My daughter is the same age and mixed race. She has a lovely book called Ellie’s Magic Wellies. She likes Jo Jo and Gran Gran on Cbeebies. She has a black barbie doll and a black baby dolly. I’m also starting to buy books on inspirational black people that are aimed at children.

Ruby's Worry is a fantastic book 😊

I got a boy rag doll from this site - slightly different I wanted a red headed doll. You can get mum, dad, boy, girl dolls so you can build a family that would represent your family if you were rag dolls with permanent smiles.

They also do wooden figures in different ethnicities and both sexes, so you can get a black male nurse, a female scientist wearing hijab.

www.lankakade.co.uk/dolls/c25

www.lankakade.co.uk/figures/people/c141

I love this Instagram page for book recommendations 🙂

Lola’s best friend in the Charlie and Lola books/TV series is black. The book ‘My Best, Best Friend’ would be a good one to start off with.
Look Up by Nathan Bryon
The Bear and the Magic Shoes by Julia Donaldson
The Boys by Lauren Ace
Albert Talbot: Master of Disguise

When he gets onto short chapter books, I’d recommend:
Go Mo Go
Mark and Shark
The Julian Stories

The Playmobil Country Farm small enclosure set has a black figure. There may be others I don’t know about.

Look Up is lovely. That won a big award last year - believe the author has a new book out that I'm planning to pick up.

I also really like Julia Donaldson's The Smeds and the Smoos - about fictional planets & species obviously but a really nice message about different cultures & what's important.

Just remembered that some of the Playmobil police sets have black officers.
Biggleton, Apple Tree House, Junk Rescue and Down on the Farm on CBeebies are also good.

Have you seen this magazine? There is one aimed at girls, too.

www.cocoagirl.com/shop/cocoa-boy-magazine/

Hi there,

I have a different take on this, and I'll be honest and say I was alarmed by your message. I'm going to be brief, because I tend to be too wordy onhere, which is interesting because in real life I am not verbose, but hey ho.

I'll say first, please do not take offence. I hardly ever tell people what they should do, but I am thinking about your situation in terms of need, so I will use that work a few times I expect. Also, this is a racist world and none of us is free from bias, including me.

so:

1 - Books are just a small fragment of what your little one is lacking right now. You need to think less about books and more about your lifestyle. You say you have few black friends - how has this come about? You say your partner has few black friends - how did this come about?

2 - This might not be your partner, but I know quite a few (white) people who actually do not like black people that much, they love their partners, and on some level think they are an exception etc etc. I know mixed race women who are pretty certain their mothers wholly dislike black women, including them on some level. Likewise, thinking about yourself - what are his feelings about black people? I want you to think about what could be happening why your son has so few black people (and mixed race?) in his life. These factors likely need addressing quickly. Bottom line, if I am wondering whether you and your partner like black people (and value them in your life), your son will be soon, too. I'm not reaching here. And you do not want him to come to a damaging conclusion.

3 - You say you do not live around black people, his school/nursery is v white etc. This is no good. As part of a lifestyle audit, you need to consider changing this - where you live, schools and getting black friends and engaging in black groups etc. You might very well think this is all little too much, you just want to buy some books, but I would urge you to read the other threads in this section about black mothers doing exactly this and see what they are thinking. They aren'r representative of all black mothers by any means, but it gives you insight that you might lack given you're not around black folks so much. These are things we are fully aware that we need to do, and sacrifice and compromise a lot to do, because your son's psychological and emotional wellbeing depends on it, let alone his betterment.

4- You say you have not considered these things before. This is also no good. What are the reasons for this and is it factually true? This likely requires some full frank and open conversations with your partner about race, what it means in your relationship and family and life. If you both come up with 'it doesn't matter' you are probably not being curious enough, or for some reason you are avoiding engagement in the issue. This will be to the detriment of your son.

5 - Does your son really know his skin is beautiful? How does that sit with him wanting white skin? Those seem incongruous to me.

6 - Please don't 'guess' anymore. Think very thoroughly and deeply about what is going on for your child. He's young, anything that is going on can be reversed if you act on it. You need to do so now.

Good luck.

(that really wasn't concise - ugh)

Have you heard of Letterbox Library? A lot of their books are US imports so you sometimes have to fudge the language as you read them, but there are also great books from UK publishers.

LOOK UP and CLEAN UP by Nathan Byron ill Dapo Adeola
BILLIE AND THE BEAST and BILLIE AND THE DRAGON by Nadia Shireen
LUNA LOVES...series by Joseph Coehlo and Fiona Lumbers
IF ALL THE WORLD WERE...also by Joseph Coehlo
MY HAIR by Hannah Lee

"Books are just a small fragment of what your little one is lacking right now. You need to think less about books and more about your lifestyle."

I really agree with this. If your child is already feeling negatively about his skin colour, books etc won't really do much to broaden his sense of identity, or make him feel comfortable with being different (imo).

(bold fail) I was quoting @Sugarintheplum

Sugarintheplum

I believe you are coming from a good place and with concern but there are areas of Britain which are 100% or close to 100% white.

The OP way well be living in the same area she has grown up and spent her whole life in, if there are no black people around it is quite difficult to make 'black friends', do you suggest she moves?

yes, I would suggest a move or to visit towns with a large black population frequently and regularly eg sending her son to a Saturday school there, scouts there, piano lessons there etc. this is if for some reason she can't move, but moving school and or home would be on my radar.

you have to do more for your black children, and consider sacrifices white parents do not. thx

and just to say - I don't come from a good place. I've been black in the uk for 37 years, and I'm raising black children here. I come from a place of experience, knowledge and wisdom.

op can do with that what she wishes!

Another vote for Look Up and Clean Up.

Also All are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold is a v inclusive children's book that we love.

So it seems you live in a diverse city but your life is not at all? Then I do agree, I think moving somewhere would probably not address the underlying factors at play.

There are many ideas and assumptions in your post that I would want to be very curious about if you were my sister / close friend etc (such as 'forcing friendships'). You are the only black person in your friendship group? If so, you will not be so privy to the gargantuan efforts black mothers are making. You will do yourself a disservice to use white women and their successful methods of mothering as a benchmark or model for yours. Not because they are bad at it! That would be silly to suggest. But because it will likely be very different for you in parts.

If I would say anything more to you, it would be to start from a very open perspective, and not to be dismissive prematurely, of the things you will need to do to keep your child on a level playing field, let alone ahead, which is where black children need to be to be considered level.

I wish you all the very best! You won't hear from me again.

@Sugarintheplum

You sound completely over the top and out of touch with reality. Who can just up and move? Suggesting into OPs OH might not like black people- what’s all that about?

@notanaturalmum

There’s loads of great books out there which show diversity, there was a thread on this the other day. I’ll try and find the link for you

I’m mixed race and my ex is black, my children are the same, constantly saying they want to be white “like mummy” I’m not white but I do look it I guess, we live in London so I’m not sure moving is the answer as we live in south east London so very very diverse.

[quote Onceuponatime1818]@Sugarintheplum

You sound completely over the top and out of touch with reality. Who can just up and move? Suggesting into OPs OH might not like black people- what’s all that about?

@notanaturalmum

There’s loads of great books out there which show diversity, there was a thread on this the other day. I’ll try and find the link for you[/quote]
OP, I was not avoiding you when I said you wouldn't hear from me again, it was this rubbish that I knew would surely come because it was already trickling in. I'm only posting again so that you know that. I really do wish you the best. Truly signing off now.