Your name is something to be proud of. There are so many beautiful names, and they can say so much about a person. This list of new children’s books about names introduces characters that have names that are different from their friends and classmates, and shows how they learn to be proud of their names.

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Always Anjali

Written by Sheetal Sheth and illustrated by Jessica Blank

This beautiful book follows a young girl named Anjali as she learns the beauty and importance of her name. When she gets a new bike, she wants a license plate for it, but she can’t find one with her name on it. As she is mocked by a bully at school for her name, she decides she doesn’t want to be named Anjali anymore. But her mother reminds her why she was given the name, and Anjali decides to make her own license plate and stand up to her bully.

The Boy Who Tried to Shrink His Name

Written by Sandhya Parappukkaran and illustrated by Michelle Pereira

When Zimdalamashkermishkada starts at a new school, he is worried about sharing his very long name with other people. He decides to shorten it to Zim, but it doesn’t feel right to him. When he meets a new friend, she helps him conquer his skateboard and feel confident in his name as well. The illustrations use interesting imagery to show the hefty weight of his name, as well as how his progress on skateboard and with his friend helps him to grow.

Alma and How She Got Her Name

Written by Juana Martinez-Neal

This story follows a young girl named Alma Sofia Esperanza Jose Pura Candela as she learns the story of her name from her father. He explains to her why she was given each part of her name, and she realizes that each part makes up a part of who she is. The back of the book includes a note from the author asking readers what story their name tells about them.

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Naming Ceremony

Written by Seina Wedlick and illustrated by Jenin Mohammed

Join a young girl named Amira as she and her family prepare for her baby sister’s naming ceremony. As family and friends arrive at the home, Amira asks about the names they are offering to the baby. In the end, she picks the perfect name for her new sister. The back of the book includes more information about the naming ceremony tradition in West Africa.

My Name is Long as a River

Written by Suma Subramaniam and illustrated by Tara Anand

This beautifully illustrated book follows a young girl named Kaveri Thanjavur Jayalakshmi Ganesan as she learns the importance of her long name. She usually prefers that people call her Kav, but as she helps her family prepare for the Kaveri Pushkaram festival, her grandmother explains the significance of each part of her name and shows her why it is important to be proud of it. The back of the book includes a glossary of words used in the book, as well as a note from the author, poems and sayings about the Kaveri River, and instructions for getting names right.

My Name is Saajin Singh

Written by Kuljinder Kaur Brar and illustrated by Samrath Kaur

This beautiful book follows a young boy named Saajin who loves his name. But when he goes to school, his teacher pronounces it wrong and he assumes that must be how it is pronounced when he leaves the house, because “teachers know everything”. Eventually his parents remind him of the importance of his name, and Saajin is encouraged to teach people the correct pronunciation. This is a great reminder for readers that everyone makes mistakes and that everyone has a right to have their name pronounced correctly.

What are your favorite new children’s books about names? Share them in the comments below!

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