Title: Dreamers by Yuyi Morales

Languages: English and Spanish 

Reading age: 6 - 10

Review:  Witness the struggles and setbacks a mother and her little boy encounter as they go to a new country. Enter the vibrant and engrossing world of Yuyi Morales' "Dreamers," a touching ode to the strength of the human spirit and the capacity for imagination. Through striking visuals and lyrical words, Morales delves into themes of bravery, optimism, and the universal language of narrative. "Dreamers" is an ode to the immigrant experience and a reminder that everyone can dream big and build a brighter future, no matter where they are from.

Published: September 4, 2018 by Neal Porter Books

Awards: Charlotte Zolotow Award Nominee for Highly Commended (2019), Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Nominee for Picture Book (2019), California Young Readers Medal Nominee for Primary (2022), Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award for Works for Younger Readers (2019), Pura Belpré Award for Illustrator (2019), Monarch Award Nominee (2021), Kirkus Prize Nominee for Young Readers' Literature (2018), CLEL Bell Picture Book Awards Nominee for Read (2019)

Author’s page: http://www.yuyimorales.com/ 

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Title: FOREVER COUSINS By Laurel Goodluck (Mandan & Hidatsa and Tsimshian) Illustrated by Jonathan Nelson (Navajo/Diné)

Languages: English

Reading age: 4 - 8

Review: One of the two very close cousins has to move out. Amanda and Kara hate being apart. After being apart for a while, it's time for the Rez family get-together. Fearing that the other hasn't missed her, each girl worries. However, they discover that they will always be related when they get back in touch. This narrative demonstrates how the Indian Relocation Act of the 1950s continues to affect Native American families to this day.

Published: Publisher Charlesbridge, October 4, 2022

Awards: American Indian Youth Literature Award Nominee for Picture Book (2024)

Author’s page: https://www.threads.net/@lauriegoodluck 

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Title: A Letter for Bob, Written by Kim Rogers (Wichita & Affiliated Tribes) Illustrated by Jonathan Nelson (Navajo/Diné)

Languages: English

Reading age: 4- 8 

Review:  Bob has been a part of Katie's family since the day Mom and Dad brought him home from the car showroom. From powwows to vacations to time spent with distant family, Bob has experienced it all. Bob has shared in some of the family's most cherished memories as well as happy and frightening moments. But now Bob has too many miles away, its family needs to say goodbye. 

Published: September 19, 2023 by Heartdrum

Awards: American Indian Youth Literature Award for Picture Book (2024)

Author’s page: https://www.kimrogerswriter.com/ 

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Title: Bowwow Powwow: Bagosenjige-niimi’idim Written by Brenda J. Child (Red Lake Ojibwe), Translated into Ojibwe by Gordon Jourdain (Lac La Croix First Nation) Illustrated by Jonathan Thunder (Red Lake Ojibwe)

Languages:  Ojibwe and English

Reading age: 3 - 7

Review:  A little girl from the Red Lake Ojibwe people let her imagination create dreams of family. Windy Girl learns tales about ancient customs, dancing, giving, and thankfulness from her uncle. She also has many stories to share like the one about her dog Itchy Boy, who dances to get a reward and wriggles with happiness at pretty about anything. Windy observes the dancers in their jingle gowns and listens to the singers during the powwow that Uncle, Windy Girl, and Itchy Boy attend. She now has further images of a bowwow powwow where all the dancers are dogs. Windy sees veterans participating in a Grand Entry. Everyone dances and sings in celebration, all vouching for the powwow's wonder.

Published: the Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2018

Awards: American Indian Youth Literature Award for Best Picture Book (2020)

Author’s page: https://cla.umn.edu/about/directory/profile/child011 

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Title: Herizon written by Daniel W. Vandever (Diné) illustrated by Corey Begay (Diné) Languages: wordless 

Reading age: 4 - 8

Review:  The narrative follows the adventure of a little Diné girl who, with the aid of a mystical scarf, assists her grandmother in retrieving a flock of sheep. The girl and the world she knows are altered by the scarf's capacity to morph. Herizon emphasizes the power of the present rather than a far-off ideal of what might be in an era that has seen the appointment of Deb Haaland as Secretary of the Interior and the election of the first female vice president in American history. This is a narrative that celebrates advancement and perseverance, appealing to readers of all backgrounds.

Published: South of Sunrise Creative2021

Awards: American Indian Youth Literature Award for Best Picture Book (2022)

Author’s page: https://twitter.com/DanielVandever?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor 

Title: Remember by Joy Harjo, Michaela Goade, (Illustrator)

Languages: English

Reading age: 4- 8

Review:  Harjo, a member of the Mvskoke Nation, asks readers to consider who they are, the world they were born into, and how all people on earth are connected in plain and straightforward language. Drawing on her Tlingit heritage, Michaela Goade has produced vibrant images that engross the viewer and bring the text to life.

