Jambo! I’m Mijha, Chief Curator at Jambo Books. Our basic criteria for choosing books are GREAT FICTION STORIES with ENGAGING ILLUSTRATIONS (where appropriate) that STAR CHILDREN OF COLOR. When I come across a book that I’m on the fence about, I’m lucky to be surrounded by a lot of great young readers who give me their feedback to help me make choices for our boxes.

This holiday season, I decided to ask some of your favorite Instagram kidfluencers what are their favorite children’s books. They have their own criteria that is independent of ours, and I’m sure you’ll find some fresh new reads here!

• Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty, illustrated by David Roberts
• The World Needs More Purple People by Kristen Bell & Benjamin Hart, illustrated by Daniel Wiseman
• How To Feed Your Parents by Ryan Miller, illustrated by Hatem Aly

• The King of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
• This Beach is Loud by Samantha Cotterill
• Farah Rocks Fifth Grade by Susan Muaddi Darraj, illustrated by Ruaida Mannaa

• Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
• Invisible Emmie by Terri Libenson
• Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty

• Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin, illustrated by Daniel Salmieri
• Grandma’s Purse by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
• Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees

• The Big Bed by Bunmi Laditan, illustrated by Tom Knight
• I Am Enough by Grace Byers, pictures by Keturah A. Bobo
• I Promise by LeBron James, illustrated by Nina Mata

• My Mom Is Not From Here by Zulmira Logue, illustrated by Beatriz Camunha
• The Magic of Me: My Magical Foods by Becky Cummings, illustrated by Zuzana Svobodova
• Homemade Love by bell hooks, illustrated by Shane W. Evans
• The Tomato Flood by Niyatee Parikh Sharma, illustrated by Alankrita Amaya

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Happy reading!