The author's personal experiences indicate that, unfortunately, Appalachian culture in particular has been overlooked in many areas of literature and life. Major bookstores located in the Appalachian region frequently lack sections featuring Appalachian picturebooks. Her experiences with schools also indicate that living in Appalachia does not mean the region's literature is readily available in local classrooms. Most of the preservice teachers in her classes are from the Appalachian region, yet many could not name a single Appalachian picturebook. Some were even uncertain as to what areas of the country constitute the Appalachian region and had difficulty identifying or describing their own cultures. Therefore, she wrote a grant to support the purchase of Appalachian picturebooks for her students. With copies of these texts, and guided practice in using them, these preservice teachers will have a heightened awareness of the region and be better prepared to tackle misconceptions and stereotypes often associated with various cultures, especially that of Appalachia. Through read-alouds of carefully selected picturebooks and teacher-led discussions, educators can successfully portray Appalachia as a changing, developing, and diversifying region, thereby fostering an appreciation and understanding of this culture among insiders and outsiders alike.