Published: Random House Studio, March 21, 2023

Awards: American Indian Youth Literature Award Nominee for Picture Book (2024)

Author’s page: http://www.joyharjo.com/ 

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Title: Contenders: Two Native Baseball Players, One World Series by Traci Sorell (Author), Arigon Starr (Illustrator)

Languages: English and Cahuilla (mentioned)

Reading age: 4 - 12

Review: The authentic narrative of John Meyers and Charles Bender, who in 1911 emerged as the inaugural Native American professional baseball players to compete in a World Series. Important lessons about resiliency, following your passion in the face of adversity, and the struggle for Native American representation in sports are imparted by this picture book.

Published: April 11, 2023 by Kokila

Awards: American Indian Youth Literature Award Nominee for Picture Book (2024)

Author’s page: ( https://www.tracisorell.com/ )

Title: Berry Song by Michaela Goade

Languages: English 

Reading age: 4 - 9

Review: On a beautiful island, a little girl starts singing a song to honor the earth. Her community lives in harmony with nature and respects its blessings. Read the story to see how families on the island pass their teaching to young children. 

Awards: Caldecott Medal Nominee (2023), American Indian Youth Literature Award Nominee for Picture Book (2024)

Published: July 19, 2022 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Author’s page: ww w.michaelagoade.com 

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Title: Little Melba and Her Big Trombone by Katheryn Russell-Brown, Frank Morrison (Illustrator)

Languages: English, available in Spanish

Reading age: 6 - 11

Review:  From her earliest memories, Melba Doretta Liston, the subject of this biography, has been passionate about music. When she was younger, she used to hum along to the music on her family's Majestic radio and think about beats and lyrics. Melba was seven years old when she fell in love with a large, sparkly trombone and quickly learned how to play it on her own. Melba's remarkable musical talent brought her into contact with the jazz world by the time she was a teenager. Gerald Wilson, a trumpet player, had her join his band, and they went on a national tour.

Published: July 30, 2014 by Lee & Low Books

Awards: Coretta Scott King Book Award for Illustrator Honor (2015), NCTE Orbis Pictus Award Nominee (2015), NAACP Image Award Nominee for Children (2015)

Author’s page: https://krbrown.net/about/ 

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Title: Step Up to the Plate, Maria Singh by Uma Krishnaswami, Nidhi Chanani (Artist)

Languages: English and Spanish

Reading age: 7 - 13

Review:  Maria Singh, nine, is eager to join the first-ever girls' softball team in Yuba City, California, and play the game. The Second World War is still raging in the spring of 1945. Maria's teacher, Miss Newman, is motivated to form a girls' softball team at their school by Babe Ruth and the All-American Girls' League. Maria's parents, Papi, who is from India, and Mamá, who is from Mexico, are unable to shield their kids from discriminatory legislation and prejudice in the meantime. Maria needs to decide to stand up and find her voice in an unjust world as her family is about to lose their land.

Published: Lee & Low Books, 05/15/2017

Awards:

Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature for Children's Literature (2018) 

Author’s page: http://www.umakrishnaswami.com/ 

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Title: A Whale of a Time: Funny Poems for Each Day of the Year by Lou Peacock, Matt Hunt (Illustrations)

Languages: English

Reading age: 7 - 11

Review: This vibrant and inventive book will make you smile and laugh every day, whether the poems are about the most childlike and unexpected topics. An amusing compilation of 366 poems with stunning illustrations to make you chuckle all year long! With at least one favorite poem in it, this book is a great gift for readers of all ages.

Published: September 19, 2023, by Nosy Crow

Awards: N/A

Author’s page: No official https://nosycrow.us/contributor/lou-peacock/ 

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Shanyaak'utlaax: Salmon Boy 

Title: Sulwe Lupita Nyong'o, Vashti Harrison (Illustrator)

Languages: English (words in Luo), available in other languages

Reading age: 6 - 10

Review:  Sulwe's skin is as dark as midnight. She has a darker complexion than her family members. Compared to others in her school, she is the darkest. Sulwe only wants to be as intelligent and attractive as her mother and sister. Subsequently, she embarks on a mystical nocturnal voyage that transforms her entire perspective.

Published: 

Awards: Coretta Scott King Book Award Nominee for Illustrator (2020), California Young Readers Medal Nominee for Primary (2022), Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Picture Books (2019), NAACP Image Award for Children (2020), Children’s Africana Book Award Nominee for Young Children (2020)

Author’s page: http://www.twitter.com/Lupita_Nyongo 

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Title: The Floating Field: How a Group of Thai Boys Built Their Own Soccer Field by Scott Riley, Nguyen Quang (Illustrations), Phùng Nguyên Quang (Illustrator), Huỳnh Kim Liên (Illustrator), Kim Lien (Illustrations)

Languages: English and Thai

Reading age: 5 - 10

Review:  A bunch of young boys play football in the afternoon, just like most people around the world do. But for these friends on Koh Panyee, the tide determined when they could play. Following the FIFA World Cup on TV, these children and their neighborhood achieved the seemingly unachievable. It's their own football field.

