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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Only This Beautiful Moment
“2019. Moud (short for Mahmoud) is an out gay teen living in Los Angeles with his distant father, Saeed. When Moud gets the news that his grandfather in Iran is dying, he accompanies his dad to Tehran, where the revelation of family secrets will force Moud into a new understanding of his history, his culture, and himself. 1978. Saeed is an engineering student with a promising future ahead of him in Tehran. But when his parents discover his involvement in the country’s burgeoning revolution, they send him to safety in America, a country Saeed despises. And even worse—he’s forced to live with the American grandmother he never knew existed. 1939. Bobby, the son of a calculating Hollywood stage mother, lands a coveted MGM studio contract. But the fairy-tale world of glamour he’s thrust into has a dark side. Set against the backdrop of Tehran and Los Angeles in three different eras, this sweeping tale of intergenerational trauma and love is an ode to the fragile bonds of family, the hidden secrets of history, and all the beautiful moments that make us who we are today.” — publisher
A Kurta to Remember
“Tomorrow is moving day and one little girl worries about moving so far, far away from her Aaji and Ajoba. But Aaji gifts her with a handmade kurta. A kurta with two big pockets for holding all the small things that will remind the girl of her grandparents–from the mogra flowers in Aaji’s hair to Ajoba’s diya. Then the girl has an even better idea and helps Aaji make two more kurtas with pockets she can fill to remind her grandparents of her too. When finally they are on other sides of a big ocean, they put on their kurtas–and do not feel so far, far away from one another.” — publisher
Papa’s Butter Chicken: A Celebration of Family and Community
“Monica loves the Butter Chicken that her father makes. She spends the day helping him in the kitchen as he prepares the dish, stirring the sauce and adding the spices. And while the chicken bakes, the two dance around the kitchen. When the chicken is done, they get ready to sit down and enjoy the meal together. But then the doorbell rings, and Grandma, Monica’s uncles, and even the neighbors arrive to share in the feast!” — publisher
The Monster in the Bathhouse
“The bathhouse is always busy the day before Nowruz. Everyone wants to be clean for the new year! As three boys enjoy their day at the bathhouse with their fathers, they hear a strange sound and decide to investigate. There’s a big mess, and they hear the sound of someone—or something—large splashing in the baths. What could it be? An unruly guest? A four-legged intruder? Or perhaps…a monster?”–publisher
Rebel of Fire and Flight
“Khadija loves the ancient tales of jinn and renegade princesses… but real life is closing in and her destiny as a ghadæan girl is marriage and boredom. When her father arranges a match, Khadija leaps at the chance of escape – a rogue hot air balloon fighting its ropes for the sky. Soon, Khadija is flying over the desert sands, away from everything she knows. Khadija finds an unlikely ally in a poor young glassmaker’s apprentice, Jacob. But soon, a deadly revolution threatens their friendship and their world. The oppressed, pale-skinned hāri are restless – their infamous terrorist group, the Hāreef, have a new, fearsome leader. And the ruling ghadæans are brutal in their repression. As the Hāreef exploit forbidden magic – summoning jinn to aid their fight – Jacob and Khadija must choose what kind of a world they want to live in and how to make it a reality.” — publisher
Meet Me in Mumbai
“Ayesha is a world away from home when she meets the boy of her dreams. Like her, Suresh is from India but going to high school in Illinois. Once they get together, they are inseparable… until a twist of fate takes Suresh back to India right when Ayesha discovers she’s pregnant. Suddenly she feels she’s on her own, navigating the biggest decision she’ll ever make. Seventeen years later, Ayesha’s daughter Mira finds an old box with letters addressed to her from her birth mother. Although Mira loves the moms who adopted her, she’s intrigued to discover something more about her history. In one letter, Ayesha writes that if Mira can forgive her for what she had to do, she should find a way to travel to India for her eighteenth birthday and meet her. Mira knows she’ll always regret it if she doesn’t go. But is she actually ready for what she will learn?”–publisher
Memory Garden
“Working side by side in a garden, a young girl’s playful adventures with her grandmother tell a larger story of immigration and change. An afternoon at Grandma’s house is full of laughter, gardening, and so much more. In lyrical text that blends the past and present, Memory Garden is a nod to the places we leave behind but never forget.” — publisher
Baba’s Gift
Baba enchants his six daughters with his stories, transporting them to his childhood in Iran as they play on the flowering vines of the Persian carpet in California. He tells the story of a determined young man who comes to the United States, the challenges of leaving his Persian family, and the unfolding of his new American life.
Where We Live
“This fascinating look at 16 children’s neighborhoods around the world broadens readers’ understanding of global cultures. This unique illustrated map book explores the neighborhoods of 16 real children from around the world. Author Margriet Ruurs, who met many of these children in her travels, tells the story of each child’s neighborhood by highlighting the places that are important to them, such as where they live, go to school and play, as well as interesting facts about their lives, including the food they eat, their religious practices and the sights and smells they encounter every day. From big cities, such as Amsterdam and Beijing, to small communities, such as Salt Spring Island in Canada and the village of Komanyana in Zambia, each place is special to the children who live there. In the book’s opening pages, Ruurs explains what a map is and what its component parts are: compass rose, legend, scale bar. Then, each child’s story gets its own spread, with Wenjia Tang’s playful and inviting maps as a backdrop featuring illustrations of the important places and a legend specific to that map. Each of the maps in the book is based on the child’s actual neighborhood. The “Say It!” box includes words and phrases in the child’s native language. This book has a wealth of social studies applications: it’s both a valuable resource … and an insightful look at how much children around the world have in common, this book has a wealth of social studies applications. It makes a perfect jumping-off point for projects in which children create their own map and story or do further research on any of the neighborhoods in the book. Back matter includes activities, a glossary, an author’s note and a further-reading list.” — publisher
Letters from a Prophet
“The book starts from the dawn of a new era for the early Muslims as they welcomed the promise of peace. Detailing The Prophet’s decision as well as efforts to invite the wider world to a better way of living. Describing how monumental the task at hand was for those selected to deliver the message. From how the messengers were chosen to visit the opulent palaces of the Roman Empire, how they travelled by boat up the Nile to Alexandria, the journey itself from crossing vast planes to approach the extravagant fortresses of mighty Persia. Including the reactions to the letters which varied in extremes, and how they all carried profound lessons. Finally, the book covers the lessons and truths that are as applicable to our lives today as they were then, all from these Letters of A Prophet.” — publisher
