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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47 matching books
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Biography 47
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Cross Group 11
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Fiction 1
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Non-Fiction 46
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Boy/Man 47
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Girl/Woman 37
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Secondary 38
Sharuko
"A fascinating bilingual picture book biography of Peruvian archaeologist and national icon Julio C. Tello, who unearthed Peru's ancient cultures and fostered pride in the country's Indigenous history. SLJ Best Books of 2020; NYPL Best Books of 2020; Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best Books of 2020; CSMCL's Best Books of 2020; The Horn Book's Fanfare 2020 Booklist; Pura Belpré Award Illustrator Honor; The Best Children's Books of the Year in Spanish, Bank Street College of Education. Growing up in the late 1800s, Julio Tello, an Indigenous boy, spent time exploring the caves and burial grounds in the foothills of the Peruvian Andes. Nothing scared Julio, not even the ancient human skulls he found. His bravery earned him the boyhood nickname Sharuko, which means "brave" in Quechua, the language of the Native people of Peru. At the age of twelve, Julio moved to Lima to continue his education. While in medical school, he discovered an article about the skulls he had found. The skulls had long ago been sent to Lima to be studied by scientists. The article renewed Julio's interest in his ancestry, and he decided to devote his medical skills to the study of Peru's Indigenous history. Over his lifetime, Julio Tello made many revolutionary discoveries at archaeological sites around Peru, and he worked to preserve the historical treasures he excavated. He showed that Peru's Indigenous cultures had been established thousands of years ago, disproving the popular belief that Peruvian culture had been introduced more recently from other countries. He fostered pride in his country's Indigenous ancestry, making him a hero to all Peruvians. Because of the brave man once known as Sharuko, people around the world today know of Peru's long history and its living cultural legacy." -- publisher
Mario and the Hole in the Sky
"The true story of how a scientist saved the planet from environmental disaster. Mexican American Mario Molina is a modern-day hero who helped solve the ozone crisis of the 1980s. Growing up in Mexico City, Mario was a curious boy who studied hidden worlds through a microscope. As a young man in California, he discovered that CFCs, used in millions of refrigerators and spray cans, were tearing a hole in the earth’s protective ozone layer. Mario knew the world had to be warned—and quickly. Today Mario is a Nobel laureate and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. His inspiring story gives hope in the fight against global warming." -- publisher
Paper Son
A picture-book biography of animator Tyrus Wong, the Chinese American immigrant responsible for bringing Disney's Bambi to life. Before he became an artist named Tyrus Wong, he was a boy named Wong Geng Yeo. He traveled across a vast ocean from China to America with only a suitcase and a few papers. Not papers for drawing - which he loved to do - but immigration papers to start a new life. Once in America, Tyrus seized every opportunity to make art, eventually enrolling at an art institute in Los Angeles. Working as a janitor at night, his mop twirled like a paintbrush in his hands. Eventually, he was given the opportunity of a lifetime - and using sparse brushstrokes and soft watercolors, Tyrus created the iconic backgrounds of Bambi. -- description from Amazon.com
The Life of Frida Kahlo
"Mexican artist Frida Kahlo created vibrantly hued paintings . . . and led an equally colorful life. Known for her self-portraits, she became a feminist icon whose work now sells for millions of dollars. This lively biography looks at Frida’s childhood—including her bout with polio—as well as her devotion to Mexican culture and political causes; the bus accident that left her in chronic pain but also sparked her career; and her marriage to Diego Rivera. Appealing illustrations, information on her breakthroughs and successes, and an index of major events reveal how Frida left her mark on humanity. A timeline and simple quiz help kids test their understanding and knowledge." -- publisher
The Most Beautiful Thing
"Drawn from author Kao Kalia Yang’s childhood experiences as a Hmong refugee, this moving picture book portrays a family with a great deal of love and little money. Weaving together Kalia’s story with that of her beloved grandmother, the book moves from the jungles of Laos to the family’s early years in the United States." -- publisher
Queen of physics
"When Wu Chien Shiung was born in China 100 years ago, most girls did not attend school; no one considered them as smart as boys. But her parents felt differently. Giving her a name meaning “Courageous Hero,” they encouraged her love of learning and science. This engaging biography follows Wu Chien Shiung as she battles sexism and racism to become what Newsweek magazine called the “Queen of Physics” for her work on beta decay. Along the way, she earned the admiration of famous scientists like Enrico Fermi and Robert Oppenheimer and became the first woman hired as an instructor by Princeton University, the first woman elected President of the American Physical Society, the first scientist to have an asteroid named after her when she was still alive, and many other honors." -- publisher
Ricardo’s race / La carrera de Ricardo
Recounts, in Spanish and in English, the story of Ricardo Romo, a Hispanic-American All-American athlete and scholar who became, among other things, a U.S. representative to the United Nations, and the president of University of Texas at San Antonio.
José!
In 1908 a baby boy was born in Culiacan, Mexico, kicking like a roped steer. BAM! BAM! BAM! His name was Jose Limon. Though he and his family fled civil war in their homeland by escaping to the United States when Jose was just seven years old, he would never forget the sounds and movements of his birthplace. Then Jose followed his heart to New York City. He fell in love with the shimmering city that towered above him: marble, stone, brick, and steel. He wanted to give a gift to the world and discovered the world of dance. There was no stopping Jose Limon, who went on to become one of the greatest modern dancers who ever lived. Award-winning author Susanna Reich and acclaimed illustrator Raul Colon tell the story of this great Mexican dancer in a picture book biography as beautiful and graceful as Jose's dance itself.
The boy who touched the stars / El niño que alcanzó las estrellas
This autobiographical, bilingual picture book recounts the author’s rise from migrant farm worker to astronaut. -- from publisher
Chester Nez and the unbreakable code: A Navajo Code Talker’s Story
"As a boy, Chester Nez was taught his native language and culture were useless, but he was later called on to use his Navajo language to help create an unbreakable military code during WWII"--|cProvided by publisher