Reading with your toddlers is one of the best ways to connect with them and spark their imagination, but finding the best age-appropriate books can be a daunting task sometimes. To eliminate the guesswork, ColorPop Books launched an online kids’ bookshop that specializes in children’s book bundles. Through the engaging book bundles, ColorPop Books strives to lift underrepresented voices and experiences so all kids can feel seen. In a release shared with Mom.com, the online bookshop shared that their bundles focus on Black and brown family experiences and are a great resource for parents looking for trustworthy books as their children navigate the world.
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The online bookshop launched on September 12 and includes books by authors like Stacey Abrams, Amanda Gorman, Karamo Brown, Eva Chen, Nicole Beyers, and Matthew Cherry. Parents and caregivers can select themed bundles based on their child’s interests and needs, which include STEM, LGBTQ+, Black joy, and grief. Additionally, $5 is donated from each purchase to ColorPop Books’ Book Donation Fund to bring identity-affirming books into public schools in the U.S.
Vanessa Cardona Kepp, the director of ColorPop Books and a proud Latina mother, shared with Mom.com the importance of representative children’s books.
“In 2019, DonorsChoose launched #ISeeMe, an initiative promoting diverse learning materials, funding thousands of inclusive books for U.S. classrooms, particularly benefiting Black, Latinx, and Asian students. Through countless conversations, they found that parents and teachers alike invest valuable time in finding diverse books that speak to the topics of everyday life and show kids of color thriving in the world versus talking about inequity or struggle,” Kepp said.
“Parents had a tough time finding these books, and as DonorsChoose dug in, it became clear why – only 39% of kids books published in the U.S. in 2022 featured at least one character of color, and 71% of kids books have come from White creators. DonorsChoose wanted to solve this problem and launched ColorPop Books to provide parents and caregivers with trustworthy, identity-affirming books, and also ensure that children in need without access to these representative books receive a classroom library that reflects their stories and introduces them to experiences different from their own," she continued.
In 2019, only 3% of children’s books had main characters with disabilities, and only 3% featured a leading character who identified as LGBTQ+.
So what can parents expect when they receive a bundle? Each box includes three carefully selected books, a self-portrait activity book, an affirmation card, and access to the ColorPop Crew parent community.
