“When [kids] can see themselves in books it is an amazing thing. It helps to give them a voice. It is empowering. When [kids] see others represented in books it helps them to learn acceptance, empathy, and equity.” — a DonorsChoose K-5 teacher in Arizona
We live in a world that is bursting with colors, complexities, and nuances. So why would we limit our kids’ books to just one shade of it? That is why we’re so excited to introduce a brand-new initiative from DonorsChoose — ColorPop Books!
ColorPop Books is an online bookstore featuring vibrant, representative book bundles — each packed with stories and characters that reflect the identities and experiences that are all too rare in children’s books.
Every purchase at ColorPop Books also helps fund books for historically underfunded public schools through DonorsChoose. For over 20 years, teachers have used DonorsChoose to bring vital stories to their students — and we’re striving to make ColorPop Books as much of an investment in our teacher communities as it is in parents and kids.
This initiative is a labor of love from the DonorsChoose team and we’re so excited to finally get to share it with you. You can start browsing ColorPop Books today!
And dive into the who, what, when, and why’s of ColorPop Books below.
Who is ColorPop for?
ColorPop Books is for anyone with a child in their life who needs more affirming, inclusive, and/or diverse books — whether you are a parent, caregiver, family member, or loved one.
Each book bundle in the ColorPop library comes from the recommendations of thousands of parents, including our own dedicated team of parent advisors, and are specifically curated for the child who doesn’t often get to see their identities and experiences reflected in books. These kid-friendly bundles include:
- A bundle that shows kids loving their natural hair
- A bundle to let kids know they’re the boss of their own bodies
- A bundle to guide a child through grief
- A bundle that emphasizes girls in STEM
- And many, many more.
Whether you are looking for books that are a mirror for kids to see their own identities, or books that are a window into unexplored worlds, ColorPop Books has you covered.
How did ColorPop get started?
At DonorsChoose, we’ve worked with public teachers now for over two decades to help connect their students with the resources they need. The DonorsChoose community of classroom supporters has funded nearly 3 million projects and delivered over 10 million books to classrooms in that time. One of the things our teacher requests have illustrated over the years is a clear need for more representative and diverse books that allow students to feel seen — and to help them learn from the experiences of others, too.
It’s one of the most frequent things that we’ve heard from our teachers directly:
“As an African American teacher who teaches children of many different races and ethnicities it is extremely important to me that my students read stories with characters who look like them. How can I tell my students that they can be and do anything they put their mind to if they don’t see that reflected in the stories I read to them?” - a DonorsChoose Kindergarten teacher in Florida
“When students can see themselves in books it is an amazing thing. It helps to give them a voice. It is empowering. When students see others represented in books it helps them to learn acceptance, empathy, and equity.” - a DonorsChoose K-5 teacher in Arizona
“Especially as an ESL teacher, it is important that each student feels seen and heard in my classroom, and it shows them that they MATTER. This not only builds community, but a beautiful perspective on the people and culture we are surrounded by.” - a DonorsChoose 2nd and 4th grade teacher in Tennessee
And it’s not just teachers, but families, too. We’ve heard these sentiments echoed just as clearly from parents and guardians:
“Books are the way I teach my daughter everything. I buy books depending on the season she’s going through or what I need to teach her.” - Myrna, mom of a 5 yr old and 1 yr old
“I am Muslim and I do want my kids' friends to know what they're all about … My kids have a hard time embracing who they are because they are different. It’s important to me that other people have a general understanding that families come in different shapes and sizes.” - SK, mom of 3
“We’re dealing with a loss of a family member. Our daughter is taking it hard and we have her in therapy. As we’re navigating that with her, I’m wishing there were more books that describe the situation that don't have to do with violence or old age.” - Amatise, mom of a 4 yr old
Affirming books help build both a child's self-confidence and empathy for others. Through ColorPop’s book bundles, DonorsChoose makes it easy to give these books to the children in your life.
We hope more than anything this new resource can help you through those tough conversations and everyday affirmations. Kids are navigating our big colorful, complex world, and they deserve books and stories that let them know we all belong in it.
*Please note by visiting the links above, you will be directed to a third party site, colorpopbooks.com
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