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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30 matching books
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Biography 30
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Fiction 1
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Non-Fiction 29
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Zapotec 1
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Boy/Man 29
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Girl/Woman 24
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Secondary 26
Niki Nakayama: A Chef’s Tale in 13 Bites
"Won at auction, this picture book biography tells the story of Niki Nakayama, a powerhouse female Japanese-American chef, and her rise to fame. As a child and adult, Niki faced many naysayers in her pursuit of haute cuisine. Using the structure of a traditional kaiseki meal, the authors playfully detail Niki's hunger for success in thirteen "bites" — from wonton wrappers she used to make pizza as a kid to yuzu-tomatillo sauce in her own upscale Los Angeles Michelin-starred restaurant, n/naka. To anyone who tells her a woman can't be a master chef, Niki lets her food do the talking. And oh, does it talk. Niki was featured on the first season of Netflix's culinary documentary series Chef's Table. And Chrissy Teigen proclaimed that Niki's restaurant is one of her absolute favorites. A smart, strong woman with starpower, Niki is only just getting started -- like the young readers who will devour this book!" -- publisher
Small Room, Big Dreams: The Journey of Julián and Joaquin Castro
"From award-winning author Monica Brown and vibrant illustrator Mirelle Ortega comes an informative, inspirational picture book about twin brothers Julián and Joaquin Castro, who rose from poverty to become leaders on the national stage. Also available in Spanish, with the title Pequeña habitación, grandes sueños . Twins Julián and Joaquin Castro are political forces, but their story began in a small room in San Antonio, Texas, that they shared with their grandmother, Mamo. When Mamo was a girl she crossed into Texas from Mexico, marking the start of the Castros’ American journey. When Julián and Joaquin were kids, they learned about activism from their single mother, who helped improve the barrio through local government. She inspired the twins to get involved in politics, and Julián and Joaquin have been working at the local, state, and national level—as a presidential candidate and former Cabinet member, and a U.S. Congressman, respectively—to make the country a better place for everyone. Together, author Monica Brown and illustrator Mirelle Ortega depict the Castros’ political and personal accomplishments with depth and grace, making this a must-read picture book biography." -- publisher
A Story of Hope / Zāntā Tasfā
"Captured in Ethiopia and sold into slavery as a child, Malik Ambar travels throughout the Middle East until he arrives in India. Despite a lifetime of adversity and hardship, Malik’s love of language and ideas helps him persevere and inspires him to study military history. Through education, hard work and perseverance, Malik learns to manage his master’s finances and trains legions of African horsemen as a commander in the Indian Army. As a free man, he becomes a respected diplomat and earns his place as a respected figure in Indian history. Written by science writer Dr. Worku L. Mulat and illustrated by Ethiopia-educated Daniel Getahun, the story of the Ethiopian slave boy who grew to be regarded as one of the greatest leaders of central and southern India reminds us how empowering and liberating education can be. " -- publisher
Alicia Alonso Dances On
"As a young girl in Cuba, Alicia Alonso practiced ballet in tennis shoes. Within a few years, she was in New York City, with a promising ballet career. But her eyesight began to fail. When Alicia needed surgeries to save her vision, dancing was impossible, but she wouldn't give up her dream. She found the strength and determination to return to the stage and become a prima ballerina. This is the true story of a woman who overcame her challenges, mastered her art, and inspired others to dance and dream." -- publisher
Areli Is a Dreamer
"In the first picture book written by a DACA Dreamer, Areli Morales tells her own powerful and vibrant immigration story. When Areli was just a baby, her mama and papa moved from Mexico to New York with her brother, Alex, to make a better life for the family--and when she was in kindergarten, they sent for her, too. Everything in New York was different. Gone were the Saturdays at Abuela’s house, filled with cousins and sunshine. Instead, things were busy and fast and noisy. Areli’s limited English came out wrong, and schoolmates accused her of being illegal. But with time, America became her home. And she saw it as a land of opportunity, where millions of immigrants who came before her paved their own paths. She knew she would, too. This is a moving story--one that resonates with millions of immigrants who make up the fabric of our country--about one girl living in two worlds, a girl whose DACA application was eventually approved and who is now living her American dream. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is an immigration policy that has provided relief to thousands of undocumented children, referred to as “Dreamers,” who came to the United States as children and call this country home." -- publisher
Moth and Wasp, Soil and Ocean
