Multicultural Holiday Children's Books that Celebrate Diverse Traditions
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Multicultural Holiday Children's Books that Celebrate Diverse Traditions

Updated: Sep 24, 2023


These multicultural children's books not only offer a window into the rich tapestry of diverse festivities but also provides young readers with valuable insights into the beauty of our world.


Diverse children's books like these bridge cultures, promote inclusivity, and inspire the next generation to embrace and respect the traditions of others.


For your convenience, we've included publisher's descriptions along with each book.

Meet kids who share how they celebrate holidays all year long--perfect for discussions about de-centering winter holidays!


Who says the holidays only happen in the winter? Every day's a holiday when you live in a world as diverse as ours! From Juneteenth to Vesak, and Yom Kippur to Día de las Muertos, the festivities never end.


Come and join us and learn about eighteen holidays celebrated by a diverse group of children in this inviting and joyful picture book written by renowned antibias and antiracist educator, Liz Kleinrock of Teach and Transform, with vibrant illustrations by Chaaya Prabhat.


This book is useful for discussing holidays in the classroom and can be an enjoyable resource for making sure no one holiday is more valued than the other.

Holidays featured include: Seollal, Holi, Nowruz, Passover, Vaisakhi, Vesak, Juneteenth, Homecoming, Onam, Obon, Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur, Makahiki, Día de los Muertos, Diwali, Kwanzaa, Ramadan & Eid al-Fitr



A festive nochebuena treat for little ones who believe in the magic of Christmas (and the deliciousness of cake)!


On the night before Christmas, a spark of magic lights up Lita's Pastelería, and Esperanza Caramelo blinks open her eyes. Esperanza is a spun-sugar ornament, meant to sit atop the Nochebuena cake--but tonight she whirls through the bakery, singing and dancing, throwing a fiesta with all the other ornaments until . . . disaster strikes!


Can the cake be saved in time for Christmas? The clock is ticking, but on Nochebuena, anything is possible--and Esperanza never gives up hope.



Unicorn best friends Magical, Unique, and Divine are getting ready to welcome Santa in this Christmas picture-book adventure. Celebrate your inner unicorn with the first holiday book in the Afro Unicorn line! Includes countdown calendar and stickers.


December is finally here, and all the unicorns in the kingdom of Afronia are excited to meet Santa. But when Santa gets lost on the way, the unicorns fear that Christmas will be ruined. It's up to Magical, Unique, and Divine to use their superpowers of love and kindness to save Christmas.


Let the Christmas countdown begin in this tale of love and hope for the holidays!


When Afro Unicorn creator April Showers realized that her favorite emoji--the unicorn!--was only available in white, she was inspired to create a more inclusive brand for children of color to celebrate how magical, unique, and divine they truly are.




A boy and his monster from under the bed celebrate Navidad--Christmas--in It's Navidad, El Cucuy!, a festive, bilingual picture book from Newbery Medal-winning author Donna Barba Higuera and illustrator Juliana Perdomo.


Ramón is a little boy who can't wait for Navidad.


El Cucuy is the friendly monster who lives in Ramón's bedroom. He's not so sure that Christmas is for him. The lights are too bright, and the snowman is scary!


So if El Cucuy is hesitant to embrace the holiday cheer, then Ramón will have to bring the spirit of Navidad to him.


A tender, heartwarming story about facing the unknown with a friend by your side, this companion to El Cucuy Is Scared, Too! explores the magic of the holidays and coming together as a community.


Features an overview of the traditions behind Las Posadas, a festival beginning on December 16th and ending on Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) that is celebrated in Mexico and parts of Latin America and the United States.




This holiday season, enjoy a magical and timeless tale of expectation, anticipation, and wonder.


It's the middle of winter, it's very cold, and Ori and her friends want to play outside. But there's no snow! Ori makes a wish, and soon a special snowflake brings delight to an entire town. The Magical Snowflake is beautifully told, capturing the warmest feelings amid the frosty snow.



Inspired by Clement Clarke Moore's "The Night Before Christmas," La Noche Before Three Kings Day is a perfect holiday tale.


It's almost Three Kings Day, and while the grownups prepare a large meal, the kids prepare their shoe boxes for los Reyes to arrive later that night. Will they stay up late enough to wish the Kings a Feliz Día de los Reyes? Or will the magic pass them by?


Sing along with a great big familia as they fill up their platos, play their favorite juegos, and wait for the three kings and regalitos to arrive.


This enchanting celebration of a beloved holiday is brought to life through lively rhyming dual-lingual text by Sheila Colón-Bagley with festive illustrations from Alejandro Mesa.



Learn all about Kwanzaa in this holiday addition to the Night Before series.


It's the night before Kwanzaa, and a little boy is excited to spend it with his family. Every evening, they light a candle, learn about their history, and more! Celebrate Kwanzaa in this installment of the Night Before series, told in the style of Clement C. Moore's classic tale.



An awe-inspiring Christmas tale from multi-award-winning poet Nikki Grimes.

The caravan traveled through wilderness, uphill and down, for hours that spun into days.


Then at last, glittering diamond-bright, Bethlehem appeared through the haze.

With glittering poetry and stunning watercolor artwork, Lullaby for the King ushers readers into the awe and wonder of the Christmas story. Animals from across the ancient Palestinian landscape lumber, gambol, crawl, fly, and parade toward Bethlehem with gifts worthy of the newborn King. Rare ebony wood, a finely tuned harp, mustard and saffron, a zither, apricot cakes, and other treasures are carried to the manger. The animals bow low and join the music of the angels in a welcoming lullaby.


New York Times bestselling author Nikki Grimes and illustrator Michelle Carlos bring together a captivating tale of awe, wonder, and imagination that is sure to become a holiday classic.



A celebration of family love and the light we share with the world.


Diya is excited to be going to India for Diwali, the Festival of Lights. That means she'll get to spend time with Nani, her beloved grandma, who she hasn't seen since her family moved from India. Now India is 7,850 miles away...


Once Diya arrives in India, she immediately feels at home with Nani. Together they go shopping at the bazaar and prepare for the festival. As Diya and Nani celebrate Diwali together, Diya's heart soars. But all too soon, her trip will come to an end. Is there a way for Diya to take some of the light and magic of Diwali with her when she leaves?



Danielito loves Janucá, especially playing dreidel. This year, he is old enough to visit Bobe by himself. Piñatas hang from the trees, and the kids in Bobe's neighborhood play with Mexican tops called trompos.


Danielito does not have a trompo, but he has a dreidel. "What is that?" "¿Qué es eso?" the other kids ask, as they invite him to join their game. The trompos follow the dreidel as it spins through the neighborhood. And Danielito invited his new friends, nuevos amigos, to Bobe's house to celebrate Janucá.



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