Best Diverse Board Books: Five Picks for Little Readers

Toddlers deserve books that show their world, and the best diverse board books do that in sturdy pages. We compared five by stated reading age, page count, publisher and theme.

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Compare the best diverse board books

Book details as published on each listing, collected 22 October 2026.

The picks

#	Product	Shelf Score	Buy
1	Whose Toes Are Those?	9.7/10	Buy on Amazon
2	Pink Is for Boys	9.7/10	Buy on Amazon
3	Curls	9.7/10	Buy on Amazon
4	All Kinds of Families	9.6/10	Buy on Amazon
5	Global Babies	9.6/10	Buy on Amazon

1

Whose Toes Are Those?

Jabari Asim·9.7/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

A playful board book verse celebrating a brown baby's toes, suited to lap-time reading with babies and toddlers.

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Pros

• Reading age 1-3 years and Preschool and up grade, both stated
• 20 pages from LB Kids, published March 5, 2019
• Interactive verse format made for parent-child playtime

Cons

• Reading age marked as from customers, not a publisher note
• 20 pages, shorter than the 32-page All Kinds of Families
• 2019 publication, older than the 2021 Pink Is for Boys

2

Pink Is for Boys

Robb Pearlman·9.7/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

An illustrated book about colors being for everyone, suited to preschoolers learning colors and self-expression.

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Pros

• Reading age 1-5 years, the widest range of the five
• Grade level Preschool and up stated
• 24 pages, illustrated edition from Running Press Kids

Cons

• Reading age marked as from customers, not a publisher note
• Listed as an illustrated edition, not as a board book
• No newer edition than May 18, 2021 noted

3

Curls

Ruth Forman·9.7/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

A poetic board book ode to African American girls' curls, suited to babies and toddlers.

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Pros

• Reading age Baby-3 years, marked as from customers
• 26 pages from Little Simon, published December 22, 2020
• Poetic ode format celebrating curls and braids

Cons

• No grade level stated
• 26 pages, shorter than the 32-page All Kinds of Families
• No newer edition than December 22, 2020 noted

4

All Kinds of Families

Suzanne Lang·9.6/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

A board book celebrating all kinds of families, suited to toddlers meeting different family structures.

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Pros

• Reading age Baby-3 years, marked as from customers
• 32 pages, the longest of the five
• Illustrated edition from Random House Studio

Cons

• No grade level stated
• Published October 1, 2019, older than the 2021 Pink Is for Boys
• Family theme only; no wider diversity topics stated

5

Global Babies

The Global Fund for Children·9.6/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

A photo-illustrated board book of babies around the world, suited to babies and toddlers.

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Pros

• Reading age Baby-2 years, marked as from customers
• Photo-illustrated with babies from Guatemala to Bhutan
• First in the Global Babies board book series

Cons

• Published February 10, 2006, the oldest of the five
• 16 pages, the shortest of the five
• No grade level stated

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More picks to compare

• Who? A Celebration of BabiesSuits babies with repetitive verse; Board Book format, Baby-2 years.Check on Amazon
• Say Hello!Suits toddlers with greetings in many languages; ages 2-5, 32 pages.Check on Amazon
• Babies Around the WorldSuits babies with 10 global greetings; Board Book, Baby-4 years.Check on Amazon
• We Are Little Feminists Box SetSuits ages 1-3 with a 5-book photo box set; 96 pages, discussion guides.Check on Amazon

How we scored them

The Shelf Score weighs fit for the reader, contents and edition, value, and the listed reading age. All five list a reading age, marked as from customers.

Scores run from 9.2 to 9.8: each book’s point total is placed on that range, so more points always means a higher score. Reading age or level counts on a list where at least one listing gives one, and a book whose listing gives none then scores zero on it. Where no listing gives one, the score is taken over the other 85 points. Books carry no warranty, so warranty is not scored.

How to choose the best diverse board books

Match the reading age

The listings give 1-3 years (Whose Toes), Baby-2 years (Global Babies), 1-5 years (Pink Is for Boys) and Baby-3 years (Curls, All Kinds of Families), all marked as from customers.

Check the theme and format

The listings describe playful verse (Whose Toes Are Those?), photo-illustrated babies (Global Babies), colors for everyone (Pink Is for Boys), hair celebration (Curls) and family structures (All Kinds of Families). For more picture book ideas, browse our picture books lists.

Before you buy

• All five list reading ages marked as from customers, not publisher recommendations.
• Global Babies is from 2006 while Pink Is for Boys is from 2021.
• Confirm the book suits your reader’s theme; the listings describe verse, photos, colors, hair and families.

Frequently Asked Questions

What ages are these board books for?

The listings give 1-3 years, Baby-2 years, 1-5 years and Baby-3 years, all marked as from customers.

Which book is the longest?

All Kinds of Families lists 32 pages; Global Babies lists 16.

Are these true board books?

The Whose Toes, Global Babies, Curls and All Kinds listings describe board books; Pink Is for Boys is listed as an illustrated edition.

Still deciding? Our top pickWhose Toes Are Those?

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Related lists

See every picture books list and all kids and teens books lists. Also see our best board books with flaps. Also see our best interactive board books.