Best Books About Cultures Around the World for Kids

The right book can make the world feel both enormous and surprisingly familiar.

Cultural books give children a window into places they may never have visited while helping them recognize experiences they already understand: family, school, food, play, friendship and celebration.

The Book of Cultures — Worldwide Buddies

Best for: A broad introduction to many countries

Worldwide Buddies’ The Book of Cultures combines stories about children from different countries with cultural information, facts and activities.

Los Street Vendors — Sí Sabo Kids

Best for: Bilingual Spanish-English cultural learning

Sí Sabo Kids’ Los Street Vendors introduces early learners to Spanish vocabulary through bilingual board books inspired by Latin American street vendors.

Children of the World — Barefoot Books

Best for: Diversity and everyday life

This book depicts children with a wide variety of backgrounds, abilities and lifestyles, focusing on both shared experiences and differences.

This Is How We Do It — Matt Lamothe

Best for: Comparing everyday routines

This book follows a day in the lives of children from several countries, making it easy to compare meals, schools, families and play.

Children Just Like Me — DK

Best for: Photographic nonfiction

This book profiles children around the world through photographs and first-person information about homes, schools, families and hobbies.

Same, Same but Different — Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw

Best for: Younger children

Two pen pals in different countries discover that their lives can be different and similar at the same time.

Build a Library, Not a Single Story

No individual book can represent an entire culture. Build a collection with everyday-life stories, nonfiction, contemporary characters, traditional stories and books created by people connected to the cultures being represented.