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.
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Am I Blue or Am I Green?/ Azul o Verde. ¿Cuál soy yo?
"Am I Blue or Am I Green- ¿Azul o verde, cual soy yo? is a children's bilingual (Spanish and English) book that explores, through the eyes of a child, the differences between the Red, White and Blue of the American flag and the Green, White and Red of the Mexican flag. Topics covered include: Identity, Citizen Child, Chicano-Latino-Mexican-American Identity, Immigrant Identity, Bilingual (Spanish-English), Undocumented/Unauthorized Status, Mixed Status Family, Citizenship, Mexican Cultural Traditions, BIPOC, Resilience and Freedom." -- publisher
I Wish You Knew
"A heartfelt story that explores the aftermath of deportation, I Wish You Knew celebrates the power of connection and empathy among children. When Estrella’s father has to leave because he wasn’t born here, like her, She misses him. And she wishes people knew the way it affects her. At home. At school. Always. But a school wrapped around a hundred-year-old oak tree is the perfect place to share and listen. Some kids miss family, Some kids are hungry, Some kids live in shelters. But nobody is alone. A story about deportation, divided families, and the importance of community in the midst of uncertainty." -- publisher
A Train Called Hope / Un tren llamado Esperanza
"In this poignant bilingual picture book, a boy remembers his first present, "a little train crossing / the mountain of my pillow / over a valley on my bed." There's even a girl who looks like his sister waving happily from the window! Years later, after his parents have gone far away in search of work and a better future, the boy rides in a real train to join his family. This one is loaded with hundreds of children traveling alone, just like him. There are frightening strangers, others along the way who want to jump on and, scariest of all, a boy who almost falls off the roof because he can't stay awake any longer. When the train finally arrives at its destination, everyone jumps off and the boy begs "the moon to shine, / to light up the border" so he can cross and find his mother. This moving, poetic story by award-winning Salvadoran author Mario Bencastro touches on the difficult journey north many Central American children make in hopes of finding their parents and a better life." -- publisher
A Feast for Joseph
"Joseph misses sharing meals with lots of people like he did back in the refugee camp, so when the neighbors finally come over, it’s a feast! When Joseph and Mama lived in a refugee camp in East Africa, everyone cooked and ate together. And Joseph could always hear someone playing the awal. It’s much too quiet and lonely in his new home. Though Whoosh, the girl who lives upstairs, is friendly, Joseph misses having more people around, especially his grandmother, who still lives across the ocean. So he invites his relatives in the city to come for dinner, then he invites his teacher, then Whoosh and her mami — but everyone is too busy. Ever hopeful, Joseph picks the last greens from the garden. At least he and Mama will be ready to cook if someone comes. The next night Whoosh and her mami appear at the door with a big cake, and Whoosh and Joseph cook up a feast. A touching story about adjusting to a new home and the pleasure of cooking and sharing food with friends." -- publisher
Starting over in Sunset Park
"Jessica and her mom, Camila, must live in their cousins' crowded apartment until Camila finds work making holiday decorations and they can afford their own place. Isolated on the playground and baffled in class, unable to understand her teacher's instructions, Jessica is intensely homesick. But little by little, things get better. She begins to learn English, and she loves the cats she and her mom care for to earn extra money. Left behind by traveling owners, the cats make the best of their situation, inspiring Jessica to do the same."-- Amazon
Maryam the New Yorker
"This series is inspired by the adventures of Maryam, an American multiracial child who lives in Queens, New York. It highlights the diversity and multiculturalism of the City of New York by focusing on Maryam's encounters with children who come from various racial and ethnic backgrounds. Each book takes place in one of the many beautiful parks in the city. The goal of the series is to help children understand that there are many more similarities that exist between people than differences. They also learn about different cultures and immigrant communities that call this unique and vibrant city home. In this book, Maryam goes to Flushing Meadows Corona Park with her parents and baby sister Emmy. Her typical family outing in the park is soon transformed into a beautiful multicultural playdate with Maria. When the two girls and their families start sharing food and stories, Maryam realizes the beauty of friendship that transcends cultural barriers." -- publisher
Coquí in the City
"A heartfelt picture book based on the author-illustrator’s own experiences, about a boy who moves to the U.S. mainland from Puerto Rico and realizes that New York City might have more in common with San Juan than he initially thought. Miguel’s pet frog, Coquí, is always with him: as he greets his neighbors in San Juan, buys quesitos from the panadería, and listens to his abuelo’s story about meeting baseball legend Roberto Clemente. Then Miguel learns that he and his parents are moving to the U.S. mainland, which means leaving his beloved grandparents, home in Puerto Rico, and even Coquí behind. Life in New York City is overwhelming, with unfamiliar buildings, foods, and people. But when he and Mamá go exploring, they find a few familiar sights that remind them of home, and Miguel realizes there might be a way to keep a little bit of Puerto Rico with him—including the love he has for Coquí—wherever he goes." -- publisher
Diarou’s Not So Different
"Diarou is starting her first week in a new school, in a new country, speaking a new language... and she feels completely alone. She moved to the U.S. from Guinea over the summer and is determined to make friends, but with her limited English, she's having trouble communicating with her classmates. Just when she thinks she might be on her own, she meets another new student who’s struggling too. Can Diarou find a way to connect across language barriers to make a true friend? 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. Books were created in collaboration with Shout Mouse Press. Shout Mouse is a nonprofit writing and publishing house dedicated to amplifying underheard voices. Through writing workshops that lead to professional publication, Shout Mouse empowers writers from marginalized backgrounds to tell their own stories in their own voices and, as published authors, to act as agents of change. Learn more at shoutmousepress.org" -- publisher
A New Kind of Wild
"This sweet author-illustrator debut celebrates imagination, the magic of friendship, and all the different ways we make a new place feel like home. For Ren, home is his grandmother’s little house, and the lush forest that surrounds it. Home is a place of magic and wonder, filled with all the fantastical friends that Ren dreams up. Home is where his imagination can run wild. For Ava, home is a brick and cement city, where there’s always something to do or see or hear. Home is a place bursting with life, where people bustle in and out like a big parade. Home is where Ava is never lonely because there’s always someone to share in her adventures. When Ren moves to Ava’s city, he feels lost without his wild. How will he ever feel at home in a place with no green and no magic, where everything is exactly what it seems? Of course, not everything in the city is what meets the eye, and as Ren discovers, nothing makes you feel at home quite like a friend. Inspired by the stories her father told her about moving from Puerto Rico to New York as a child, Zara González Hoang’s author-illustrator debut is an imaginative exploration of the true meaning of “home.”" -- publisher
The Day Abuelo Got Lost
"A touching story about a boy and his grandfather who enjoy a special relationship—until Abuelo starts to lose his memory. Instead of building model planes and cooking together, Luis and his father have to search the neighborhood for Abuelo, and Luis and Abuelo have to find new activities to enjoy together." --publisher