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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903 matching books

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48 Grasshopper Estates

2021

by Sara de Waal and Erika Medina

"A little girl uses imagination and inventiveness to spread friendship through her community. But will she find a friend of her own? Whether it’s a supersonic sandwich maker or a twelve-tailed dragon, Sicily Bridges can make almost anything from materials she finds around her apartment complex. But when it comes to making friends, Sicily has yet to find the perfect fit. With a diverse cast of characters brought to life by illustrator Erika Medina, Sara de Waal’s whimsical debut emphasizes the power of imagination and finding companionship where you least expect it." -- publisher

A Boy Named Isamu

2021

by James Yang

"With stunning artwork and heart-singing text, the 2020 winner of the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award brings to life the imagination of Isamu Noguchi. Winner of the Theordor Seuss Geisel Award in 2020 for Stop! Bot!, James Yang imagines a day in the boyhood of Japanese American artist, Isamu Noguchi. Wandering through an outdoor market, through the forest, and then by the ocean, Isamu sees things through the eyes of a young artist…but also in a way that many children will relate. Stones look like birds. And birds look like stones. Through colorful artwork and exquisite text, Yang translates the essence of Noguchi so that we can all begin to see as an artist sees." -- publisher

A Thousand White Butterflies

2021

by Jessica Betancourt-Perez, Karen Lynn. Williams and Gina Maldonado

"As if being new to the United States wasn’t hard enough, Isabella’s first day of school is canceled due to snow! Isabella has recently arrived from Colombia with her mother and abuela. She misses Papa, who is still in South America. It’s her first day of school, her make-new-friends day, but when classes are canceled because of too much snow, Isabella misses warm, green, Colombia more than ever. Then Isabella meets Katie and finds out that making friends in the cold is easier than she thought!" -- publisher

Arno and His Horse

2021

by Jane Godwin and Felicita Sala

"Arno and his Horse is a beautifully written rhyming text, matched with exquisite illustrations, that explores love, memory, loss and the power objects can hold. When Arno loses his precious toy horse, all the kids  in town help him to look for it. They look everywhere, but will Arno ever see his horse again? A touching story about memory, dreams, and the mysterious ways we feel connected to those we love." -- publisher

Branches of Hope

2021

by Ann Magee and Nicole Wong

"The branches of the 9/11 Survivor Tree poked through the rubble at Ground Zero. They were glimpses of hope in the weeks after September 11, 2001. Remember and honor the events of 9/11 and celebrate how hope appears in the midst of hardship. The Survivor Tree found at Ground Zero was rescued, rehabilitated, and then replanted at the 9/11 Memorial site in 2011. This is its story. In this moving tribute to a city and its people, a wordless story of a young child accompanies the tree’s history. As the tree heals, the girl grows into an adult, and by the 20th anniversary of 9/11, she has become a firefighter like her first-responder uncle. A life-affirming introduction to how 9/11 affected the United States and how we recovered together." -- publisher

I am Frida Kahlo

2021

by Brad Meltzer and Chris Eliopoulos

"The famous Mexican painter Frida Kahlo is the 23rd hero in the New York Times bestselling picture book biography series for ages 5 to 8. Includes a foil mirror! The free-spirited Frida Kahlo survived childhood polio and a terrible bus accident to become one of the most beloved artists in the world. Her subject was the thing she knew best: herself. On her canvases, she depicted her Mexican homeland, her pets, and even her pain. Today, she continues to be admired for the exquisite honesty of her work and for being unafraid to do things differently." -- publisher

It Was Supposed to Be Sunny

2021

by Samantha Cotterill

"A perfectly planned birthday party goes awry in this gentle story about adapting to the unexpected, written for kids on the autism spectrum and called “brilliant” and “engaging” by autism specialist Tony Attwood Laila feels like her sparkly sunshine birthday celebration is on the brink of ruin when it starts to storm. Then, just as she starts feeling okay with moving her party indoors, an accident with her cake makes her want to call the whole thing off. But with the help of her mom and a little alone time with her service dog, she knows she can handle this. Changes in routine can be hard for any kid, but especially for kids on the autism spectrum. Samantha Cotterill’s fourth book in the Little Senses series provides gentle guidance along with adorable illustrations to help every kid navigate schedule changes and overwhelming social situations." -- publisher

Jenny Mei Is Sad

2021

by Tracy Subisak

"With this educational and entertaining picture book, learn how to approach difficult emotions with compassion and understanding—and be the best friend you can be. Jenny Mei still smiles a lot. She makes everyone laugh. And she still likes blue Popsicles the best. But, her friend knows that Jenny Mei is sad, and does her best to be there to support her. This beautifully illustrated book is perfect for introducing kids to the complexity of sadness, and to show them that the best way to be a good friend, especially to someone sad, is by being there for the fun, the not-fun, and everything in between." -- publisher

Matzah Craze

2021

by Jamie Kiffel-Alcheh and Lauren Gallegos

"A fun way to reinforce the idea that it's fun and interesting to eat special foods on Jewish holidays, while also an accessible way to teach non-Jewish kids a bit about Passover When Noa refuses to swap food from her lunch one day, her friends wonder why. She explains it's because it's Passover. For the rest of the week, she brings Passover foods to school to share with her friends to let them enjoy the holiday fun." -- publisher

Milo Imagines the World

2021

by Matt de la Peña and Christian Robinson

"The team behind the Newbery Medal winner and Caldecott Honor book Last Stop on Market Street and the award-winning New York Times bestseller Carmela Full of Wishes once again delivers a poignant and timely picture book that’s sure to become an instant classic. Milo is on a long subway ride with his older sister. To pass the time, he studies the faces around him and makes pictures of their lives. There’s the whiskered man with the crossword puzzle; Milo imagines him playing solitaire in a cluttered apartment full of pets. There’s the wedding-dressed woman with a little dog peeking out of her handbag; Milo imagines her in a grand cathedral ceremony. And then there’s the boy in the suit with the bright white sneakers; Milo imagines him arriving home to a castle with a drawbridge and a butler. But when the boy in the suit gets off on the same stop as Milo—walking the same path, going to the exact same place—Milo realizes that you can’t really know anyone just by looking at them." -- publisher

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903 matching books

48 Grasshopper Estates

A Boy Named Isamu

A Thousand White Butterflies

Arno and His Horse

Branches of Hope

I am Frida Kahlo

It Was Supposed to Be Sunny

Jenny Mei Is Sad

Matzah Craze

Milo Imagines the World