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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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16 matching books

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Amir and the Jinn Princess

2024

by M. T. Khan

“Twelve-year-old Amir is one of the heirs to the Rafiq Bricks Company, a wealthy brick kiln business in Pakistan—except he wants none of it. Seeing straight through the jeweled smiles and transactional conversations, Amir would rather spend time in the courtyard garden, where he can almost feel his missing mother’s presence again. Amir is devastated when his baba announces plans to remarry by the end of the summer, dropping all searches to find Amir’s mother. It’s all a business move, just like everything else in his life. His mother was the only one who allowed him to feel normal, but the last anyone’s seen of her was a year ago. But Amir isn’t ready to give up yet—determined to find his mother before his life changes forever, Amir teams up with a high-spirited, wide-eyed, shape-shifting jinn princess named Shamsa. His exact opposite. The two make a deal—Shamsa will help Amir navigate the twisty and mysterious realm of jinn, and in exchange Amir must use his wits to help Shamsa win a tournament of heirs and put her on the throne. Amir and Shamsa must contend with silver-tongued tricksters and magical rivals, and a truth far more devastating than Amir ever expected.…” — publisher

Folklore

Ra Pu Zel and the Stinky Tofu

2024

by Ying Chang Compestine and Crystal Kung

“The story of Rapunzel where she’s being locked in a tower by a witch is a good one—but it’s not totally the truth. The real story is about a young princess in China named Ra Pu Zel who doesn’t want to talk to princes or look proper. What Pu Zel wants is to cook and eat in peace, her long hair neatly braided to keep it out of her food. And when she gets tired of everyone telling her what to do, she locks herself in a tower with her dog Bao. Although princes from everywhere try to convince her to come down, it’s not until a young chef arrives with an intriguing food to share that Ra Pu Zel finally has a reason.” — publisher

Centering Culture & Identity Folklore

The Fox Maidens

2024

“Kai Song dreams of being a warrior. She wants to follow in the footsteps of her beloved father, the commander of the Royal Legion. But while her father believes in Kai and trains her in martial arts, their society isn’t ready for a girl warrior. Still, Kai is determined. But she is plagued by rumors that she is the granddaughter of Gumiho, the infamous nine-tailed fox demon who was killed by her father years before. Everything comes crashing down the day Kai learns the deadly secret about her mother’s past. Now she must come to terms with the truth about her identity and take her destiny into her own hands. As Kai desperately searches for a way to escape her fate, she comes to find compassion, and even love, in the most unexpected places. Set in 16th century Korea and richly infused with Korean folklore, The Fox Maidens is a timeless and powerful story about fighting for your place in the world, even when it seems impossible.” — publisher

Centering Culture & Identity Folklore Oppression & Resilience

Beauty and the Beast (Plus Jake)

2023

by Jasmine Walls and Vincent Batignole

“Jake thinks he’s too cool for fairy tales, but that changes when he falls into the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale and meets Belle. Her strength lies in her empathy and conviction, and Jake is in awe of her kindness. Jake is also in awe of the Beast’s demanding and rude attitude. What is his problem? When Belle goes to visit her ailing father, Jake takes the opportunity to befriend the Beast. Jake calls out the Beast on his terrible behavior and attitude and learns a few things about himself in this untraditional graphic novel.” — publisher

Folklore

Before the Devil Knows You’re Here

2023

by Autumn Krause

“1836, Wisconsin. Catalina lives with her pa and brother in a ramshackle cabin on the edge of the wilderness. Mamá died years ago, and the harsh winters have brought the family to the brink of starvation. Catalina has replaced her poet’s soul with an unyielding determination to keep Pa and her brother alive, period. When Pa takes suddenly ill, Catalina tries everything to revive him. But as soon as the illness claims him, a strange man appears—a man covered in bark, leaves growing from his head, and sap dripping from his eyes. Before Catalina can stop him, he scoops up her brother and disappears, leaving behind a bird with crimson wings. She can’t let this man—if that’s what he is—have her brother. With no idea where they’ve gone, she grabs Pa’s knife and Mamá’s jorongo and follows the bird. Along the way, she finds help from a young lumberjack, who has his own reasons for hunting the Man of Sap. As their journey takes them deeper into the woods, they encounter strange beasts and tormented spirits who share secrets of the past. The more they uncover about the Man of Sap, the more they learn how deeply Catalina’s fate is entwined with his, planted long ago in cursed seeds.” — publisher

Folklore

Felice and the Wailing Woman (Los Monstruos #1)

2023

by Diana López

“When Felice learns that she’s the daughter of La Llorona, she catches a ride to the magical town of Tres Leches, where her mother is said to be haunting the river. Growing up with her uncle Clem in Corpus Christi, Felice knew that she had been rescued from drowning—it’s where her intense fear of water comes from—but she had no idea her mother remained trapped between worlds, looking for her. Guided by the magical town’s eccentric mayor, Felice vows to help her mother make peace with the events that turned her into the most famous monstruo of US–Mexico border lore. Along the way, she meets the children of other monstruos, like La Lechuza and the Dancing Devil, and together they free Tres Leches from magical and metaphorical curses that have haunted its people for generations.” — publisher

Folklore

Hamra and the Jungle of Memories

2023

by Hanna Alkaf

“On Hamra’s thirteenth birthday, she receives nothing but endless nagging and yet another errand to run in the Langkawi jungle that looms behind her home. No one has remembered her special day. And so, stifled and angry, Hamra ignores something she shouldn’t: the rules of the jungle. Always ask permission before you enter. Hamra walks boldly in. Never take what isn’t yours. Hamra finds the most perfect jambu and picks it. Of course, rules exist for a reason, and soon an enormous weretiger is stalking her dreams, demanding payment for her crimes—or her entire family will suffer. With her almost-best friend Ilyas by her side, Hamra embarks on a quest deep into the jungle to set things right. Along the way she’ll encounter creatures she thought only existed in legends, uncover the weretiger’s secret history, and most important of all, discover the courage to become the hero of her own story.” — publisher

Folklore

Not-So-Sleeping Beauty

2023

by Katie Schenkel and Vincent Batignole

“Ava is frustrated and bored with fairy tales. They are all the same! But when she falls into the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale, she realizes she has a chance to make some important changes! As soon as she meets Briar Rose, Ava takes action. She teaches Briar Rose how important it is to be assertive and question things. Why wait around 100 years for a kiss from a stranger when you can take matters into your own hands? That’s what Ava and Briar Rose do in the untraditional graphic novel.” — publisher

Any Child/Teen

Snow White and the Unevil Queen

2023

by Jasmine Walls and Richard Watson

“Sarah isn’t the nicest kid at school. She doesn’t want to be rude or mean, but sometimes she can’t control it. When Sarah falls into the Snow White fairy tale, she lands in the Evil Queen’s castle. That seems like the perfect place for a mean girl, doesn’t it? But when Sarah finds out that the Evil Queen is extra mean (some would even say she’s a bully), Sarah takes matters into her own hands. Sarah befriends the Queen and gets to the bottom of her evil ways. Working together, they learn that loving yourself and what you already have is an important lesson in this untraditional graphic novel.” — publisher

Any Child/Teen

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