The goal of this comprehensive literature review is to show the importance of using multicultural and international children's and young adult literature as a needed resource within classrooms across grade levels in order to develop and maintain societies of people around the globe who are knowledgeable of, empathetic toward, and accepting and understanding of one another. A second goal is to show students who work collaboratively using multiple sign systems express their understandings of literature, have encouraged critical thinking skills and are enabled to develop their cultural strengths and talents. This study researched and analyzed the reported importance of the use of multicultural and international children's and young adults' literature and promoted awareness of the need for pre-service teachers to be prepared to use this literature in their future classrooms. Numerous dissertations with the topic of cultural literature were rigorously studied and selected or deselected according to questions pre-chosen by the researcher. The fieldnotes taken from two prominent International Literature conferences were meticulously examined as well, for the input of the need for forth coming teachers to be prepared in using this literature in their classrooms. The findings and conclusions found it to be necessary for pre-service teachers to be prepared on using cultural literature in the most efficient ways according to a conglomeration of award winning authors, illustrators, and prestigious professors who specialize in the area of multicultural and international children's and young adult's literature. Implications prevail heavily that detailed preparation for pre-service teachers in the implementation of the use of this literature is imperative. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]