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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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Pearl

2024

by Sherri L. Smith and Christine Norrie

“Amy is a thirteen-year-old Japanese-American girl who lives in Hawaii. When her great-grandmother falls ill, Amy travels to visit family in Hiroshima for the first time. But this is 1941. When the Japanese navy attacks Pearl Harbor, it becomes impossible for Amy to return to Hawaii. Conscripted into translating English radio transmissions for the Japanese army, Amy struggles with questions of loyalty and fears about her family amidst rumors of internment camps in America — even as she makes a new best friend and, over the years, Japan starts to feel something like home. Torn between two countries at war, Amy must figure out where her loyalties lie and, in the face of unthinkable tragedy, find hope in the rubble of a changed world.” — publisher

Centering Culture & Identity Oppression & Resilience

Sashiko’s Stitches

2024

by Sanae Ishida

“Sashiko is a young girl with very big feelings. When her mother teaches her about her namesake—the traditional Japanese practice of mending through embroidery—she finds an outlet for some of those emotions. With each stitch, the dark cloud around her lightens, until her big fears begin to feel less scary. As she heals tears in the fabric, she begins to find a sense of calm and hope. This deeply resonant picture book explores the transformative power of creative expression, as Sashiko finds threads of peace in her newfound craft. Children and parents alike will take away an appreciation for this beautiful artistic tradition, and for the great potential creative practices have to help us cope with difficult emotions.” — publisher

Centering Culture & Identity

Wat Takes His Shot: The Life & Legacy of Basketball Hero Wataru Misaka

2024

by Nat Iwata

“As a kid, Wataru Misaka channeled his endless energy into playing sports. Every Sunday, he raced to the park where his Japanese American community came together to play basketball. Wat wasn’t the tallest on the team, but he was fast and loved the game! Encouraged by his father to always do his best, Wat applied this mentality to every aspect and challenge in his life. Wat was a college student when the US government forced more than 122,000 Japanese Americans living on the West Coast into incarceration camps during WWII. He overcame racism and segregation to join his college’s basketball team but despite Wat’s impressive skills, he was treated as an outsider because he was Japanese American. Wat kept his eye on the ball, and his team-player mentality made him shine on and off the court. He became an inspiration to his Japanese American community. After helping Utah University’s basketball team win the national championship in 1947, Wat was drafted by the New York Knicks, making him the first person of color to play in the NBA.” — publisher

Biography/Autobiography Centering Culture & Identity Oppression & Resilience

Brave Mrs. Sato

2023

by Lori Matsukawa and Tammy Yee

“When a little girl has to move away, her babysitter helps her feel brave through food, stories, and traditions. In a little Hawaiian house with a mango tree, Cathy and her babysitter Mrs. Sato spend their afternoons arranging flowers, cooking, and having adventures. When Cathy has to move away, Mrs. Sato comforts her by sharing her own story of immigrating from Japan to Hawaii. Lori Matsukawa’s debut children’s book tells a heartwarming story of intergenerational friendship, immigration, and bravery. She shows readers how heritage, food, traditions, and stories can help them feel at home wherever they are.” — publisher

Centering Culture & Identity

Grandmothers, Our Grandmothers: Remembering the “Comfort Women” of World War II

2023

by Han Seong-won

“Focusing on the “Comfort Women” of his native Korea as well as from other countries, author and artist Han Seong-won tells the stories of women who were coerced, sometimes through abduction, into sexual slavery wherever the Japanese army put down stakes. Through his personal encounters with these valiant women, Han portrays strong individuals who refused to allow their identities to be defined by what was forced upon them. Rather, they are defined by their continuing triumph over pain, loss and memory even though their ordeals remain with them in some form to this day. Now in their nineties, these women are artists, musicians and activists. They share their personal stories with us, and give us their testimony. This book honors so many women, like Grandmother Kang Il-chul, abducted from her home at gunpoint when she was a girl, threatened with murder when she contracted typhoid. And Grandmother Kim Hak-soon, who began giving public testimony in 1991, testified before the UN in 1993, and remained an activist for the rest of her life. It honors women who bore witness on behalf of their mothers, who kept their ordeal a secret and carried it to their graves. It honors those who have been standing in solidarity beside these women over the years. Alongside passionate advocates from younger generations, the Grandmothers in Korea have been protesting on a weekly basis since 1992—speaking for all victims of war and violations of human rights.” — publisher

Biography/Autobiography Oppression & Resilience

How Kids Play Around the World

2023

by Stepanka Sekaninova and Michaela Bergmannová

“Children like to play above all else, either alone or with friends. But how and what they play varies from place to place. Would you like to know about games played in Africa, New Zealand, South America, or Vietnam? This book will show you that some games are pretty much the same wherever you go, while others are completely different and unfamiliar. In each chapter a local kid poses as a guide who introduces us to the typical and most popular games and plays of a certain country or culture. Kids will learn that every nation likes to have fun in their own way and that difference is what makes each culture special.” — publisher

Informational Race/Culture/Identity Concepts

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