BookTrust Represents: Picture Books
BookTrust Represents is our programme created to promote children’s authors and illustrators of colour.
Books play an important role as mirrors for children: these stories and characters will affect how they see themselves and the world around them, their motivation to read, and their aspirations to become authors and illustrators of the future.
However, finding books that truly reflect the diversity of families in the UK is challenging. Over the past 11 years, fewer than 2% of all authors and/or illustrators of children's books published in the UK were British people of colour.
As part of the project we have put together a booklist highlighting some of our favourite picture books by authors and illustrators of colour.
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15 Things Not to Do With a Baby
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15 Things Not to Do With a Baby
A simple and sweet little idea that will make tots who have new baby siblings really giggle.
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Astro Girl
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Astro Girl
Astrid loves the stars and space, and wants to be an astronaut. A delightful and educational book for young readers intereste…
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Bear Moves
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Bear Moves
Ben Bailey Smith (aka “Doc Brown”) and Sav Akyüz team up again to deliver this hilariously funny sequel to I Am Bear. Its ene…
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Burger Boy
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Burger Boy
Benny is a young boy who loves burgers. In fact he eats nothing else. Then one day his mother's warning comes true - he turns into…
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Crescent Moons and Pointed Minarets
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Crescent Moons and Pointed Minarets
This beautifully designed picture book with exquisite illustrations explores a variety of shapes relating to Islamic objects and p…
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Daddy Do My Hair: Kechi’s Hair Goes Every Which Way
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Daddy Do My Hair: Kechi’s Hair Goes Every Which Way
Kechi’s Mum knows lots of different ways to style her big beautiful curly hair. But when it’s Kechi’s Daddy who has to take h…
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Don’t Make Me Cross
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Don’t Make Me Cross
Little Monster claims to be sweet, but is proving to be anything but! Children will love the naughty monster snatching p…
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Hip and Hop: You Can Do Anything
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Hip and Hop: You Can Do Anything
Inspired by Hip’s helpful rap about working hard for your dreams, Hop tries and tries, and finally wheels his way into first place…
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If All the World Were
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If All the World Were
This beautiful story tells the love that one little girl has for her ageing grandad. One day he isn’t there anymore, but the …
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Is it a Mermaid?
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Is it a Mermaid?
Bel and Benji meet a friendly dugong, also known as a sea cow, on a tropical beach. This delightful book about friendship, im…
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It MUST Have Been You!
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It MUST Have Been You!
A little girl gets into trouble again and again but gets love when she apologises. This is a lovely book celebrating the powe…
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My Village: Rhymes from Around the World
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My Village: Rhymes from Around the World
Printed beside each rhyme is its native language version. The illustrations are designed to attract even the youngest au…
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Nimesh the Adventurer
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Nimesh the Adventurer
This captivating picture book will delight young children, encouraging them to invent their own imaginative adventures. The striki…
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No Baby No
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No Baby No
Amusing illustrations of a mischievous baby's exploits accompany the rhyming text, making this a book small children will want to …
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Rastamouse and the Crucial Plan
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Rastamouse and the Crucial Plan
Rastamouse and his crime-fighting team save the day. Children will want their parents to read this book to them again and aga…
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Specs for Rex
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Specs for Rex
A perfectly judged niche story that has general appeal due to a clean text and cute character; Specs for Rex is a visual treat tha…
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The Cow Who Fell to Earth
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The Cow Who Fell to Earth
One night, a little cow falls to earth from the moon, but none of the earth animals speak her language. This lovely book abou…
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The Weaver
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The Weaver
Stanley the spider is an imaginative creature who loves collecting things to incorporate into his beautifully woven web. This stun…
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You're Safe With Me
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You're Safe With Me
This simple story will comfort little ones and its soothing text will lull them to sleep. Accompanied with incredibly stunning and…
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