IDENTITY
MY HAIR IS AS LONG AS A RIVER by Charlie Castle and Emma Farrarons
My Hair is as Long as a River (Macmillan, 2024) isn't just about a boy with long hair. It's a story about empowerment and a child being comfortable with themselves - making it the perfect read for a focus on children’s mental health and wellbeing.
Children will be lulled by Charlie's gentle rhyming text and Emma's beautiful illustrations. The book captures the magic and creativity of childhood as the boy imagines his hair as part of nature's differing landscapes. Perhaps what stands out most are the boy's reflections of his hair as a part of his identity and the strength that he gains from it.
Teachers will also love this story. It's packed with similes, metaphors and rhyme - making it a fabulous book to explore well into KS2.
(Reviewed by Tracy Bullock, author and educator @thefairytalemum)
A LOVE AS FULL AS THE MOON (Lucy Tandon, Sienna Youngsun Kim)
A Love as Full as the Moon (Puffin, 2026) is a heartwarming celebration of family love, self-acceptance and identity.
Luna’s family are different in lots of ways. She wraps dumplings with Poh Poh, plays dragons with Kong Kong and helps Grannie knit jumpers. Luna loves spending time with all of them and their love for her shines bright like the full moon.
However, when Luna takes her beloved Moon Rabbit to school for Show and Tell, she faces difficult questions about her family and begins to lose confidence in her mixed heritage identity.
As both sides of Luna’s family come together to celebrate the Moon Festival, Luna learns that it’s the love her her family that makes her who she is and, once more, her heart shines bright like the full moon.
(Reviewed by Lucy Falkner, Books That Help mentee 2022-23)
THIS IS WHO I AM (Rashmi Sirdeshpande, Ruchi Mhasane)
This Is Who I Am (Andersen Press, 2025) is a quietly powerful picture book that explores identity and belonging through eyes of a young girl. When she is asked where she comes from, she reflects on her Indian heritage and the country her parents travelled to by plane. In lyrical poetic language, the girl shares that she is shaped by memories, music, food, stories, history and those that came before her. She has grown up with a ‘foot in two worlds’ and is not defined by a single place. Ruchi Mhasane’s dreamily-soft illustrations complement the warmth of the text and invite readers to linger in the pages.
Together, words and pictures invitation meaningful conversations about heritage and belonging, making this a thoughtful choice for classrooms, libraries and homes. It will resonate strongly with children from multicultural backgrounds but will foster much-needed empathy in all readers.
This book reminds us that identity is layered and that being proud of who you are is a powerful act of wellbeing.
MANDY IS STILL A BANANA! (Zoe Arena, Amy Louise Evans)
Mandy is Still a Banana (Hachette, 2025) is a bright, funny and important story about self-acceptance and learning to love what makes you different.
Mandy doesn’t want to be a banana. Who would, when there’s Pedro the pineapple with his prickly top and Wilhelmina the round, smooth watermelon? Mandy hates being yellow and bendy… she even has a sticker! But then Mandy meets Blip the blueberry…
In a world where everyone wants to fit neatly in the fruit bowl, Mandy Is a Banana! celebrates the power of saying, ‘I’m OK with who I am.’ With bold, colourful illustrations and cheeky, silly humour, this story gently explores what it feels like to compare ourselves with others and shows readers that self-acceptance can lead to joy.
BEAUTIFUL LAYERS OF ME (Sophia Payne, Ruchi Mhasane)
In The Beautiful Layers of Me, (Walker 2025) Sophia Payne and Ruchi Mhasane offer young readers a heartfelt and reassuring story about self-confidence, tradition and belonging. This picture book is a gentle but powerful affirmation for any child who has ever felt unsure or anxious about standing out - especially when it comes to cultural clothing.
The story follows a young girl who’s navigating uncertainty about wearing her salwar kameez at a wedding. She begins to understand that her cultural identity is not something to hide, but something to celebrate.
What sets this book apart is its emotional honesty. It doesn’t shy away from the very real fears children may feel - the fear of being different, of being laughed at, of not fitting in. The vulnerability of the main character and the softness if the illustrations compliment each other an exquisitely, as the story gently guides the reader towards confidence and self-acceptance.
A tender and beautifully illustrated celebration of identity that empowers children to wear their heritage with pride.
LITTLE BAD WOLF (Before the Fairy Tale) (Abie Longstaff, Leire Martin)
Little Bad Wolf (Happy Yak, 2025), is the first in a clever, funny new picture book series that reimagines the early lives of familiar fairy-tale characters. With vibrant, energetic illustrations by Leire Martin, this is a witty, action-packed adventure through the ‘before’ of the Big Bad Wolf’s story.
In this version, the Big Bad Wolf isn’t big or bad - yet. He’s just Little Wolfie, a spirited youngster with sharp teeth, a short fuse and a tendency to gobble annoying things. So when a certain red-haired girl makes off with his special cloak, Wolfie’s path to becoming the Big Bad Wolf we all know, is set in motion…
Full of cheeky humour and lots fairy tale details for readers to spot, this ‘before the story’ flips the traditional narrative. It encourages readers to think how reputations are made and whether someone really is as bad as they seem - or if there’s more to the story.
SQUIRREL AND BIRD (Laura Baker, Stacey Thomas)
Squirrel and Bird (Little Tiger, 2025) is a witty and visually striking picture book that invites children to explore the complexities of identity and self-expression. This is a story that flips expectations - and labels - on their head.
We meet Squirrel, who is LOUD, and Bird, who is quiet. And we’re told by the narrator that is all there is to know. But what unfolds is a playful narrative that challenges the reader to look beyond labels and embrace the many sides of themselves and others.
Stacey Thomas’s limited colour palette is striking and, sometimes works in contrast to Laura’s funny text, encouraging discussion.
A joyful, thought-provoking picture book about identity, individuality and the freedom to be more than one thing.