Book picks similar to
Sleep Well, Siba & Saba by Nansubuga Nagadya Isdahl
picture-books
picture-book
africa
multicultural
Julián Is a Mermaid
Jessica Love - 2018
Their hair billows in brilliant hues, their dresses end in fishtails, and their joy fills the train car. When Julián gets home, daydreaming of the magic he's seen, all he can think about is dressing up just like the ladies in his own fabulous mermaid costume: a periwinkle curtain for his tail, the fronds of a potted fern for his headdress. But what will Abuela think about the mess he makes—and even more importantly, what will she think about how Julián sees himself? Mesmerizing and full of heart, Jessica Love's author-illustrator debut is a jubilant picture of self-love and a radiant celebration of individuality.
The New Small Person
Lauren Child - 2014
He has a room to himself, where he can line up his precious things and nobody will move them one inch. But one day everything changes. When the new small person comes along, it seems that everybody might like it a bit more than they like Elmore Green. And when the small person knocks over Elmore’s things and even licks his jelly-bean collection, Elmore’s parents say that he can’t be angry because the small person is only small. Elmore wants the small person to go back to wherever it came from. Then, one night, everything changes. . . . In her signature visual style, Lauren Child gets to the heart of a child’s evolving emotions about becoming a big brother or sister.
Blue Sky White Stars
Sarvinder Naberhaus - 2017
Each spread, sumptuously illustrated by award-winning artist Kadir Nelson, depicts a stirring tableau, from the view of the Statue of Library at Ellis Island to civil rights marchers shoulder to shoulder, to a spacecraft at Cape Canaveral blasting off. This book is an ode to America then and now, from sea to shining sea.
Overground Railroad
Lesa Cline-Ransome - 2020
Stop by stop, the perceptive young narrator tells her journey in poems, leaving behind the cotton fields and distant Blue Ridge mountains.Each leg of the trip brings new revelations as scenes out the window of folks working in fields give way to the Delaware River, the curtain that separates the colored car is removed, and glimpses of the freedom and opportunity the family hopes to find come into view. As they travel, Ruth Ellen reads from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, reflecting on how her journey mirrors her own-- until finally the train arrives at its last stop, New York's Penn Station, and the family heads out into a night filled with bright lights, glimmering stars, and new possiblity.James Ransome's mixed-media illustrations are full of bold color and texture, bringing Ruth Ellen's journey to life, from sprawling cotton fields to cramped train cars, the wary glances of other passengers and the dark forest through which Frederick Douglass traveled towards freedom. Overground Railroad is, as Lesa notes, a story "of people who were running from and running to at the same time," and it's a story that will stay with readers long after the final pages.A Junior Library Guild SelectionPraise for Lesa Cline-Ransome and James Ransome's
Before She Was Harriet
, a Coretta Scott King Honor Book and winner of the Christopher Award* "Ransome's lavishly detailed and expansive double-page spreads situate young readers in each time and place as the text takes them further into the past."--Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review* "a powerful reminder of how all children carry within them the potential for greatness."--Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
My Papi Has a Motorcycle
Isabel Quintero - 2019
She also sees a community that is rapidly changing around her.But as the sun sets purple-blue-gold behind Daisy Ramona and her papi, she knows that the love she feels will always be there.
I Believe I Can
Grace Byers - 2020
Bobo return with another gorgeously illustrated new classic that’s the perfect gift for baby showers, birthdays, or just for reading at home again and again.My presence matters in this world. I know I can do anything, if only I believe I can.
Bee-bim Bop!
Linda Sue Park - 2005
In bouncy rhyming text, a hungry child tells about helping her mother make bee-bim bop: shopping, preparing ingredients, setting the table, and finally sitting down with her family to enjoy a favorite meal. The energy and enthusiasm of the young narrator are conveyed in the whimsical illustrations, which bring details from the artist’s childhood in Korea to his depiction of a modern Korean American family. Even young readers who aren’t familiar with the dish will recognize the pride that comes from helping Mama, the fun of mixing ingredients together in a bowl, and the pleasure of sharing delicious food. Includes author’s own recipe.
Please, Puppy, Please
Spike Lee - 2005
Oh wait, puppy, wait, please, please, please, please.... In page after page of tail-wagging fun, Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Spike Lee and his wife, Beacon Award-winning producer Tonya Lewis Lee, take a close-up look at what happens when a couple of high-energy toddlers meet their match in an adventurous pup who has no plans of letting up. Irresistible illustrations by Coretta Scott King Award winner Kadir Nelson unleash countless memorable moments of toddlerhood, and puppyhood, which families with four-legged friends will enjoy over and over again.
