First Book, a leading provider of educational resources to kids from low-income families, has unveiled the latest milestone in its Stories for All Project, launched in 2013 and aimed at increasing diversity and inclusivity in children’s literature, in collaboration with Target, KPMG, and JetBlue Airways. First Book has selected six titles that showcase characters and storylines often underrepresented in children’s literature and are making 10,000 copies of each title—totaling 60,000 books—available in affordable trade paperback format for the first time ever. The following six titles were chosen:

• Niño Wrestles the World, written and illustrated by Yuyi Morales, celebrates play and the power of the imagination through the unforgettable, underpants-wearing Niño. Pulling from Mexican folklore, Morales pits a series of silly, slightly spooky opponents against Niño. But no foe can stand up to the cunning competitor. He takes down his challengers with a Slish! Boop! Crunch!—playfully defeating each one. Winner of the Pura Belpré Illustrator Award for affirming Latino culture and experience, and the SCBWI Golden Kite Picture Book Illustration Honor.
• And Tango Makes Three, written by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell and illustrated by Henry Cole, follows two male penguins in the Central Park Zoo through their fruitless efforts to hatch a rock. One day a zookeeper gives the dedicated fathers-to-be an extra egg that needs to be cared for. From this egg comes Tango, the very first penguin in the zoo to have two daddies. Based on a true story, winner of the ASPCA Henry Bergh Award.
• Tiger in My Soup, written by Kashmira Sheth and illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler, features a young Indian-American boy determined to make his older sister read aloud his favorite story about a ferocious tiger. When she repeatedly puts him off, his imagination takes over and the tiger springs from his alphabet soup. An epic battle between boy and tiger commences, all behind the back of the distracted sister. While the hero eventually gets both his story and his reheated soup, he keeps a wary eye out for the tiger’s return.
• Boats for Papa, written and illustrated by new author/illustrator Jessixa Bagley, explores the healing love between a child and parent. Buckley the beaver loves to carve toy boats out of driftwood from the beach nearby. With Mama’s permission, he sends a boat out to sea for his father, whom he misses very much. Buckley believes that if the boat does not come back, it must have reached his Papa. He sends boat after boat to Papa, each one more beautiful that the last. Then one day Buckley finds all of his boats carefully collected and kept by his Mama. Buckley sends one last boat - this time with a new message.
• Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah, written by first-time picture book author Laurie Ann Thompson and illustrated by Sean Qualls, is an inspiring true story about triumph over adversity. Born in Ghana with one disabled leg, Emmanuel was dismissed by most people, but taught by his mother to reach for his dreams. He hopped to school more than two miles each way, learned to play soccer, left home at age 13 to provide for his family, and eventually became a cyclist. In 2011, he rode an astonishing four hundred miles across Ghana spreading his powerful message: disability is not inability.
• Knock Knock: My Dad’s Dream for Me, written by Daniel Beaty and illustrated by Bryan Collier, is a heartbreaking and hopeful story about love and loss. Every morning, a boy and his father play a game. While the boy pretends to sleep, his father knocks on the door and approaches the bed to say, "I love you." One day, there is no knock. This powerful and inspiring book shows the love that an absent parent can leave behind and the strength that children find in themselves as they grow up and follow their dreams. Winner of the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award.

“It is extremely important to showcase diversity in the books we have available for our children,” said Melissa Spradlin, executive director of Book’em, a nonprofit children’s literacy organization in Nashville, TN. “Students in our public schools represent more than 100 different countries, many different ethnicities, languages, races and backgrounds. They need to see themselves represented in books in ways they can relate to. They also need to see their classmates and other people in books. These children are our future and that future needs to be inclusive.” Copies of all six titles will be available through the First Book Marketplace, First Book’s e-commerce site which offers new, high-quality books and resources at deeply discounted prices to schools and programs serving kids in need ages zero to 18. The first three titles are also available now in paperback format on Target.com and at Target stores nationwide. “Creating meaningful change to foster a more inclusive society requires broad-based engagement—supported by leading corporations, the publishing community, and driven by a network of educators,” said Kyle Zimmer, president and CEO of First Book. “Every day, in communities around the country and around the world, we see the critical need to further our human understanding and embrace the gifts and experience each of us brings. We need ALL children and ALL educators to have the stories and resources to further learning and enable our children to reach their full potential.”