Princesses are doin’ it for themselves! Modern princesses come in all shapes and colours; they are brave, smart and strong; they love having fun, and they are certainly not sitting around in pretty pink dresses waiting to be rescued by a handsome prince!
These multicultural children’s books about spunky princesses challenge princess, gender and racial stereotypes and will empower girls to just be who they are:
14 Multicultural Children’s Books About Spunky Princesses
I Am Truly (Princess Truly)
by Kelly Greenawalt
“I can fly to the moon / And dance on the stars. / I can tame wild lions / And race fast cars.” Princess Truly is bright, brave, beautiful and confident that she can do anything she sets her mind to. With dynamic illustrations and rhythmic rhymes, I Am Truly is a fun and inspiring book that celebrates girl power, individuality and diversity. ~ African – Preschool
More books from the series: My Magical, Sparkling Curls // Princess Truly and The Hungry Bunny Problem
More multicultural book series: 40+ Multicultural Book Series for Girls & Boys
Princess Arabella’s Birthday
by Mylo Freeman
Princess Arabella’s wants a very special present for her birthday: An elephant. But as the saying goes: “Be careful what you wish for!” With vibrant illustrations and a fresh storyline, Princess Arabella’s Birthday is a fun princess story with a twist. ~ African – Preschool
More books from the series: Princess Arabella Mixes Colors // Princess Arabella Goes to School // Princess Arabella and the Giant Cake
The Princess and the Pony
by Kate Beaton
Biracial Princess Pinecone knows exactly what she wants for her birthday this year: A big, strong, and fast horse fit for a warrior princess! But when the day arrives, she doesn’t quite get the horse of her dreams… The Princess and the Pony is a colourful and fun picture book that challenges gender stereotypes. ~ Diverse – Preschool
More books featuring biracial characters: 70+ Picture Books about Mixed Race Families
More funny multicultural books: 10 Laugh-Out-Loud Funny Multicultural Picture Books
Princess Hair
by Sharee Miller
“Some princesses wear puffs and play pretend. / Others wear twist-outs and twirl around.” From dreadlocks to blow-outs to braids and more, Princess Hair is an affirming book that celebrates the beauty and diversity of African hair, showing young readers that every kind of hair can be princess hair. ~ African – Preschool
Princess Cupcake Jones and the Missing Tutu
by Ylleya Fields
Princess Cupcake Jones loves having fun and often ends up scattering her things all over the palace. When her beloved tutu goes missing, the princess searches everywhere for it and discovers hidden treasures along the way. Princess Cupcake Jones and the Missing Tutu invites little readers to join the search and find a hidden word in each of the engaging illustrations. ~ African – Preschool, Elementary School
More books from the series: Princess Cupcake Jones and the Dance Recital // Princess Cupcake Jones and the Queen’s Closet // Princess Cupcake Jones Won’t Go to School // Princess Cupcake Jones Saddles Up!
