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Our collection of picture books featuring Black and Indigenous Peoples and People of Color (BIPOC) is available to the public.

*Inclusion of a title in the collection DOES NOT EQUAL a recommendation.*

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A Bindi Can Be …

2024

by Suma Subramaniam and Kamala Nair

“A young girl is eager to learn all about bindis, the red dot that goes between her brows. Paati, her grandmother, shows her how to make a bindi in a clay pot by combining crushed turmeric, sandalwood powder and a dollop of ghee. They mix and mix and mix until, like magic, the mixture turns from yellow to bright red. Her bindi can be big or small, and shaped like a star, a flower or a glowing half-moon. She can wear her bindi to celebrate different festivals, such as Diwali, or on an ordinary day as a way to stay centered and calm. In this way, she discovers that her bindi is more than just a dot.” — publisher

Centering Culture & Identity

The Moon from Dehradun: A Story of Partition

2022

“Azra knows that wherever she goes, her doll Gurya will follow. Even if it’s on a train that will take her far away from the house her family has lived in for generations. Even if there is a new flag flying in Dehradun, and no place left in it for Azra. At least she will be taking a piece of home with her. But when Abba comes home and says they must leave right now, Gurya gets left behind in the scramble. Will Azra be strong enough to face the long journey alone? And what will happen to Gurya, now hundreds of miles behind them? Inspired by the author’s family story, this lyrical, moving picture book is a testament to the strength, courage, and perseverance of the over 10 million refugees displaced by the largest forced migration in recorded history, and shares a young girl’s journey from her old home to a new one.” — publisher

Oppression & Resilience

If You See a Bluebird

2023

by Bahram Rahman and Gabrielle Grimard

“For young Ali, a former refugee from Afghanistan, “home” is where his family is together. Although his family is safe in their new country, Ali finds himself wishing he could go back to Afghanistan. A day spent picking blackberries with Nana reminds him of their old house with the mulberry tree he loved, and the day the soldiers came. He recalls their nighttime flight and the crowded buses and airplane that took him to this beautiful but unfamiliar place. When Ali and Nana spot a bluebird, she tells him to make a wish. Ali wishes to go home, but, as he comes to learn, home is not a place. Home is the love his family has for each other.” — publisher

Centering Culture & Identity Oppression & Resilience

Sashiko’s Stitches

2024

by Sanae Ishida

“Sashiko is a young girl with very big feelings. When her mother teaches her about her namesake—the traditional Japanese practice of mending through embroidery—she finds an outlet for some of those emotions. With each stitch, the dark cloud around her lightens, until her big fears begin to feel less scary. As she heals tears in the fabric, she begins to find a sense of calm and hope. This deeply resonant picture book explores the transformative power of creative expression, as Sashiko finds threads of peace in her newfound craft. Children and parents alike will take away an appreciation for this beautiful artistic tradition, and for the great potential creative practices have to help us cope with difficult emotions.” — publisher

Centering Culture & Identity

Ida in the Middle

2022

by Nora Lester Murad

“Every time violence erupts in the Middle East, Ida knows what’s coming next. Some of her classmates treat her like it’s all her fault—just for being Palestinian! In eighth grade, Ida is forced to move to a different school. But people still treat her like she’ll never fit in. Ida wishes she could disappear. One day, dreading a final class project, Ida hunts for food. She discovers a jar of olives that came from a beloved aunt in her family’s village near Jerusalem. Ida eats one and finds herself there—as if her parents had never left Palestine! Things are different in this other reality—harder in many ways, but also strangely familiar and comforting. Now she has to make some tough choices. Which Ida would she rather be? How can she find her place? Ida’s dilemma becomes more frightening as the day approaches when Israeli bulldozers are coming to demolish another home in her family’s village…” — publisher

Centering Culture & Identity Race/Culture/Identity Concepts

Sona Sharma, Looking After Planet Earth

2024

by Chitra Soundar and Jen Khatun

“When Sona learns about the climate crisis at school, she worries nobody is doing enough to combat it. So she takes up the challenge herself! But her family isn’t amused when Sona suddenly gets rid of her sister’s diapers and turns off Thatha and Paatti’s cooling fan during their nap. Sona finds a better way to implement change, at a family meeting where everyone helps make a list of ways to conserve. Energized, Sona sets her sights on the rest of the neighborhood. When she learns many of the kolams—traditional art that people draw in front of their homes to celebrate the festival season—are not eco-friendly, she makes plans for some even bigger changes. Can Sona convince everyone to get involved—even her own strong-willed grandmother?” — publisher

Centering Culture & Identity

Tessa Miyata is No Hero

2023

by Abe and Julie

“Tessa Miyata has never fit in. When she and her two sisters are told they will be staying at their grandparents in Japan, Tessa is thrilled. A summer in Japan could be her chance to go on an adventure worthy of impressing her classmates back home. Her hopes are quickly dashed when, all too soon, she realizes that life in Japan is just like being in California: her sisters are old enough to go into Tokyo, while she can’t even go to the corner store by herself. Plus, her grandparents want her to stay home with the neighbor kid, thirteen-year-old Jin Uehara, who’s made it clear he’s too cool to spend time with a weirdo like her. When Tessa is finally allowed to go to Tokyo, it’s only to join her grandpa’s retiree aerobic class with none other than Jin. Their disastrous forced hang out comes crashing to a halt when Tessa and Jin break the Miyata family’s precious heirloom—accidentally releasing the malicious samurai god Taira Masakado and discovering a hidden part of the city where gods and mythological creatures walk among humans—including their new companion, a mythical nine-tailed fox who may be more trouble than he is help. Despite doing everything to avoid spending another minute together, Tessa and Jin must now work together to stop Taira Masakado before he traps them—and the rest of Tokyo—under his command, forever.”–publisher

Centering Culture & Identity

My Mother’s Tongues

2024

by Uma Menon and Rahele Jomepour Bell

“Sumi’s mother can speak two languages, Malayalam and English. And she can switch between them at the speed of sound: one language when talking to Sumi’s grandmother, another when she addresses the cashier. Sometimes with Sumi she speaks a combination of both. Could it be she possesses a superpower? With awe and curiosity, young Sumi recounts the story of her mother’s migration from India and how she came to acquire two tongues, now woven together like fine cloth.”–publisher

Centering Culture & Identity

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