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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30 matching books
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Seeds of Change
“After stumbling on an area in her Madagascar community devastated by drought, a young girl gets inspired. She gathers her friends and makes her case. They discuss, cooperate, and plan. Everyone has a different idea to contribute, and collaboration leads to the best idea of all. A garden! But when things go devastatingly wrong, what can they do? It takes a lot of courage, but with the support of her whole community, this girl will sow the seeds of change she’s been dreaming of. With sweet, vibrant art from Sawyer Cloud, this rhyming, lyrical picture book about making the effort to invest in the future of ourselves and our community teaches an invaluable lesson about having the patience to see that, in time, effort will blossom into a more peaceful and loving world.” — publisher
Flipflopi: How a Boat Made from Flip-Flops Is Helping to Save the Ocean
“Based on the true story of the Kenyan dhow boat Flipflopi, this inspirational tale demonstrates how innovation, art, and determination can transform plastic pollution into something useful. In 2017, 30,000 flip-flops and other plastic waste items, all collected from the Kenyan coast, were melted, shaped, and carved into the dhow named Flipflopi. Weighing in at 7 tons, this boat is a testament to what can happen when awareness is turned into action.” — publisher
A Dream of Birds
“Sara has a thing for birds. They remind her of her grandfather, who loved birds, and the wonderful show the creatures would put on in his yard each day—like a cloud of colorful flowers carried by the wind.As Sara walks to school in her island town, she longs for the freedom of those birds. Then she spots a new birdhouse full of parakeets in someone’s yard. Sara feels drawn to them and unable to forget them. So what happens the next time, when she finds the door to the birdhouse unlocked? With poetic language and beautiful art, this story set on the African island of Mauritius brings to life a little girl’s deep love of nature, her brash but well-meaning choice, and ultimately, her redemption and dream for a better world.” — publisher
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
Girls / Sétoc leǧoč
“Strong and smart, hard-working and beautiful, girls can be many things. In Ethiopia, where 80% of them live in the rural countryside, they can be all of these things and more: adventurous, brave, kind and curious, and everything in between. Detailed watercolor portraits of the incredible women and girls of Ethiopia fill the pages of our dual-language early reader. ” — publisher
Big Plans / Karoora Gurguddoo
“Based on a true story, this sweet tale follows two hopeful siblings as they try to turn a gift egg into little playmates. But as they eventually discover, sometimes you need more than just a plan to make a dream come true. Young children will delight in following the ambitious youngsters as they try to hatch their egg through a series of vibrant watercolor illustrations. ” — publisher
Big Plans / Telāleq ʻEqedoč
“Based on a true story, this sweet tale follows two hopeful siblings as they try to turn a gift egg into little playmates. But as they eventually discover, sometimes you need more than just a plan to make a dream come true. Young children will delight in following the ambitious youngsters as they try to hatch their egg through a series of vibrant watercolor illustrations. ” — publisher
Surprise on Lake Tana! (English and Amharic)
“Inspired by a true story, this charming tale follows two friends on a trip to visit the ancient island churches of Lake Tana in Ethiopia. But what they expected to be a smooth ride across the large lake in their little boat turns into an adventure when they are stranded in the water with the hippos! ” — publisher
Where Do Dreams Grow? / Halkee Hiigsiga Lagu Kobciyaa?
“If you’re a little kid with a big dream, where can you go to make that dream a reality? What if that dream is to become an architect, a pilot or an engineer? Inspire your emerging bilingual reader to dream big. ” — publisher
Where Do Dreams Grow? / Ḥelmoč ʼEwen Yamihonut Yat Naw?
“If you’re a little kid with a big dream, where can you go to make that dream a reality? What if that dream is to become an architect, a pilot or an engineer? Inspire your emerging bilingual reader to dream big. ” — publisher
