Our collection of picture books featuring Black and Indigenous Peoples and People of Color (BIPOC) is available to the public.
*Inclusion of a title in the collection DOES NOT EQUAL a recommendation.*
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5 matching books
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Where the Black Flowers Bloom
“A gripping, richly imagined fantasy set in an alternate African world in which a Black girl finds her power and saves her people from evil, by the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award–winning author of Black Panther: The Young Prince. Asha doesn’t understand the mysterious words Suna manages to utter before she dies, just that the only mother she has ever known is gone. Together with her friend Obo, she sets off to find answers—but the land of Alkebulan is vast and filled with strange creatures, and there’s an evil sorcerer, the Shrike, stalking Asha and spreading darkness throughout the realm. Along the way, Asha begins to discover her own untapped powers, and uncovers shocking secrets about her family and the Shrike. Could Asha be the key to stopping him and bringing peace to the people of Alkebulan at last?” — publisher
Beneath the Burning Wave (The Mu Chronicles Book 1)
“This is the first book in a visionary YA fantasy trilogy exploring the origin of gender and desire in an epic queer fusion of Japanese folklore and Egyptian mythology. I was incapable of imagining what I had never seen… Kaori and Kairi are the first twins to survive infancy on the ancient island of Mu, where gender is as fluid as the crashing waves. One was born of fire, the other of water. But there’s a reason why none have survived before. A prophecy that has haunted the elders since time began. A rivalry destined to sink the entire island beneath a twin catastrophe of volcano and tsunami. As hatred spills from the forbidden twins like the deadly poison of sacrificed sea snakes, they must decide what matters to them most… The fight for the island – for tradition and duty. Or the fight for freedom – for love and light. The Mu Chronicles is a visionary YA fantasy trilogy exploring the origin of gender and desire in an epic queer fusion of Japanese folklore and Egyptian mythology.” — publisher
Black Panther: Uprising
“One day, he will wear the mantle of the Black Panther. But for now, thirteen-year-old T’Challa is back in Wakanda—back to his training, his family, and the comforts of home. And he is surprised to find himself missing his friends so soon after his recent time in America. That’s why he’s thrilled when Sheila and Zeke come for a surprise visit. But their introduction to the wonders of Wakanda takes a dark turn when a national holiday goes wrong—and the mysterious, terrifying Originators are unleashed from the kingdom’s past. Even worse, now the elders of Wakanda, including T’Challa’s parents, are banished to a place beyond space and time. To save his nation, T’Challa will need the help of all his friends, including M’Baku and his sister, Shuri. It’s a supernatural showdown between Wakanda’s past and its future, and it will challenge all that T’Challa thinks he knows about his home.” — publisher
Redemptor (Raybearer Book 2)
“For the first time, an Empress Redemptor sits on Aritsar’s throne. To appease the sinister spirits of the dead, Tarisai must now anoint a council of her own, coming into her full power as a Raybearer. She must then descend into the Underworld, a sacrifice to end all future atrocities. Tarisai is determined to survive. Or at least, that’s what she tells her increasingly distant circle of friends. Months into her shaky reign as empress, child spirits haunt her, demanding that she pay for past sins of the empire. With the lives of her loved ones on the line, assassination attempts from unknown quarters, and a handsome new stranger she can’t quite trust . . . Tarisai fears the pressure may consume her. But in this finale to the Raybearer duology, Tarisai must learn whether to die for justice . . . or to live for it.” — publisher
Kariba
“The daughter of a river god, raised by a human father and bound to a tragic destiny. An African fantasy-adventure graphic novel inspired by the mythology of the Zambezi River and the history of the Kariba Dam, one of the largest dams ever constructed. Siku has always called the Zambezi River her home. She understands the water – and strangely enough, it seems to understand her, too, bending to her will and coming to her aid in times of need. But things are changing on the river – a great dam is being built, displacing thousands of Shonga people – and things are changing in Siku, too, as her ability to manipulate water grows out of control, and visions of a great serpent pull her further from reality and her loving father, Tongai. When Tongai ventures to the Kariba Dam to find a cure for Siku and never returns, she sets off to find him with the help of Amedeo, the young son of Kariba’s chief engineer. Together, they traverse elephant graveyards, rugged jungles, and ancient ruins, outrunning pirates, bootleggers, and shape-shifting prophets ready to use Siku to their own advantage. But Siku soon discovers that her father has been shielding a terrible secret: Siku is actually the daughter of the Great River Spirit, Nyaminyami, and the only way to bring about the necessary rumuko – a ritual which has brought balance to the Zambezi for centuries – is for Siku to give up the only life she’s ever known. With the future of the Shonga resting on her shoulders, Siku must journey to the source of the river to understand the ancient power hidden within her. ” — publisher
