Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite

Carmen Parets Luque’s Fingerprints: A Story About Diversity is a children's picture book that introduces a colorful world of fingerprint characters, each as individual as the mark left by a human finger. Through their daily little lives, the characters show children how people can look different while sharing the same world. Their community includes fingerprints who communicate in different ways and take part in activities that suit their abilities. That said, living among differences does not mean everyone welcomes them. When two yellow fingerprints meet a blue fingerprint, they refuse to play. One tells the blue character, “You’re not from here!” and the other makes it plain that the blue fingerprint is unwelcome. Left upset by their rejection, the blue fingerprint faces a situation familiar to children who have been singled out for being different.

Carmen Parets Luque’s Fingerprints is a wonderful picture book that understands just how early children can learn to treat others with kindness. I appreciate the way its message of acceptance fits naturally into relationships young readers will recognize from their classrooms. The writing is wonderfully accessible, with a gentle conversational quality that invites children to think about how another child might feel. The portrayal of neurodiversity is especially sweet and a reassuring nod to the patience that friendship sometimes asks of us. You can see that when the blue fingerprint reaches toward a classmate in a small gesture that leans into genuine consideration. The illustrations are gorgeous, with hand-drawn fingerprint swirls that give the fingerprints expressive cartoon faces. Saturated turquoise looks beautiful against sunny yellow backgrounds, with pink bringing extra cheer to the artwork. This is the perfect book for preschoolers and early primary school children, especially for shared reading at home or school. Very highly recommended.