Published: March 2, 2021 by Millbrook Press ™

Awards: N/A

Author’s page: https://www.scottrileyauthor.com/ 

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Title: Sulwe Lupita Nyong'o, Vashti Harrison (Illustrator)

Languages: English (words in Luo), available in other languages

Reading age: 6 - 10

Review:  Sulwe's skin is as dark as midnight. She has a darker complexion than her family members. Compared to others in her school, she is the darkest. Sulwe only wants to be as intelligent and attractive as her mother and sister. Subsequently, she embarks on a mystical nocturnal voyage that transforms her entire perspective.

Published: 

Awards: Coretta Scott King Book Award Nominee for Illustrator (2020), California Young Readers Medal Nominee for Primary (2022), Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Picture Books (2019), NAACP Image Award for Children (2020), Children’s Africana Book Award Nominee for Young Children (2020)

Author’s page: http://www.twitter.com/Lupita_Nyongo 

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Title: Halal Hot Dogs by Susannah Aziz (Goodreads Author), Parwinder Singh (Goodreads Author) (Illustrator)

Languages: English and words in Arabic

Reading age: 5 - 9

Review:  Musa's family enjoys a special Jummah dessert every Friday following Jummah prayer at the masjid. They take turns selecting the treat, but lately, there have been some... unusual options. Mama made molokhia the first week. It provides us molokhia teeth for days and is ideal for sharing! Baba burned the kufte kebabs on the grill on the second week. In the third week, Seedi prepared his favorite rice pudding, riz b'haleeb, which is creamy and has pistachios sprinkled on top along with an unexpected ingredient. Maryam brought jellybeans last week. When Musa finally gets to choose, he goes with his favorite—halal hot dogs! However, obtaining this yummy food becomes a difficult trip full of challenges.

Published: January 1, 2021, by Little Bee Books

Awards: Included in USA Today's 12 books for kids to read during Ramadan!

Author’s page: http://www.twitter.com/susannah29 

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Title: Papel de Liha by Ompong Remigio, Beth Parrocha (Illustrator)

Languages: English and Tagalog

Reading age: 5 - 9

Review: The original language of this critically acclaimed book was Filipino. This book emphasises how crucial a mother's role is in our lives. Mothers are frequently undervalued in society. Every day, mothers clean, cook, and work. A mother and her child's love is depicted in this book. The child hears her mother and aunt talking about how her mother's palms are like sandpaper and observes how her mother does things. The child finds it stressful to decipher that because she feels protected and comforted by her mother's kind touch.

Published: January 1, 2005 by Adarna House Inc.

Awards: Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Maikling Kuwentong Pambata (1995)

Author’s page: N/A

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Title: Afterward, Everything was Different: A Tale From the Pleistocene by Jairo Buitrago (Author), Rafael Yockteng (Illustrator)

Languages: wordless

Reading age: 4 -8 

Review:  This short picture book portrays a young girl who notices everything around her while her folks look for a cave to spend the winter in. We see how she feels compelled to tell stories and illustrate what she has witnessed. This book tells the origins of storytelling. 

Published: May 9, 2023, by Greystone Kids

Awards: Shelf AwarenessA Best Book of the Year

Author’s page: https://twitter.com/jjairobuitrago?lang=en 

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Title: How to Write a Poem

by Kwame Alexander, Melissa Sweet (Illustrator), Deanna Nikaido

Languages: English

Reading age: 5 -8

Review:  Essential lines put pen to paper and share the outcome as rich descriptions express creation. Children "pay attention to the grass, the flowers, the trees—anything that's friends with the sun," as natural themes are interwoven throughout. The illustrations' use of wheels, circles, and spheres in her dramatic mixed-media collages, brings art to the lyric. She also incorporates handmade and old paper, watercolor and gouache techniques and even pebbles. The variety of methods employed helps to establish a connection between the concepts of remixing and creativity. As a result, everyone is invited to write poetry:  poetry is for everyone.

Published: April 4, 2023, by Quill Tree Books

Awards: 2024 Notable Books in Poetry byNCTE Children’s Poetry Award Committee  

Author’s page: http://www.kwamealexander.com 

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Title: Laughing Out Loud, I Fly by Juan Felipe Herrera

Languages: Spanish and English

Reading age: 10 -15

Review:  The vivid poetry of Juan Felipe Herrera dances across these pages in a stunning display of Spanish and English. The poems are beautifully composed, lively, and enjoyable, and they are accompanied by amusing black-and-white pictures created by Karen Barbour. The final collage is a celebration of living a life between two cultures and nourishes the soul.

Published: September 19, 2023, HarperTeen

Awards: Pura Belpré Honor for this book 2022

Author’s page: http://www.twitter.com/cilantroman 

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