Our Library

By Alexandra Penfold
Illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman

Join the call for a better world with this New York Times bestselling picture book about a school where diversity and inclusion are celebrated. Perfect for every kid, family or classroom!

Knopf Books for Young Readers
2018

By Susan Verde
Illustrator Peter H. Reynolds

Embrace empathy with the instant #1 New York Times bestselling companion to I Am Love and I Am Peace! Being human means we are full of possibility. We learn, we dream, we wonder at the world around us. But we also make mistakes and can feel fearful or sad.

Abrams Books for Young Readers
2018

By Lois Brandt
Illustrated by Vin Vogel

When Sofia discovers her best friend's family doesn't have money for groceries, the young girl inspires a frank consideration of childhood hunger.

Flashlight Press
2014

By Laurie Ann Thompson
Illustrated by Sean Qualls

Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah’s inspiring true story—which was turned into a film, Emmanuel’s Gift, narrated by Oprah Winfrey—is nothing short of remarkable.

Born in Ghana, West Africa, with one deformed leg, he was dismissed by most people—but not by his mother, who taught him to reach for his dreams. As a boy, Emmanuel hopped to school more than two miles each way, learned to play soccer, left home at age thirteen to provide for his family, and, eventually, became a cyclist. He rode an astonishing four hundred miles across Ghana in 2001, spreading his powerful message: disability is not inability. Today, Emmanuel continues to work on behalf of the disabled.

Thompson’s lyrical prose and Qualls’s bold collage illustrations offer a powerful celebration of triumphing over adversity.

Includes an author’s note with more information about Emmanuel’s charity.

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Schwartz & Wade
2015

By Grace Byers
Illustrated by Keturah A. Bobo

A #1 New York Times bestseller and Goodreads Choice Awards picture book winner! This is the perfect gift for mothers and daughters, baby showers, and graduation.

This gorgeous, lyrical ode to loving who you are, respecting others, and being kind to one another comes from Empire actor and activist Grace Byers and talented newcomer artist Keturah A. Bobo.

We are all here for a purpose. We are more than enough. We just need to believe it.

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Harpers Collins
2018

Written and Illustrated By Todd Parr

It’s okay to need some help.
It’s okay to be a different color.
It’s okay to talk about your feelings.

From the bestselling author Todd Parr comes a reassuring book about being who you are.

Told with Todd Parr’s signature wit and wisdom, It’s Okay to Be Different cleverly delivers the important messages of acceptance, understanding, and confidence in an accessible, child-friendly format. The book features the bold, bright colors and silly scenes that made Todd a premiere voice for emotional discussions in children’s literature. Targeted to young children first beginning to read, this book will inspire kids to celebrate their individuality through acceptance of others and self-confidence–and it’s never to early to develop a healthy self-esteem.

It’s Okay to be Different is designed to encourage early literacy, enhance emotional development, celebrate multiculturalism and diversity, and promote character growth.

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2011

Written by Laura Gehl, Illustrated by Joshua Heinsz

Children are often told by many different people which toys they’re supposed to play with, what interests they should have, and what activities they should participate in simply because of their gender. This stereotype-breaking book encourages kids to be exactly who they are!

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2019

Written by Surishtha Sehgal and Kabir Sehgal, Illustrated by Vashti Harrison

It’s time for the Indian festival of Holi, a celebration of the start of spring, of new beginnings, and of good over evil. Friends, families, and neighbors wear white clothing and toss handfuls of brightly colored powders at one another until they’re all completely covered from head to toe!

Young readers will love following the young siblings gathering flowers to make the colorful powders for the big day until—poof!—it’s time for the fun to begin.

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2018

Written by Amy Baker, Illustrated by Vashti Harrison

There are many different kinds of homes. What home would you like to live in?

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2010

Written by Miranda Paul, Illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon

The inspiring true story of how one African woman began a movement to recycle the plastic bags that were polluting her community. Plastic bags are cheap and easy to use. But what happens when a bag breaks or is no longer needed? In Njau, Gambia, people simply dropped the bags and went on their way. One plastic bag became two. Then ten. Then a hundred.

The bags accumulated in ugly heaps alongside roads. Water pooled in them, bringing mosquitoes and disease. Some bags were burned, leaving behind a terrible smell. Some were buried, but they strangled gardens. They killed livestock that tried to eat them. Something had to change.

Isatou Ceesay was that change. She found a way to recycle the bags and transform her community. This inspirational true story shows how one person's actions really can make a difference in our world.

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2015

Written and Illustrated by Karen Katz

A positive and affirming look at skin color, from an artist's perspective.

Seven-year-old Lena is going to paint a picture of herself. She wants to use brown paint for her skin. But when she and her mother take a walk through the neighborhood, Lena learns that brown comes in many different shades.

Through the eyes of a little girl who begins to see her familiar world in a new way, this book celebrates the differences and similarities that connect all people.

Karen Katz created The Colors of Us for her daughter, Lena, whom she and her husband adopted from Guatemala six years ago.

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2002

Written by Jelani Memory

A clear explanation of what racism is and how to know when you see it.

Yes, this really is a kids book about racism. Inside, you’ll find a clear description of what racism is, how it makes people feel when they experience it, and how to spot it when it happens.

This is one conversation that’s never too early to start, and this book was written to be an introduction for kids on the topic.

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2019

Written by Juana Martinez-Neal

2019 Caldecott Honor Book

What’s in a name? For one little girl, her very long name tells the vibrant story of where she came from — and who she may one day be.

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2018

Written by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw

Elliot lives in America, and Kailash lives in India. They are pen pals. By exchanging letters and pictures, they learn that they both love to climb trees, have pets, and go to school. Their worlds might look different, but they are actually similar. Same, same. But different! Through an inviting point-of-view and colorful, vivid illustrations, this story shows how two boys living oceans apart can be the best of friends.

Honors and Awards:

• Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Award, 2012

• Ezra Jack Keats New Author Honor, 2012

• MD Frostburg State University Children’s Literature Centre A, 2012

• South Asia Book Award, 2012

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2011