Magical moments happen every day in homes and classrooms where Jabari Asim’s books live on shelves and in hearts. His collection of children’s literature doesn’t just tell stories—it builds bridges between young readers and the joy of seeing themselves reflected in the pages they turn.
Why Diverse Representation Matters for Emerging Readers
When we talk about helping children become confident readers, we often focus on phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension skills. But there’s another crucial element that significantly impacts a child’s reading development: seeing themselves represented in the stories they encounter. It’s about building the foundational motivation that drives children to pick up books again and again. When children see characters who look like them, sound like them, or share their experiences, they develop what reading researchers call “print motivation”—the desire to engage with written language that ultimately predicts reading success.
Jabari Asim understands this power deeply. As both an acclaimed author and professor of creative writing at Emerson College, Asim has been honored with a Guggenheim Fellowship and has authored 15 books for children alongside his works for adults. His approach to children’s literature combines the art of storytelling with the science of what makes young readers thrive.
The Magic of Asim’s Board Book Series
Asim’s board book series, featuring “Whose Toes Are Those?” and “Whose Knees Are These?” illustrated by New York Times bestselling artist LeUyen Pham, demonstrates how the simplest concepts can become powerful tools for early literacy development. These books aren’t just cute. They’re carefully crafted to support the earliest stages of reading development.
“Whose Knees Are These?” celebrates a beautiful baby’s sweet little knees with vibrant, playful verse that’s perfect for fans of “Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes.” The book follows a simple but engaging format: each page reveals glimpses of an active toddler’s knees in different situations—climbing, playing, exploring—before the final reveal shows the whole laughing child.
What makes these books particularly valuable for early reading development is their attention to phonological awareness, one of the five essential reading skills. The rhythmic, rhyming text helps children develop their understanding of how language sounds work together. When parents read “I’ve searched the world and seven seas. Never have I seen such charming knees,” they’re not just sharing a sweet moment—they’re helping their child’s brain recognize rhyming patterns that will later support decoding skills.
The interactive nature of these books also encourages parent-child engagement, which research consistently shows is crucial for reading development. This kind of active engagement builds positive associations with books that help children want to learn to read.
Picture Books That Teach History and Values
Asim’s picture book “Preaching to the Chickens: The Story of Young John Lewis” shows how diverse literature can simultaneously support reading development and expand children’s understanding of the world around them. This New York Times Best Illustrated Book gives readers a glimpse into the boyhood of Civil Rights leader John Lewis, showing how young John practiced his preaching skills with the chickens on his family’s Alabama farm.
The book works on multiple levels for developing readers. For children still building their foundational skills, the straightforward narrative structure and clear, engaging illustrations support comprehension development. The story follows a logical sequence: John wants to be a preacher, he gets put in charge of the chickens, he discovers they make a wonderful audience, and he practices his calling while caring for them with love and dedication.
For children ready for more complex thinking, the book introduces themes of leadership, responsibility, and using your voice to help others. The author’s note explains how John Lewis grew up to become a member of the Freedom Riders, chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and a demonstrator on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. This connection between childhood experiences and adult achievements helps children understand that their current actions and interests can shape their future contributions to the world.
The Research Behind Diverse Books and Reading Success
The impact of diverse representation in children’s literature isn’t just anecdotal—it’s backed by solid research. According to a 2024 analysis published in Scientific American, children’s literature has become far more diverse in the past decade, with about 45 percent of thousands of kids’ and teens’ books reviewed having a nonwhite author, illustrator, or compiler, up from 8 percent in 2014.
This increase matters because, as Caroline Tung Richmond, executive director of We Need Diverse Books explains, kids crave exposure to stories about people like them, which builds up their feelings of self-worth and helps them maintain an interest in reading. At the same time, exposure to diverse stories allows children “to see into a different culture or identity and build empathy.”
How Asim’s Books Support the Science of Reading
Asim’s approach to children’s literature aligns beautifully with what we know about effective reading instruction. His books support all five essential components of reading development:
Phonemic Awareness: The rhyming patterns in books like “Whose Toes Are Those?” help children recognize and manipulate the sounds in spoken language. When children hear and anticipate rhymes, they’re developing the sound awareness that will later help them decode written words.
Phonics: While board books don’t explicitly teach letter-sound relationships, they build the foundation for phonics instruction by making reading enjoyable and meaningful. Children who love books are more motivated to learn how those squiggles on the page connect to the stories they adore.
Fluency: The rhythmic, repetitive nature of Asim’s board books makes them perfect for developing fluency. Children naturally want to read these books over and over, and repetition is key to building automatic word recognition and smooth, expressive reading.
Vocabulary: Books like “Preaching to the Chickens” introduce children to rich vocabulary in context. Words like “congregation,” “righteousness,” and “peacemakers” expand children’s knowledge while telling an engaging story.
Comprehension: All of Asim’s books tell clear, meaningful stories that help children practice understanding narrative structure, making predictions, and connecting stories to their own experiences.
Create Reading Experiences That Last
What sets Asim’s books apart is their ability to create lasting positive associations with reading. Parents consistently report that these books become favorites that children request “over and over” and that kids carry them everywhere. This kind of engagement is exactly what reading researchers hope to see in young children.
The books also spark important conversations. “Preaching to the Chickens” naturally leads to discussions about leadership, caring for others, and standing up for what’s right. The board books encourage playful interaction as children identify their own body parts and celebrate their own uniqueness. These conversations build the background knowledge and critical thinking skills that support later reading comprehension.
For parents of children who are struggling with early reading skills, Asim’s books offer hope and practical support. They demonstrate that reading can be joyful, that every child deserves to see themselves in literature, and that the path to reading success is built through positive experiences with books, not through pressure or frustration.
Build Lifelong Readers with Diverse, Engaging Literature
Jabari Asim’s contribution to children’s literature reminds us that the books we choose for our youngest readers do more than teach letters and sounds—they shape attitudes, build identity, and create the foundation for a lifetime of learning. His careful attention to representation, combined with engaging storytelling and research-backed approaches to early literacy, makes his books valuable additions to any child’s library.
Whether you’re snuggling with your young child over “Whose Knees Are These?” or exploring the childhood of a civil rights leader through “Preaching to the Chickens,” you’re not just reading—you’re building the kind of rich, positive experiences with books that help children become confident, capable readers.Ready to give your child the gift of engaging, research-based reading instruction that celebrates their unique identity and builds essential literacy skills? Start your free 7-day trial with Reading.com today and discover how systematic, science-backed reading lessons can complement the joy and wonder of diverse literature in your child’s reading development.