Not All Princesses Dress in Pink
by Jane Yolen
“Not all princesses dress in pink. / Some play in bright red socks that stink, / blue team jerseys that don’t quite fit, / accessorized with a baseball mitt, / and a sparkly crown!” With fun text and charming illustrations, Not All Princesses Dress In Pink is an empowering book that shows that princesses come in all kinds. It could have featured a few more dark-skinned princesses for my liking though. ~ Diverse – Preschool, Elementary School
The Water Princess
by Susan Verde
Princess Gie Gie’s kingdom is warm and beautiful but clean drinking water is scarce. Every day she has to make the long journey to the well to collect water. Gie Gie dreams of a day when her village will have cool, crystal-clear water of its own. Based on supermodel Georgie Badiel’s childhood, The Water Princess is an engaging picture book about a young girl’s dream of bringing clean drinking water to her African village. ~ African – Elementary School
More books set in Africa: 23 Children’s Books set in South Africa // 20 Children’s Books set in the Middle East & Northern Africa
Paiute Princess: The Story of Sarah Winnemucca
by Deborah Kogan Ray
Born into the Northern Paiute tribe of Nevada in 1844, Sarah Winnemucca straddled the traditional life of her people and the modern ways of her grandfather’s white friends. She became a great leader who used condemning letters, fiery speeches, and her autobiography to tell of her people’s struggles through years of starvation, unjust relocations, and violent attacks. With expressive illustrations and extensive backmatter, Paiute Princess provides a fascinating insight into the life of this underrepresented historical figure. ~ Diverse – Elementary School
More Native American children’s books: 32 Native American Children’s Books
Princess Grace
by Mary Hofmann
Grace can’t wait to dress up as a princess for the town parade. But when she asks her teacher what a princess should look like, the whole class learns that there’s more to princesses than pink dresses and frills. From Kenya to China and from warriors to spies, princesses are a multicultural and multi-talented bunch. Part of the award-winning Grace series, Princess Grace is a beautifully illustrated book that challenges princess stereotypes. ~ African – Elementary School
More in the Grace series: Amazing Grace // Boundless Grace // Grace at Christmas
More multicultural book series: 40+ Multicultural Book Series for Girls & Boys
Dara’s Clever Trap: A Story from Cambodia
by Liz Flanagan
Cambodian Princess Dara is an architect known for her brains. When she falls in love with another architect and her jealous ministers try to frame him, she uses her engineering skills to create a mechanical trap that saves the day. Dara’s Clever Trap is an easy-to-read early chapter book that shows that princesses are very well capable of saving themselves (and their princes for that matter!). ~ Asian – Elementary School
More STEM/STEAM books: 50+ Multicultural STEAM Books for Children
More Asian and Asian American books: 30 Asian & Asian American Children’s Books for ages 0 to 18
An African Princess
by Lyra Edmonds
“I’m Lyra. I’m an African princess. That’s me.” But biracial Lyra’s classmates don’t believe that An African Princess can have freckles and live on the tenth floor. When Lyra meets her Auntie May in the Caribbean, she learns that she is indeed one in a long line of princesses from Africa. ~ African – Elementary School
More books featuring biracial characters: 70+ Picture Books about Mixed Race Families
Princeless: Save Yourself
by Jeremy Whitley
Adrienne Ashe hates being a princess – the fancy dinners, lavish dresses, and most of all having to be saved by a prince. So when her parents lock her away in a tower for a prince to come to her rescue, she decides to take matters into her own hands. Princeless is a fun and fast-paced graphic novel that challenges gender, racial and other stereotypes. ~ African – Elementary School, Middle School
Princeless, Book 2: Get Over Yourself
Princess Mononoke Picture Book
by Hayao Miyazaki
Ashitaka sets off on a journey to cure himself of a curse. He meets Lady Eboshi who wants to smash all obstacles to technological development. And from out of the forest comes Princess Mononoke, driven by a hatred of all humans. Can she and Ashitaka stop Lady Eboshi? With scene-by-scene illustrations and character dialogue, Princess Mononoke Picture Book captures the magic of Hayao Miyazaki’s legendary film. ~ Asian – Middle School
More Asian & Asian American books: 30 Asian & Asian American Children’s Books
The Diary of B. B. Bright, Possible Princess
by Alice Randall
Thirteen-year-old orphan Black Bee Bright (B. B. for short) has a secret. She’s captive on a tropical island because she’s forced to hide her true identity as a royally born princess from her parents’ enemies. B. B. can’t escape the island until she passes her Official Princess Test and undertakes a dangerous journey alone to the East side of the island, where eight princesses must help her discover what it truly means to be a princess. The Diary of B.B. Bright, Possible Princess is a fun and quirky twist on your typical princess story that older children will love. ~ African – Middle School
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More Multicultural Children’s Books About Strong Women & Girls:
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32 Multicultural Picture Books About Strong Female Role Models
30 Diverse Children’s Anthologies About Trailblazing Women
40 Multicultural Children’s Books About Fabulous Female Artists
