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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34 matching books
Show FiltersGrowing Gold
"In this story from India, a farmer’s three lazy sons don’t want to work – they just want a lot of gold. When their mother tells them about the gold buried in the field, they discover the value of a good day’s work." -- publisher
The Clever Tailor
"This adaptation of a European folktale is about a talented tailor who uses his creativity to provide for his family. Suitable for diverse and multicultural book lists, and suitable for books about upcycling. With timeless art that swirls through the pages like a traditional Indian turban, The Clever Tailor by Srividhya Venkat and Nayantara Surendranath is a contemporary Indian take on a European folktale about the value of being resourceful and finding creative ways to minimize waste. Accompanied by a glossary of Hindi words, this title is an ideal addition to multicultural book collections." -- publisher
Issun Bôshi
"This classic Japanese fairy tale tells the story of Issun Bôshi, the tiny son of an old, long childless couple. This classic Japanese fairy tale tells the story of Issun Boshi, the tiny son of an old, long childless couple. Tiny and brave--these are the two most striking characteristics of Issun Boshi. His mother had longed to have a child for so many years that she finally added "even if it is a very small one" to her wish. When the elderly couple did in fact bear a son, he turned out to be only one inch high. He was thus called Issun Boshi, Japanese for one-inch boy. Although his parents raised him very lovingly, Issun Boshi realized one day that he would not grow any taller. He then left his home to set off on a journey to find his place in the world. Because he saw himself as a swordfighter, a samurai, he made sure to take along the right equipment: a needle was his sword, a soup bowl was his boat, and a chopstick was its rudder. As in any proper fairy tale, Issun Boshi is tested in several adventures. He handles himself so bravely that, in the end, he is rewarded with just the right princess." -- publisher
Nian, The Chinese New Year Dragon
"A young girl takes action when a dragon threatens her village in this retelling of the Nian legend, which explains why the Chinese New Year is celebrated for fifteen days. 2020 EUREKA Excellence in Nonfiction Awards - Gold Winner 2020 Feather Quill Reviewer's Choice Award. Mei hates springtime. Why? Because it's only in the spring that Nian, a fierce dragon, is able to leave his mountain prison under the sea to terrorize the local village. When the villagers hear the rumblings of Nian's hungry stomach, they know that winter has ended and spring is coming. But this year on the night before the first day of spring, a magical warrior visits Mei in her dreams. He tells Mei that it is her destiny to face and defeat Nian. But she must do it within 15 days or the dragon will be free forever. Author Virginia Loh-Hagan (PoPo's Lucky Chinese New Year) gives this retelling of the Nian legend an original twist, while explaining the origins of Chinese New Year traditions." -- publisher
Red Butterfly
"An enchanting tale of hidden beauty and fierce courage, retold in the style of T’ang Dynasty poetry and illustrated with charm and grace A young Chinese princess is sent from her father’s kingdom to marry the king of a far-off land. She must leave behind her home of splendors: sour plums and pink peach petals and — most precious and secret of all — the small silkworm. She begs her father to let her stay, but he insists that she go and fulfill her destiny as the queen of Khotan. Beautifully told and arrestingly illustrated, here is a coming-of-age tale of a brave young princess whose clever plan will go on to live in legend — and will ensure that her cherished home is with her always." -- publisher
Fatima the spinner and the tent
"Fatima's life is beset with what seems to be disasters. Her journey leads her from Morocco to the Mediterranean, Egypt, Turkey and, finally, to China. It is in China that she realizes that what seemed at the time to be really unfortunate events were an integral part of her eventual fulfillment."--Jacket flap
Room in Your Heart
"'Neypo shong gna? Is there room for me?' a wandering monk asks the old lady who lives on the hill. The question is repeated again and again as more and more visitors arrive. The kind lady welcomes them in one by one. But how will they all fit in her tiny little house? This charming tale contains an important teaching about openness and generosity of spirit."--Page 4 of cover
A Tangle of Brungles
A coven of witches stirs up a spell using a quiver of cobras, a lounge of lizards, a mess of iguanas, and other animal ingredients. From publisher: "One of the things we wanted to do with A Tangle of Brungles was to portray witches in the manner they are represented in Indian folklore – the ‘dayan’ (or daayan) has feet that face the other way, for example. We also consciously avoided showing them sporting tall pointy hats or broomsticks. The head witch wears a forehead ornament that is commonly worn in India during special occasions. There are other subtle things – for example, cooking in a large pot out in the open is a practice often followed during Indian festivals that are of a celebratory nature, e.g. Pongal, the harvest festival. As for Brungle, we wanted to portray him as a handsome, dapper character whose casually slung scarf and dark sunglasses are reminiscent of Indian movie stars in posters."
Grandma Panda’s China storybook
To the delight of her grandchildren, Grandma Panda relates Chinese legends, including the tales of Mulan the woman warrior and Luban the inventor of the kite
Cinnamon
Cinnamon was a princess, a long time ago, in a small hot country, where everything was very old. Cinnamon did not talk. Mango trees, a parrot, and a beautiful room in the palace do nothing to help the teachers who try to make her to speak. Can a man-eating tiger do so, and exactly who will end up in the belly of the beast?