Our Curation Team reviews books to find those that make our hearts sing! Our selected stories ignite imagination and wonder and feature racially and ethnically diverse, LGBTQ+, disabled, and feminist characters and families, among other under-represented characters and families in kids' books. 

Learn how we decide which books to include in our boxes, and meet our Curation Team!

With each 3-book or 5-book delivery, you will also receive a special activity idea to keep the fun and conversation going. (During the pandemic, these special activity ideas are currently provided electronically).

Click these links for information specific to Sunshine Box (Ages 0-2), Rainbow (ages 2-5), and Treehouse (ages 5-8) boxes. When you arrive at these pages, scroll down to the FAQ specific to that box, and review the examples of books included for these boxes.

Meet our Curation Team! Our Curation Team brings expertise from academia, librarianship, teaching, psychology, child development, anti-oppression work, and parenting to our book review process. 100% of the team also has the lived experience of being under-represented in children's books.

Sunshine book boxes are curated for children ages 0-2. Rainbow book boxes are curated for children ages 2-5. Treehouse book boxes are curated for children ages 5-8. If you have questions about which book box is best for the special children in your world, contact us.

You have two options: 

1) Subscribe to two or three independent OurShelves book box subscriptions going to the same address through our regular sign-up process here; or 

2) Combine books from each applicable age range into one Multi-Age book box subscription, which you can do here. 

Please contact us here if you have any questions.

With each 3-book or 5-book delivery, you will also receive a special activity idea to keep the fun and conversation going. (During the pandemic, these special activity ideas are currently provided electronically).

If you follow us at @OurShelveseKids on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and receive our emails, you will also enjoy other special resources for you and your children, including videos from our featured authors and illustrators, articles and interviews about such authors and illustrators and their books, as well as relevant resources on topics like how early childhood bias begins as well as resources for how to discuss and address bias with your children in age-appropriate ways. You will also receive advocacy opportunities to join us in advocating for the many more diverse books still needed. Learn more about Our Advocacy.

We will ship your first box within 5-7 business days of receiving your order. After your first box, you will receive your book boxes on our regular quarterly schedule with deliveries scheduled for March, June, September and December.

OurShelves does -- you receive FREE SHIPPING with your order! Shipping within the U.S. is on us. If you’re outside the U.S., please let us know by clicking here — we are exploring the best ways to ship outside the United States as we speak!

Currently, we offer free shipping anywhere in the United States. Because we have heard from so many outside of the U.S. that you would also like to receive our book boxes, we are researching shipping beyond the U.S. as we speak. Please click here to let us know you’re interested in supporting diverse children's books and OurShelves beyond the United States.

While we attempt to feature the best and often hard-to-find diverse content, occasionally amazing minds think alike, and you may already have one of our selected books. If so, we encourage you to advocate for the sharing of diverse children’s books by gifting this book to a friend, donating it to a library or Little Free Library, or sharing it with a local classroom or community center. (Also, we are currently seeking feedback on the best policy for this issue. We welcome your feedback here.)

Members share stories of feeling exhausted and overwhelmed by the many futile hours they've lost googling and searching for high-quality diverse children's books only to receive endless lists of books of questionable quality that require even further research. Meanwhile, our Curation Team includes experts who live and breathe diverse books. OurShelves connects you directly to their expertise.

Meet our Curation Team! Our Curation Team brings expertise from academia, librarianship, teaching, psychology, child development, anti-oppression work, and parenting to our book review process. 100% of the team also has the lived experience of being under-represented in children's books.

You would be correct. The children's book publishing industry is not where it needs to be. There are still too many identities rendered non-existent in children's books -- either because beautiful books including these identities have not been created, or the books exist but are difficult to find because of inadequate marketing and distribution infrastructures. Please join us in advocating for the many more diverse books still needed.

You can cancel at any time in your account portal or by contacting us at support@OurShelves.com to prevent future charges. Any remaining prepaid boxes on your current subscription will be sent to you in upcoming quarters to complete your subscription.

We are on this journey together. We want to hear from you with any and all questions and ideas. Please contact us here.