Of children’s books featuring human characters, only about 10% feature characters of color. This is in stark contrast to America’s population being more than 37% POC, a number which is only growing. In the past several years, efforts have been made by the children’s book industry to catch up with demographic realities, from organizations like We Need Diverse Books (WNDB) to the #OwnVoices movement. And while we know that much progress is to be made, what exactly is the plan from here? What efforts are being made, or planned to be made, by publishers, organizations, authors and illustrators in order to overcome the many obstacles still in the way of a truly diverse children’s publishing industry?

 

This comic focuses on the ongoing efforts at diversity in the children's book industry, from the publishers and organizations to the authors and illustrators. Specifically, it explores what needs to be done to bridge the gap between the percentage of characters of color in children's books and the percentage of people of color in America. The hope is to provide the clearest picture yet of how close we are to achieving the dream of a children’s publishing industry that fully reflects the realities of America’s status as one of the most racially and ethnically diverse nations in the world.