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.
Find titles using a keyword search below (e.g. adoption, birthday, holidays, etc.), or by selecting one or a combination of filters on the lefthand sidebar below.
First time here? Start here!
61 matching books
Show FiltersFilter Results
-
Any Child 43
-
Cross Group 16
-
Folklore 3
-
Disability 10
-
STEM 6
-
Fiction 61
-
Boy/Man 44
-
Girl/Woman 54
-
Secondary 55
Not in that Dress, Princess!
"In a spirited challenge to gender stereotyping, Princess Bess shows that THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN’T DO IN A DRESS! Once there was a girl called Bess who hated being a princess...For while her brothers can do anything they want, the princess is stuck inside the palace in her dress. "Can I climb a tree?" "NOT IN THAT DRESS!" But..."Just watch me" says the princess, she skips up a mountain, dances with a wizard, flies a plane, meets wild animals - and proves to everyone that THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN'T DO IN A DRESS!" -- publisher
Rainbow Hands
"A color-filled story about a young boy embracing his identity When a young boy paints his nails with his mom’s nail polish, he discovers the most important thing of all: the magic of being his true self. As the long late summer day stretches ahead of them, a young boy eagerly looks forward to his favorite time—painting-your-nails time. He know that when he dips into those magical bottles of nail polish, he will discover a color to express his every mood and feeling. Purple is the color of magic and mystery. White is the color of endless possibilities. At times, his papa frowns and says, "What have you done to your nails?" At other times, he says, "Why don’t you paint on paper instead?" But the little boy knows that painting his nails makes his hands look beautiful. This color-filled story celebrates the joy of finding out who you are and embracing the courage to be yourself." -- publisher
When Langston Dances
"A young Black boy dreams of dancing in this exuberant, buoyant picture book celebrating the beauty of dance, and the wonder of Black Boy Joy—perfect for fans of Firebird and Crown! Langston likes basketball okay, but what he loves is to dance—ever since he saw the Alvin Ailey Dance Company perform. He longs to twirl into a pirouette, whirl into a piqué. He wants to arabesque and attitude, grand battement and grand jeté. When he walks, the whole street is his stage. With his neighborhood cheering him on, will Langston achieve his dream?" -- publisher
Kat Hats
"A wild picture book starring a world-renowned cat, his trainer, a cast of quirky characters from award-winning creators Daniel Pinkwater and Aaron Renier Thermal Herman 6-7/8 is the top Kat Hat in Matt Katz’s company. A trained cat who is able to form himself into specialty hats, Thermal Herman is world-renowned for his warmth and agility. When a friend wanders off with a brain freeze and finds themself in peril, Thermal Herman must rush in to save the day in this zany and cleverly illustrated picture book, sure to make young readers giggle with every page." -- publisher
A Sky-Blue Bench
"A young Afghani amputee matter-of-factly removes her own barrier to education, building a bench from discarded wood so that she and her “helper-leg” can sit through school in comfort. It's Afghani schoolgirl Aria's first day back at school since her accident. She's excited, but she's also worried about sitting on the hard floor all day with her new prosthetic "helper-leg." Just as Aria feared, sitting on the floor is so uncomfortable that she can't think about learning at all. She knows that before the war changed many things in Afghanistan, schools like hers had benches for students to sit at. If she had a bench, her leg would not hurt so much. The answer is obvious: she will gather materials, talk to Kaka Najar, the carpenter in the old city, and learn to build a bench for herself. In A Sky-Blue Bench, Bahram Rahman, author of The Library Bus, returns again to the setting of his homeland, Afghanistan, to reveal the resilience and resolve of young children—especially young girls—who face barriers to education. Illustrator Peggy Collins imbues Aria with an infectious spunkiness and grit that make her relatable even to readers with a very different school experience. An author's note gently introduces an age-appropriate discussion of landmines and their impact on the lives of children in many nations, especially Afghanistan, which has the highest concentration of landmines of any country in the world." -- publisher
Rainbow Boy
"A picture book about a world of colors and a little boy who refuses to choose just one favorite. A story about a boy with a heart too big for one color alone. A little boy attempts to answer one of grown-ups' all-time favorite questions: "What's your favorite color?" But with so many wonderful colors to choose from, he doesn't know how to answer. He loves his pink sparkly tutu, bright red roses, soft yellow baby doll pajamas, and big, orange basketball. How will he ever pick?" -- publisher
Man Up!
"Aaron is outgoing and funny and a whiz at kickball. He’s also compassionate and kind, reading books at the old folks home down H street. Basically, he’s pretty great. But he’s got a problem: everyone calls him a crybaby. When his friends cheat at Forknife, he cries out of anger. When he sees his brother Tayshawn hurt a neighborhood dog, he cries out of empathy. And when misses his oldest brother, Sage, who’s away at college, he cries out of loneliness. His dad, his friends, and his classmates tell him to “Leave that crying for the girls.”How can Aaron learn to value his feelings and nurture his sensitivity in a world telling him to “Man up”? The authors of this story are part of an innovative program run by Reach Incorporated. Reach develops grade-level readers and capable leaders by preparing teens to serve as tutors and role models for younger students, resulting in improved literacy outcomes for both. Learn more at reachincorporated.org." -- publisher
Little Things
"One girl’s simple act of kindness causes ripples in her community in this witty, heartwarming story about paying it forward The day after a mighty storm, a little girl finds a sea star that has washed up on shore, and she returns it to the ocean. Seeing her small act of kindness, an old man heads to an animal shelter with his grandson to pick a dog in need of a home. His grandson feels inspired to help an elderly woman clean up her yard, which inspires a teenager to pack an extra lunch for someone in need, and on and on until each small gesture builds toward a magnificent conclusion. Full of humor, heart, and proof of the generosity that we all have inside of us, Christian Trimmer and Kaylani Juanita’s story is a welcome reminder: It’s the little things that make a big difference." -- publisher
What You Don’t Know
"A 6th grader speaks out about his queerness, Blackness, and the love that dismantles whiteness. FEATURED IN MS. MAGAZINE'S "15 BOOKS FOR KIDS THAT PROVE YOU CAN BE A FEMINIST AT ANY AGE" Anastasia Higginbotham's What You Don't Know: A Story of Liberated Childhood delves into queerness, Blackness, and the love that dismantles whiteness. It’s a book about knowing deeply that you matter—always did, always will. It’s a book about what schools get wrong and churches don’t say; but institutions are made by people and the people are evolving. It’s a book about being known and cherished by family, and living in communion with your own personal Jesus, Buddha, Spirit, Source, Father, Mother, God, breath, inner space, outer space, nothingness, and however else we name and relate to our divinity and humility in the presence of all we don’t know." -- publisher
Phoenix Goes to School
"An illustrated storybook that empowers and supports trans children to express their gender identity My Mommy tells me I'm perfect and to be brave. "You know who you are," she says, "Just be yourself and always listen to your heart." With those words of encouragement from her Mom, Phoenix is preparing for her first day of school. She is excited but scared of being bullied because of her gender identity and expression. Yet when she arrives at school she finds help and support from teachers and friends, and finds she is brave enough to talk to other kids about her gender! This is an empowering and brightly-illustrated children's book for children aged 3+ to help children engage with gender identity in a fun, uplifting way. It supports trans children who are worried about being bullied or misunderstood. Phoenix wants to wear her favourite purple dress to express her gender, but she is scared of being bullied on her first day of school. Follow Phoenix's journey as she arrives at school, makes some friends, stands up for herself, and helps us learn to be true to who we really are." -- publisher