Keaira Faña-Ruiz (Author)

From the publisher: Get ready to practice your Spanish ABC's, en Español of course. Celebrate with us as we pay homage to Afro-Latinos and our culture. A culture full of a rich history, champions, strength, variety, pride and color. Every child should be able to see themselves when they gaze through the illustrations of a book as their stories are told. We hope this book puts a smile on your face, ENJOY! This book is something for the whole family to appreciate and can be read entirely in both English and Spanish!

Alex Rivera (Author and Illustrator)

From the publisher: Take a walk through the Bronx and what do you see? CIRCLE wheels on a classic tricycle, a vast DIAMOND where the Yankees play baseball, colorful TRIANGLE flags above the bodega, and more! Bronxshapes, the second board book in a new series, teaches young readers about shapes through Bronx native Alex Rivera’s eye-catching photographs and creative design. The small square trim (7″ x 7″) and sturdy pages are a perfect format for toddlers, and the content inside promotes language acquisition and concept learning in both English and Spanish. Curl up with your little one for a bilingual story time that helps them reach important developmental milestones.

Alex Rivera (Author and Illustrator)

From the publisher: Where can you find your best friend playing with a RED balloon, tamales from your favorite GREEN cart, or YELLOW pineapple raspados? The Bronx! Bronxtones, the first board book in a new series, teaches young readers about colors through the vibrant palette of the Bronx, as captured by Bronx native Alex Rivera’s eye-catching photographs and creative design. The small square trim (7″ x 7″) and sturdy pages are a perfect format for toddlers, and the content inside promotes language acquisition and concept learning in both English and Spanish. Curl up with your little one for a bilingual story time that helps them reach important developmental milestones.

Sulma Arzu Brown (Author), ISBN: 098882406X

From the Publisher: “Bad Hair Does Not Exist!/“Pelo Malo No Existe!” – is a book with an anti-bullying message that reinforces respect for individualism. Hispanic and Black children are exposed to the divisive and bullying term, “bad hair,” within their own communities. The term "bad hair" or "pelo malo" is used to describe hair that is usually of curlier texture or of a thick and coarse density. This is irresponsible and often contributes to a child’s low self-esteem, dividing both communities and families. The book’s purpose is to empower all children by giving them alternate terms to describe their hair,and teaching them the importance of respecting one another’s differences. 

Desirée Acevedo, Silvia Álvarez (Illustrator), ISBN: 9788418302381

From the publisher/Translation in English: Vega and her colored pencils were inseparable. Together they created the most impressive drawings that were later exposed in the best museum in the world: the refrigerator at home. Vega used all the colors you can imagine for her drawings: red, yellow, blue, gold… At school, Vega was immersed in one of her new creations when her friend Alex stopped by, and peered into the box of pencils Vega had on her table. “Can you lend me the skin-colored pencil, please?” he asked. Skin-colored? Vega and Alex wondered why there is such a color in the box. With curiosity and creativity they will explore the diversity of skin tones of people who are part of their daily lives and they will discover that the “skin-color” can have a thousand shades and not just one.

Note: Includes embedded video to the read aloud that can be directly accessed here 

Margarita Engle, Rafael López (Illustrator), ISBN 9780544102286

From the publisher: Girls cannot be drummers. Long ago on an island filled with music, no one questioned that rule—until the drum dream girl. In her city of drumbeats, she dreamed of pounding tall congas and tapping small bongós. She had to keep quiet. She had to practice in secret. But when at last her dream-bright music was heard, everyone sang and danced and decided that both girls and boys should be free to drum and dream.

Inspired by the childhood of Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, a Chinese-African-Cuban girl who broke Cuba's traditional taboo against female drummers, Drum Dream Girl tells an inspiring true story for dreamers everywhere.

Note: This book can be incorporated into a lesson plan provided here, by Mathew Stensrud on patreon. 

Eric Velasquez, ISBN 9781547610648

From the publisher: Every summer, Eric goes to live with his grandmother in El Barrio (Spanish Harlem) while his parents work. Through the long hot days, Grandma fills her apartment with the blaring horns and conga drums of Bomba y Plena, salsa, and merengue-the music she grew up with in Puerto Rico-sharing her memories and passions with Eric.

But Eric sees Grandma in a new light when she gets them tickets to hear their favorite band in concert. The music sounds so different than it does at home on their scratchy records. And then the lead singer serenades Grandma right in front of the whole audience!

Join Eric Velasquez on a magical journey through time and across cultures, as a young boy's passion for music and art is forged by a powerful bond between generations.

Eric Velasquez, ISBN 9780802735362

From the publisher: This prequel to Eric Velasquez's biographical picture book Grandma's Records is the story of a Christmas holiday that young Eric spends with his grandmother. After they prepare their traditional Puerto Rican Christmas celebration, Eric and Grandma visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art for a school project, where he sees a painting by Diego Velasquez and realizes for the first time that he could be an artist when he grows up. Grandma witnesses his fascination, and presents Eric with the perfect Christmas gift-a set of paints-to use in his first steps toward becoming an artist. A heart-warming story of self-discovery, Grandma's Gift is a celebration of the special bond between a grandparent and grandchild.

