Search Our Database of Nearly 2,000 Diverse Picture Books

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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Sky dancing

2011

by Ellen Erwin and Renata Fryshara

Ruby and Jamal want to learn how to be stilt walkers, but only boys can join the local mocko jumbie troupe. Follow their adventures and misadventures in this exuberant story of courage, tolerance, friendship, and fun. Lavish illustrations sparkle and shine with the colors of the Caribbean, and will engage even the youngest readers

The patchwork bike

2018

by Maxine Beneba Clarke and Van T. Rudd

"When you live in a village at the edge of the no-go desert, you need to make your own fun. That's when you and your brothers get inventive and build a bike from scratch, using everyday items like an old milk pot (maybe Mum is still using it, maybe not), a bent bucket seat, and bashed tin-can handles. The end result is a spectacular bike, perfect for going bumpetty bump over sand hills, past your fed-up mum, and right through your mud-for-walls home"-- Back cover

Beatrice’s goat

2004

by Page McBrier and Lori Lohstoeter

A young girl's dream of attending school in her small Ugandan village is fulfilled after her family is given an income-producing goat. Based on a true story about the work of Project Heifer. More than anything, Beatrice longs to be a schoolgirl. But in her small African village, only children who can afford uniforms and books can go to school. Beatrice knows that with six children to care for, her family is much too poor. But then Beatrice receives a wonderful gift from some people far away--a goat! Fat and sleek as a ripe mango, Mugisa (which means "luck") gives milk that Beatrice can sell. With Mugisa's help, it looks as if Beatrice's dream may come true after all. Page McBrier and Lori Lohstoeter beautifully recount this true story about how one child, given the right tools, is able to lift her family out of poverty. Thanks to Heifer Project International--a charitable organization that donates livestock to poor communities around the world-- other families like Beatrice's will also have a chance to change their lives

Fatuma’s new cloth

2002

by Leslie Bulion and Nicole Tadgell

In East Africa, a young girl learns that one cannot always judge by appearances as she and her mother visit a market in search of kanga cloth and meet merchants who all claim they have the secret to good chai (tea)

The elephant keeper

2017

by Margriet Ruurs and Pedro Covo

"In 14-year-old Aaron's village in Zambia, poaching for ivory is common practice, and elephants are feared because of the danger they pose to humans and the damage they often cause to crops so important to the villagers' livelihoods. But when Aaron encounters a newborn elephant in distress, his instinct is not to run away, but to jump to its rescue. This is the beginning of a beautiful bond of friendship and a meaningful vocation. This moving story, written by Margriet Ruurs and stunningly illustrated by Pedro Covo, is inspired by the true story of Aaron and Zambezi-a teenage Zambian boy and an orphaned baby elephant that was rescued from a swimming pool at a holiday lodge. Aaron had been a casual laborer, just trying to make enough money to support his family, but when gamekeepers noticed his natural ability to care for animals, he was offered a job as an elephant keeper at the Lilayi Elephant Nursery, where his still works to this day. Zambezi was only one month old when he was found nearly drowning in a holiday lodge swimming pool. His mother had been killed by poachers and he'd been separated from his herd. Severely dehydrated, he'd tried to drink from the pool and had fallen in. Now Zambezi is nearly 6 years old and is doing very well. This unique informational picture book for middle-graders includes three non-fiction spreads, which provide intervals in the story and opportunities for classroom discussions. These spreads feature photos as well as information about elephants, poaching and the amazing work that is done at an elephant orphanage. At the end of the book there are suggestions for ways readers can help the cause"-- |cProvided by publisher

Greetings, Leroy

2017

by Itah Sadu and Alix Delinois

"The first day at a new school is nerve-wracking enough, never mind when it's in a new country! In this lively picture book from award-winning storyteller Itah Sadu, Roy realizes he may come to love his new home in Canada as much as he loves his old home in Jamaica"--Provided by publisher

Always an Olivia

2007

by Carolivia Herron and Jeremy Tugeau

From Carolivia Herron, a Jewish-American of African descent, comes a historical fiction picture book telling her family story--Adapted from the back cover

The banana-leaf ball

2017

by Katie Smith Milway and Shane Evans

"Separated from his family when they were forced to flee their home, a young East African boy named Deo lives alone in the Lukole refugee camp in Tanzania. With scarce resources at the camp, bullies have formed gangs to steal what they can, and a leader named Remy has begun targeting Deo. Then one day a coach gathers all the children to play soccer. Though Deo loves soccer and has even made his own ball out of banana leaves, he's unsure at first about joining in when he sees Remy on the field. But as Deo and the other boys get drawn into the game, everything begins to change. Their shared joy in playing provides the children-- including Remy--with a sense of belonging"-- Amazon.com