Children’s Books About Kamala Harris

I smiled so much while reading this perfectly executed picture book about noodle delivery bicyclists in Japan. Children watch in awe as deliverymen stack plates and bowls of noodles from a nearby sobaya noodle shop into towers, then take off carrying them on a bicycle to deliver them around town. The children attempt to stack their own bowls and plates and ride on their bicycles, but it always ends in a crash! How do the deliverymen do it? At the end, it’s revealed that the children’s dad is one of these noodle deliverymen. An author’s note describes Maclear’s childhood summers in Tokyo watching the cyclists deliver food. The book also includes two photographs of restaurant deliverymen on their bicycles.

This is a vibrantly illustrated picture book about a young Kamala Harris and her sister Maya, written by Maya’s daughter and Kamala’s niece, and based on a true story! Young Kamala and Maya are looking out their apartment window one day when they get a BIG idea — to turn the courtyard into a community playground and garden. But they’re going to need help, organization, enthusiasm, and patience to make it happen. Every time a problem arises, the pair problem solve to find a solution. Back matter includes an author note about how her mom and aunt have inspired her, plus a few photographs from their childhood.

This picture book written by Vice President Harris herself has a similar theme, though an entirely different approach. A child Harris is on the hunt for superheroes, and she soon finds them everywhere. Her mom is a superhero because she makes people feel special. Her sister is a superhero because she can always be counted on. Others in her life help her feel brave and encourage her to study and work hard. Questions are asked for readers to reflect on throughout the story. At the end, Kamala gives a hero code for kids as well as a timeline of her life. She includes numerous photographs, too. It’s a bit text-heavy for younger picture book readers and is probably best for kindergartners and above, depending on the child.

This is my personal favorite picture book about Harris. It has a frame story of a young girl named Eve coming home from school and telling her mother that children at school had said girls can’t be president. The girl’s mother decides to tell her the story of Kamala Harris and her hopes to become president one day (this was written in 2020). She starts at Harris’ roots, her parents’ origins, and follows them to Oakland, CA where Harris is born. It then follows Harris throughout the years until she becomes a senator. It’s written in Nikki Grimes’s trademark verse.