NoNieqa Ramos, Keisha Morris (Illustrator) ISBN 9781541579163

From the publisher: Reciosa has hair that won’t stay straight, won’t be confined. Rudine’s hair resists rollers, flat irons, and rules.

Together, the girls play hair salon! They take inspiration from their moms, their neighbors, their ancestors, and cultural icons. They discover that their hair holds roots of the past and threads of the future.

With rhythmic, rhyming verse and vibrant collage art, author NoNieqa Ramos and illustrator Keisha Morris follow two girls as they discover the stories hair can tell.

Sili Recio, Brianna McCarthy (Illustrator) ISBN 9781534461796

From the publisher: The palette of the Dominican Republic is exuberant and unlimited. Maiz comes up amarillo, the blue-black of dreams washes over sandy shores, and people’s skin can be the shade of cinnamon in cocoa or of mahogany. This exuberantly colorful, softly rhyming picture book is a gentle reminder that a nation’s hues are as wide as nature itself.

Marshalla Soriano Ramos, Michael Murphy (Illustrator) ISBN 9781477468982

From Vroman’s Bookstore: Isabella's Hair and How She Learned to Love It is a story about Isabella, a young girl who lives in Carolina, Puerto Rico. As an Afro-Boricua child, Isabella struggles with understanding the beauty of her natural hair and the color brown. Her grandmother serves as an inspiration towards self acceptance and love. For ages: 5-8.

Junot Díaz; Leo Espinosa (Illustrator) ISBN 9780735229860

From the publisher: So when Lola’s teacher asks the students to draw a picture of where their families immigrated from, all the kids are excited. Except Lola. She can’t remember The Island—she left when she was just a baby. But with the help of her family and friends, and their memories—joyous, fantastical, heartbreaking, and frightening—Lola’s imagination takes her on an extraordinary journey back to The Island.  As she draws closer to the heart of her family’s story, Lola comes to understand the truth of her abuela’s words: “Just because you don’t remember a place doesn’t mean it’s not in you.”

From the publisher: Xiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. Ever since her body grew into curves, she has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking.

But Xiomara has plenty she wants to say, and she pours all her frustration and passion onto the pages of a leather notebook, reciting the words to herself like prayers—especially after she catches feelings for a boy in her bio class named Aman, who her family can never know about.

With Mami’s determination to force her daughter to obey the laws of the church, Xiomara understands that her thoughts are best kept to herself. So when she is invited to join her school’s slam poetry club, she doesn’t know how she could ever attend without her mami finding out. But she still can’t stop thinking about performing her poems.

Note: This book can be incorporated into a lesson plan here 

Elizabeth Acevedo ISBN 9780062882776

From the Publisher: Camino Rios lives for the summers when her father visits her in the Dominican Republic. But this time, on the day when his plane is supposed to land, Camino arrives at the airport to see crowds of crying people…

In New York City, Yahaira Rios is called to the principal’s office, where her mother is waiting to tell her that her father, her hero, has died in a plane crash.

Separated by distance—and Papi’s secrets—the two girls are forced to face a new reality in which their father is dead and their lives are forever altered.

And then, when it seems like they’ve lost everything of their father, they learn of each other.

Note: This book can be incorporated into a lesson plan here 

Margarita Engle ISBN 9781481461139

From the Publisher: Asia, Africa, Europe—Antonio Chuffat’s ancestors clashed and blended on the beautiful island of Cuba. Yet for most Cubans in the nineteenth century, life is anything but beautiful. The country is fighting for freedom from Spain. Enslaved Africans and near-enslaved Chinese indentured servants are forced to work long, backbreaking hours in the fields.

So Antonio feels lucky to have found a good job as a messenger, where his richly blended cultural background is an asset. Through his work he meets Wing, a young Chinese fruit seller who barely escaped the anti-Asian riots in San Francisco, and his sister Fan, a talented singer. With injustice all around them, the three friends are determined to prove that violence is not the only way to gain liberty.

Note: This book can be incorporated into a lesson plan here 

Tamika Burges ISBN 0063159600

From the publisher: Sicily Jordan’s worst nightmare has come true! She’s been enrolled in a new school, with zero of her friends and stuck wearing a fashion catastrophe of a uniform. But however bad Sicily thought sixth grade was going to be, it only gets worse when she does her class presentation. While all her classmates breezed through theirs, Sicily is bombarded with questions on how she can be both Black and Panamanian. She wants people to understand, but it doesn’t feel like anyone is ready to listen—first at school and then at home. Because when her abuela starts talking mess about her braids, Sicily’s the only one whose heart is being crumpled for a second time. Staying quiet may no longer be an option, but that doesn’t mean Sicily has the words to show the world just what it means to be a proud Black Panamanian either. Even though she hasn’t written in her journal since her abuelo passed, it’s time to pick up her pen again—but will it be enough to prove to herself and everyone else exactly who she is?