"Moth and Wasp, Soil and Ocean tells its story through the memories of a farm boy who, inspired by Pu Zhelong, became a scientist himself. The narrator is a composite of people Pu Zhelong influenced in his work. With further context from Melanie Chan’s historically precise watercolors, this story will immerse young readers in Chinese culture, the natural history of insects, and the use of biological controls in farming. Backmatter provides context and background for this lovely, sophisticated picture book about nature, science, and Communist China. “The first time I saw a scientist in my village was also the first time I saw a wasp hatch out of a moth’s egg,” writes the narrator of this picture book about Chinese scientist Pu Zhelong. “In that moment I could not have said which was the more unexpected—or the more miraculous.” Winner of The Sigurd F. Olson Nature Writing Award, Selected for the CCBC Choices 2019 list, Children's Literature Freeman Award 2018, A Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People 2019. In the early 1960s, while Rachel Carson was writing and defending Silent Spring in the U.S., Pu Zhelong was teaching peasants in Mao Zedong’s Communist China how to forgo pesticides and instead use parasitic wasps to control the moths that were decimating crops and contributing to China’s widespread famine. This story told through the memories of a farm boy (a composite of people inspired by Pu Zhelong) will immerse young readers in Chinese culture, the natural history of insects, and sustainable agriculture. Backmatter provides historical context for this lovely, sophisticated picture book. The author, Sigrid Schmalzer, won the Joseph Levenson Post-1900 Book Prize for 2018 for her book Red Revolution, Green Revolution. This is the most prestigious prize for a book about Chinese history, and the book upon which Moth and Wasp, Soil and Ocean is based." -- publisher
The Boy Who Dreamed of Infinity: A Tale of the Genius Ramanujan
"A young mathematical genius from India searches for the secrets hidden inside numbers — and for someone who understands him — in this gorgeous picture-book biography. A mango…is just one thing. But if I chop it in two, then chop the half in two, and keep on chopping, I get more and more bits, on and on, endlessly, to an infinity I could never ever reach. In 1887 in India, a boy named Ramanujan is born with a passion for numbers. He sees numbers in the squares of light pricking his thatched roof and in the beasts dancing on the temple tower. He writes mathematics with his finger in the sand, across the pages of his notebooks, and with chalk on the temple floor. “What is small?” he wonders. “What is big?” Head in the clouds, Ramanujan struggles in school — but his mother knows that her son and his ideas have a purpose. As he grows up, Ramanujan reinvents much of modern mathematics, but where in the world could he find someone to understand what he has conceived? Author Amy Alznauer gently introduces young readers to math concepts while Daniel Miyares’s illustrations bring the wonder of Ramanujan’s world to life in the inspiring real-life story of a boy who changed mathematics and science forever. Back matter includes a bibliography and an author’s note recounting more of Ramanujan’s life and accomplishments, as well as the author’s father’s remarkable discovery of Ramanujan’s Lost Notebook." -- publisher
The Hero of Cinco de Mayo / El héroe del Cinco de Mayo
"This bilingual picture book recounts the story of the Battle of Puebla and the Mexican army’s unexpected win against a much stronger foe. Today this victory is celebrated in the United States as Cinco de Mayo, a day to commemorate the Mexican roots of many US citizens. This non-fiction picture book for older elementary school students contains realistic illustrations depicting the Mexican general and his times. Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín was born in Goliad, Texas, in 1829, when Texas was part of Mexico. When he was seven, Texas became independent from Mexico, and the family had to move to Matamoros, Mexico. Ignacio tried to join the Mexican army in 1846 when the United States declared war, but he was too young. He was finally able to join it when he turned 24. An outstanding soldier, he was named the commander of the Mexican army and navy by President Benito Juárez. In 1862, he had to defend his country against the invading French army, one of the strongest in the world." -- publisher
Traveling Man
"James Rumford, himself a world traveler, has retold Ibn Battuta's story in words and pictures, adding the element of ancient Arab maps-maps as colorful and evocative as a Persian miniature, as intricate and mysterious as a tiled Moroccan wall. Into this arabesque of pictures and maps is woven the story not just of a traveler in a world long gone but of a man on his journey through life." -- publisher
Fauja Singh Keeps Going
"The inspiring true story of Fauja Singh, who broke world records to become the first one hundred-year-old to run a marathon, shares valuable lessons on the source of his grit, determination to overcome obstacles, and commitment to positive representation of the Sikh community. Every step forward is a victory. Fauja Singh was born determined. He was also born with legs that wouldn’t allow him to play cricket with his friends or carry him to school miles from his village in Punjab. But that didn’t stop him. Working on his family’s farm, Fauja grew stronger to meet his own full potential. He never stopped striving. At the age of 81, after a lifetime of making his body, mind, and heart stronger, Fauja decided to run his first marathon. He went on to break records all around the world and became the first person over 100 to complete the grueling long-distance race. With inspiring text by Simran Jeet Singh and exhilarating illustrations by Baljinder Kaur, the true story of Fauja Singh reminds us that it’s both where we start and how we finish that make our journeys unforgettable." -- publisher