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.
Find titles using a keyword search below (e.g. adoption, birthday, holidays, etc.), or by selecting one or a combination of filters on the lefthand sidebar below.
First time here? Start here!
77 matching books
Show Filters
Together
"Together or alone, the beautiful and diverse peoples of Ethiopia play and pray, walk and work, dance and smile in their own ways. Inspired by a popular Ethiopian teret and filled with vibrant watercolor portraits that detail the many gorgeous styles within Ethiopian culture, there are many reasons why people say that if you need to go fast, go alone. But if you want to go far, go together. Side by side text in Ethiopian languages like Amharic, Tigrinya and Afaan Oromo (with English) helps emerging bilingual readers develop vocabulary and build fluency. Part of our Ready, Set, Go! series of early readers in indigenous Ethiopian languages. Ready Set Go Books, an Open Hearts Big Dreams Project, is focused on increasing the literacy rate in Ethiopia through giving readers books with stories in their heart languages, full of colorful illustrations with Ethiopian settings and details. Profits from book sales are used to create, print, and distribute more Ready Set Go Books to kids in Ethiopia, Africa’s second most populous country. Ethiopia’s population is 44% children, ages 0-14 (43 million out of 97 million total). Only 5.5% of children attend pre-school or kindergarten, and the adult literacy rate is 49%. Our books are based on wise Ethiopian sayings that often rhyme in Amharic. If an adult says the first half, many children can chant the second half. Sometimes the meaning of these sayings is clear. Sometimes it has to be puzzled out and argued over. But sayings and idioms and proverbs help people express truths and beliefs in unusual ways. Since late 2017, OHBD has published over 100 unique #ReadySetGo dual language titles in three Ethiopian languages plus English and has plans to publish another 100 titles and add more languages in the coming years. New titles and/or languages are added monthly; follow our author page to get new release announcements. Open Hearts Big Dreams Fund (OHBD) is a 501(3)(c) not for profit organization that believes the chance to dream big dreams should not depend on where in the world you are born. Our mission is to inspire and enable youth in Ethiopia through READY SET GO books, STEM and Innovation Projects in collaboration with individuals and organizations providing literacy, education, and leadership opportunities." -- publisher
The Boy Who Never Gave Up! / Mucicha Abdii Hinkunne!
"Young Yared is not the best student. He fails so often that he considers giving up on school completely. But the failures and perseverance of a caterpillar inspire him to untangle his heart and return to his studies with purpose. Motivated by the beauty of church music, he developed a new way to write it that caught the ear of the emperor. His devotion to music and education elevated him from the streets of Axum to Sainthood, and his music is still considered sacred to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church." -- publisher
The Boy Who Never Gave Up! / ዘይቖርጽ ቆልዓ!
"Young Yared is not the best student. He fails so often that he considers giving up on school completely. But the failures and perseverance of a caterpillar inspire him to untangle his heart and return to his studies with purpose. Motivated by the beauty of church music, he developed a new way to write it that caught the ear of the emperor. His devotion to music and education elevated him from the streets of Axum to Sainthood, and his music is still considered sacred to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church." -- publisher
Girls / Sétoc leǧoč
"Strong and smart, hard-working and beautiful, girls can be many things. In Ethiopia, where 80% of them live in the rural countryside, they can be all of these things and more: adventurous, brave, kind and curious, and everything in between. Detailed watercolor portraits of the incredible women and girls of Ethiopia fill the pages of our dual-language early reader. " -- publisher
Big Plans / Karoora Gurguddoo
"Based on a true story, this sweet tale follows two hopeful siblings as they try to turn a gift egg into little playmates. But as they eventually discover, sometimes you need more than just a plan to make a dream come true. Young children will delight in following the ambitious youngsters as they try to hatch their egg through a series of vibrant watercolor illustrations. " -- publisher
Big Plans / Telāleq ʻEqedoč
"Based on a true story, this sweet tale follows two hopeful siblings as they try to turn a gift egg into little playmates. But as they eventually discover, sometimes you need more than just a plan to make a dream come true. Young children will delight in following the ambitious youngsters as they try to hatch their egg through a series of vibrant watercolor illustrations. " -- publisher
Surprise on Lake Tana! (English and Amharic)
"Inspired by a true story, this charming tale follows two friends on a trip to visit the ancient island churches of Lake Tana in Ethiopia. But what they expected to be a smooth ride across the large lake in their little boat turns into an adventure when they are stranded in the water with the hippos! " -- publisher
Where Do Dreams Grow? / Halkee Hiigsiga Lagu Kobciyaa?
"If you’re a little kid with a big dream, where can you go to make that dream a reality? What if that dream is to become an architect, a pilot or an engineer? Inspire your emerging bilingual reader to dream big. " -- publisher
Where Do Dreams Grow? / Ḥelmoč ʼEwen Yamihonut Yat Naw?
"If you’re a little kid with a big dream, where can you go to make that dream a reality? What if that dream is to become an architect, a pilot or an engineer? Inspire your emerging bilingual reader to dream big. " -- publisher
Fifty Lemons / Hāmsā Lamin
In this Ethiopian parable, for one person, fifty lemons is a heavy load. For fifty people, fifty lemons are adornments. Translator Woubeshet Ayeno says that in his home region of Ethiopia, people stand on the bridge over the Blue Nile River, make a wish, and then toss a lomi (lemon) into the river to make their wish come true. In that region, the lomi is yellow. The river is a oat with yellow dots! In other regions, lomis are green and look like what we call a lime in the United States." -- publisher