Search Our Database of Nearly 2,000 Diverse Picture Books

Our collection of picture books featuring Black and Indigenous people and People of Color (BIPOC) is available to the public. *Inclusion of a title in the collection DOES NOT EQUAL a recommendation.* Click here for more on book evaluation.

COVID-19 Info: Currently, our collection is only available via Interlibrary Loan (ILL). However, we appreciate your patience as these services are still limited and you may find inactive links to the Bates Library Catalog and MARC record on certain book pages.

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3552 books in the collection

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A Bowl Full of Peace

2020

by Caren Stelson and Akira Kusaka

"In this deeply moving nonfiction picture book, award-winning author Caren Stelson brings Sachiko Yasui's story of surviving the atomic bombing of Nagasaki and her message of peace to a young audience. Sachiko's family home was about half a mile from where the atomic bomb fell on August 9, 1945. Her family experienced devastating loss. When they returned to the rubble where their home once stood, her father miraculously found their serving bowl fully intact. This delicate, green, leaf-shaped bowl—which once held their daily meals—now holds memories of the past and serves as a vessel of hope, peace, and new traditions for Sachiko and the surviving members of her family." -- publisher

A Gift For Amma

2020

by Meera Sriram and Mariona Cabassa

"In this #OwnVoices book inspired by the author’s hometown of Chennai, India, a girl explores the vibrant rainbow of delights in a southern Indian street market as she searches for a gift for her amma (mother). Endnotes explain all the items on sale and introduce readers to markets around the world." -- publisher

A Girl Like Me

2020

by Angela Johnson and Nina Crews

"Empower young readers to embrace their individuality, reject societal limitations, and follow their dreams. This inspiring picture book brings together a poem by acclaimed author Angela Johnson and Nina Crews’s distinctive photocollage illustrations to celebrate girls of color." -- publisher

A Girl Like You

2020

by Carla Murphy, Frank Murphy and Kayla Harren

"Every girl is a wonder! A Girl Like You encourages girls to embrace what makes them unique, to choose kindness, and to be their own advocates. In an age when girls can be whatever they want, this books reminds them of all the ways to be beautiful, brilliant, and uniquely themselves." -- publisher

A Little Space for Me

2020

by Jennifer Gray Olson

"A inventive picture book about finding much needed personal space within a crowded, busy world. Sometimes the world is just too much, from a sibling's bedtime snoring and a friend's smelly lunch to the crowded playground so loud you can't even think. Follow the journey of one girl as she sets off to find some space of her own. Gradually, she wants more and more until there is nothing left except space, where she can breathe, dream, rest, and think. Soon, the girl decides to tell her family about why space (and mindfulness) is so important to her, and they all learn to share some space together. With ingenious use of images of the galaxy as a metaphor for personal space, A Little Space for Me is a visually stunning and original story for any child who needs to find place of their own in our great, big world." -- publisher

A Place Inside of Me

2020

by Zetta Elliott and Noa Denmon

"From award-winning author Zetta Elliott and rising star illustrator Noa Denmon comes a beautiful #OwnVoices poetic picture book about a brown child discovering and accepting their emotional landscape. In this powerful, affirming poem by award-winning author Zetta Elliott, a Black child explores his shifting emotions throughout the year. Summertime is filled with joy—skateboarding and playing basketball—until his community is deeply wounded by a police shooting. As fall turns to winter and then spring, fear grows into anger, then pride and peace. In her stunning debut, illustrator Noa Denmon articulates the depth and nuances of a child’s experiences following a police shooting—through grief and protests, healing and community—with washes of color as vibrant as his words. Here is a groundbreaking narrative that can help all readers—children and adults alike—talk about the feelings hiding deep inside each of us." -- publisher

A Space for Me

2020

by Cathryn Falwell

"It's just not fair! Alex's big sister has her own room, but Alex has to share a room with their little brother, Lucas, who makes noise, plays with Alex's toys, and takes over both sides of their room. One day, when Lucas breaks Alex's favorite dragon, spills all the crayons, and throws puzzle pieces into the air, Alex has had enough! All Alex wants is a quiet space for himself. In the backyard he creates the perfect spot to read, play, think, and dream. But when Lucas misses him, Alex helps his brother build his own special space too. Some days Alex spends time in his space by himself. Some days Lucas plays in his space by himself. And some days the brothers play in their room--a space for both of them together." -- publisher

A Story About Afiya

2020

by James Berry and Anna Cunha

"Some people have dresses for every occasion but Afiya needs only one. Her dress records the memories of her childhood, from roses in bloom to pigeons in flight, from tigers at the zoo to October leaves falling. A joyful celebration of a young girl’s childhood, written by the late Coretta Scott King Book Award-winning Jamaican poet James Berry." -- publisher

A Unicorn Named Sparkle and the Pumpkin Monster

2020

by Amy Young

"The fourth book in the A Unicorn Named Sparkle series features pumpkins, silly adventures, and of course, a sparkly friendship — perfect for Autumn! Lucy and our favorite unicorn are back. Lucy and Sparkle love Halloween, especially at Frank's Pumpkin Farm. They get to run through corn mazes, play games, decorate pumpkins, and most importantly: eat a lot of cider donuts. But Lucy and Sparkle discover one big difference between them: Lucy loves to be scared every once in awhile. Sparkle? Not so much. When Lucy takes the scary part of Halloween one step too far for Sparkle, she must comfort her frightened unicorn pal—and win back his trust." -- publisher

A Wave of Stars

2020

by Dolores Brown and Sonja Wimmer

"We find magic and emotions in this story written by Dolores Brown and illustrated by Sonja Wimmer. Mimbi and Kipo love who they are: a seal and a turtle. Have you ever heard of the moonbow? It’s a rarely occurring natural phenomenon. Its beauty is otherworldly, but legend says that if animals gaze upon one… they become human! Mimbi the seal and Kipo the turtle live carefree lives in the ocean, playing every day with their friends and listening to old tales the octopus tells at night. But one day… Follow these two friends in this new beautiful and magical legend by the creators behind The Truly Brave Princesses, Dolores Brown and Sonja Wimmer." -- publisher

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3552 books in the collection

A Bowl Full of Peace

A Gift For Amma

A Girl Like Me

A Girl Like You

A Little Space for Me

A Place Inside of Me

A Space for Me

A Story About Afiya

A Unicorn Named Sparkle and the Pumpkin Monster

A Wave of Stars