A Children's Book-of-the-Month
Club Main Selection
A Black Expressions Book Club
Featured Selection
Soul Food Sunday
Winsome Bingham - 2021
“You’re a big boy now,” Granny says. “Time for you to learn.”At Granny’s, Sunday isn’t Sunday without a big family gathering over a lovingly prepared meal. Old enough now, our narrator is finally invited to help cook the dishes for the first time: He joins Granny in grating the cheese, cleaning the greens, and priming the meat for Roscoe Ray’s grill. But just when Granny says they’re finished, her grandson makes his own contribution, sweetening this Sunday gathering—and the many more to come.
Brown Baby Lullaby
Tameka Fryer Brown - 2020
From sunset to bedtime, two brown-skinned parents lovingly care for their beautiful brown baby: first, they play outside, then it is time for dinner and a bath, and finally a warm snuggle before bed.With Spanish words sprinkled throughout and featuring warm art by New York Times-bestselling and NAACP-Award-winning illustrator AG Ford, Brown Baby Lullaby is the perfect new baby or baby shower gift.
Sweetest Kulu
Celina Kalluk - 2013
Lyrically and lovingly written, this visually stunning book is infused with the Inuit values of love and respect for the land and its animal inhabitants.
What If...
Samantha Berger - 2018
This girl is determined to express herself! If she can't draw her dreams, she'll sculpt or build, carve or collage. If she can't do that, she'll turn her world into a canvas. And if everything around her is taken away, she'll sing, dance, and dream... Stunning mixed media illustrations, lyrical text, and a breathtaking gatefold conjure powerful magic in this heartfelt affirmation of art, imagination, and the resilience of the human spirit.
Like the Moon Loves the Sky
Hena Khan - 2020
Inshallah you are loved, like the moon loves the sky." With vibrant illustrations and prose inspired by the Quran, this charming picture book is a heartfelt and universal celebration of a parent's unconditional love. • A reassuring bedtime read-aloud for mothers and their children.• A perfect book for sharing Muslim family traditions and for families teaching diversity and religious acceptance.• Hena Khan's books have been widely acclaimed, winning awards and honors from the ALA, Parent's Choice, and many others.For families who have read and loved Under My Hijab, Yo Soy Muslim, and Mommy's Khimar.A sweet and lovely bedtime book to help let children know they are loved and precious.• Bedtime books for ages 3–5• Mother's Day gift• Islamic children's booksHena Khan is the author of Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns, Crescent Moons and Pointed Minarets, Night of the Moon, and many other books for children. She lives in Rockville, Maryland. Saffa Khan is an illustrator and printmaker born in Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan, and living in Glasgow, Scotland.
Ohana Means Family
Ilima Loomis - 2020
An American Library Association Notable Children's BookThis is the land that's never been sold, where work the hands, so wise and old, that reach through the water, clear and cold, into the mud to pick the taro to make the poi for our ohana's luau.Acclaimed illustrator and animator Kenard Pak's light-filled, dramatic illustrations pair exquisitely with Ilima Loomis' text to celebrate Hawaiian land and culture.The backmatter includes a glossary of Hawaiian terms used, as well as an author's note.A
Kirkus Reviews
Best Book of the YearA New York Public Library Best Book of the YearA Bank Street Best Childrens Book of the Year!A
Booklist
Editor's Choice
I Promise
LeBron James - 2020
NBA champion and superstar LeBron James pens a slam-dunk picture book inspired by his foundation’s I PROMISE program that motivates children everywhere to always #StriveForGreatness.Just a kid from Akron, Ohio, who is dedicated to uplifting youth everywhere, LeBron James knows the key to a better future is to excel in school, do your best, and keep your family close.I Promise is a lively and inspiring picture book that reminds us that tomorrow’s success starts with the promises we make to ourselves and our community today.Featuring James’s upbeat, rhyming text and vibrant illustrations perfectly crafted for a diverse audience by New York Times bestselling artist Nina Mata, this book has the power to inspire all children and families to be their best.Perfect for shared reading in and out of the classroom, I Promise is also a great gift for graduation, birthdays, and other occasions.