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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The princess and the pea
When a prince sets out to find a princess to marry, he soon discovers this is not a simple task. There is no shortage of so-called princesses, but how can he tell whether or not they are what they claim to be? Then one night a great storm rages, there comes a knock on the palace gate, and the prince's life is never the same.
The people could fly
Resplendent, powerful paintings by these two-time Caldecott-winning artists bring new life to the title story from the late Hamilton's 1985 collection, The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales . Making dramatic use of shadow and light, Leo and Diane Dillon (whose half-tone illustrations also graced the original volume) ably convey the tale's simultaneous messages of oppression and freedom, of sadness and hope. "They say the people could fly. Say that long ago in Africa, some of the people knew magic," opens the narrative, as the full-color artwork reveals elegant, beautifully clothed individuals with feathered wings serenely ascending into the sky. On the following spread, images of the Middle Passage set a fittingly somber tone, depicting Africans who "were captured for Slavery. The ones that could fly shed their wings. They couldn't take their wings across the water on the slave ships. Too crowded, don't you know." The picture-book format allows room for the relationship to develop between Sarah, who labors in the cotton fields with an infant strapped to her back, and Toby, the "old man," who utters the magic African words that give her flight. Toby helps others take flight as well (a stunning image shows seemingly hundreds linking hands and taking to the skies)- and eventually does so himself, sadly leaving some of the captives "who could not fly" behind to "wait for a chance to run." Art and language that are each, in turn, lyrical and hard-hitting make an ideal pairing in this elegant volume that gracefully showcases the talent of its creators. All ages
Princess and the peas
In this version of the classic story, Ma Sally of Charleston County, South Carolina, devises a contest for her son's admirers: cook up a dish of black-eyed peas that meets her exacting standards, and the winner can marry her son. Includes recipe for Princess' black-eyed peas.
Princess Snowbelle and the Snow Games
Princess Snowbelle and her brothers look forward to competing against the neighboring kingdom of Snowland in the annual Snow Games, but they learn that winning is not always the most important thing.
The wisdom bird
King Solomon learns a lesson from a little bird in this story based on Jewish and African tales
Anancy and Mr. Dry-Bone
This delightful trickster tale based on characters from traditional Caribbean and West African folk-tales is brought to vivid life with vibrant illustrations. Poor Anancy and rich Mr Dry-Bone both want to marry Miss Louise, but she wants to marry the man who can make her laugh. She does not laugh at Mr Dry-Bone's conjuring tricks and acrobatics so Anancy decides to ask the animals for help in winning her over. -- publisher
The fire children: A west African folk tale
A retelling of the West African folk tale about the creation of the world and all its different peoples.
Fly, eagle, fly!
A farmer finds an eagle and raises it to behave like a chicken, until a friend helps the eagle learn to find its rightful place in the sky
Jack and the red beanstalk
"Just like any kid, Jack dreams of being a hero. In our story, Jack explores Hewa, the world of the giants. With Grandpa's help, Jack uses his smarts and some very special tools passed down through the generations to defeat the giants. Can Jack save the day before Mom and Dad get home?"--Back cover
How the Amazon queen fought the prince of Egypt
Queen Serpot rules the Land of Women, where the Amazon women live free, without men, and hunt and fight their own battles. But one day their peace is broken. An army of Egyptian soldiers is approaching their land, led by their prince, Pedikhons. Pedikhons has heard stories of these warrior women. Now he has come to see them with his own eyes--and to challenge them to combat. But the brave Serpot and her women are full of surprises. Can woman truly equal man in strength and courage? This story of love and war is based on an actual Egyptian scroll from the Greco-Roman period. [Includes] hieroglyphic translations of key phrases, intricate paintings in the Egyptian and Assyrian styles, and extensive notes about both cultures.--publisher website