 heartfelt poems, My Name Is Jorge tells the story of a young boy who has to learn how to live in a new country. This group is mostly Hispanic and goes to elementary school.

My Dog Is Lost by Ezra Jack Keats

'My Dog is Lost!' is one of Keats' first multicultural books for kids. It's about a Hispanic boy who moved to New York from Puerto Rico. He speaks only Spanish as he looks for his dog around the city. He meets kids from Chinatown, Little Italy, and Harlem. As a fun way to mix English and Spanish, this classic picture book is still relevant today as it was when it first came out in 1960. This group is mostly Hispanic and goes to elementary school.

Find more books by Ezra Jack Keats and learn more about him: Author: Ezra Jack Keats.

Chocolate Milk, Por Favor by Maria Dismondy

Gabe cries when his mother drops him off at school for the first time in America. He doesn't speak English, so he doesn't understand what Johnny says to him. It doesn't take Gabe long to become part of the school community thanks to the help of his classmates. He also gets Johnny to like him because he is so nice, though. "Chocolate Milk, Please!" shows what a young immigrant goes through and how kindness can help. This group is mostly Hispanic and goes to elementary school.

The Quiet Place by Sarah Stewart

Isabel misses so much about Mexico when she moves to the United States in the 1950s. Her aunt Lupita and hearing Spanish are two things she misses the most, though. But she also learns about new things, like a snow storm. There's a big box where Isabel likes to read her books and write to Aunt Lupita. The Quiet Place is a sweet story about a young girl who moves to a new country and learns how to live there. This group is mostly Hispanic and goes to elementary school.

From North to South/Del Norte al Sure byRené Colato Laínez

Mama was sent back to Mexico because she didn't have the right papers. José and Papá drive from California to Tijuana to see her in a shelter for women who have been deported and to say hello. Photos and drawings are also brought. Jose helps his mother in the garden. His promise is that he will take care of the garden at home until his mother is able to come back home. This book is filled with interesting illustrations that will make you want to When a family can't come to the U.S. because of immigration issues, they stay together with love and hope in times of uncertainty. This group is mostly Hispanic and goes to elementary school.

A Movie in My Pillow/Una pelicula en mi almohada by Jorge Argueta

When Jorgito thinks about his home country of El Salvador, he thinks about volcanoes, his grandma's stories, and the tasty cornmeal pupusas made with flour and corn. This mix of memories and new experiences that Jorgito has had since he moved to the U.S. has become "the movie in his pillow," which is made up of dreams woven together by his new bicultural identity. A Movie in My Pillow is Argueta's first collection of poems for kids. They show a sense of wonder. This group is mostly Hispanic and goes to elementary school.

My Shoes and I by Rene Colato Lainez

Mom sent Mario new shoes from the U.S. He will need them when he and his father go on a long and hard trip. To get to Marios' mother, they'll have to walk for miles, ride buses, climb mountains, cross rivers, and cross three countries. An emotional story about a young boy who has faith in his new shoes helps him get through this hard journey. This group is mostly Hispanic and goes to elementary school.

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