Our intention is to acquire and make available ALL picture books featuring Indigenous people and people of color published in the U.S. since 2002, including reprints. Inclusion of a title in the collection DOES NOT EQUAL recommendation. See our related readings page for suggested links for evaluating books.
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Bismillah soup!
A spinoff of the classic Stone Soup folktale, Bismillah Soup is a story about Hasan, a young Somali boy who ventures out to prepare a delicious feast for his mother. With a little bit of elbow grease, a lot of trust in God and the help of his friends and neighbours, Hasan quickly turns his idea into a magnificent plan and gathers the entire community together for a spectacular feast at the local mosque. Hasan's journey is full of unexpected twists and turns that lead him down a path of discovering what community, generosity and reliance on God truly mean.
Gift days
A young girl who longs to study but must run the household and look after her siblings after her mother's death gets an invaluable gift from her brother. One day a week, her brother does her chores so that she can pursue her dream of an education, just as her mother would have wanted, in this tale about overcoming obstacles.
Today is the day
"Mutanu is excited. As she goes about her chores, she thinks about the day to come and what surprises it might bring. For today is no ordinary day at the orphanage she lives in. Every year, the orphanage honors its newest arrivals by creating a birthday day especially for them. From that moment forward, the orphans have a day that they know is theirs--a day to celebrate, a day to enjoy, a day to remember. And today is the day!"--Publisher
Wangari’s trees of peace
This true story of Wangari Maathai, environmentalist and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, is a shining example of how one woman's passion, vision, and determination inspired great change.
Beatrice’s dream
There are approx 2.5 million slum dwellers in about 200 settlements in Nairobi representing 60% of the Nairobi population, and occupying just 6% of the land. Kibera houses almost 1 million of these people. Kibera is the biggest slum in Africa and one of the biggest in the world. Most all of the orphans in Kibera have lost their parents to AIDS
Ethiopian voices
Social life and customs of an eleven-year-old Orthodox Christian Ethiopian girl and her family. Includes Amharic vocabulary words.
The matatu
A young boy takes a ride on the matatu bus with his grandfather for his fifth birthday, and along the way his grandfather tells him the story of why dogs chase the bus, goats run from it, and sheep pay no attention to it
First come the zebra
When two young Kenyan boys, one Maasai and one Kikuyu, first meet, they are hostile toward each other based on traditional rivalries, but after they suddenly have to work together to save a baby in danger, the boys begin to discover what they have in common
Hope springs
Based on the true story of an orphaned boy in Kenya trying to bring clean water to his village
Brothers in hope
Eight-year-old Garang, orphaned by a civil war in Sudan, finds the inner strength to help lead other boys as they trek hundreds of miles seeking safety in Ethiopia, then Kenya, and finally in the United States