Book picks similar to
Yasmine's Belly Button by Charity Russell


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middle-eastern
middle-grade
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Dragon Dance: A Chinese New Year Lift-the-Flap Book


Joan Holub - 2003
     Illustrated by Benrei Huang.

Hillary Rodham Clinton: Some Girls Are Born to Lead


Michelle Markel - 2016
    Girls weren’t supposed to act smart, tough, or ambitious. Even though, deep inside, they may have felt that way. And then along came Hillary. Brave, brilliant, and unstoppable, she was out to change the world.They said a woman couldn’t be a mother and a lawyer. Hillary was both. They said a woman shouldn’t be too strong or too smart. Hillary was fearlessly herself.It didn’t matter what people said—she was born to lead.With illustrations packed full of historical figures and details, this gorgeous and informative picture book biography is perfect for every budding leader. Includes a timeline, artist’s note, and bibliography.

My Day with the Panye


Tami Charles - 2021
    "To carry the panye, we move gracefully, even under the weight of the sun and the moon."In the hills above Port-au-Prince, a young girl named Fallon wants more than anything to carry a large woven basket to the market, just like her Manman. As she watches her mother wrap her hair in a mouchwa, Fallon tries to twist her own braids into a scarf and balance the empty panye atop her head, but realizes it's much harder than she thought. BOOM! Is she ready after all? Lyrical and inspiring, with vibrant illustrations highlighting the beauty of Haiti, My Day with the Panye is a story of family legacy, cultural tradition, and hope for the future. Readers who are curious about the art of carrying a panye will find more about this ancient and global practice in an author's note at the end.

Violet


Tania Duprey Stehlik - 2009
    But as she races over to meet him, one of the other kids asks, How come your Dad is blue and you're not?" Violet has never even thought about this before. Her mother is red, and her father is blue -- so why isn't she red or blue? Why is she purple? Upset and confused, Violet goes to her mother. Using paints, her mother shows her that when you combine red and blue, you get violet! Like many people in the world, Violet is a beautiful mix of colors. But color isn't really that important. After all, it is what's inside us that counts.

A World of Kindness


Ann FeatherstoneFrançois Thisdale - 2018
    With art from nine celebrated children's book illustrators including Rebecca Bender, Suzanne Del Rizzo, and Wallace Edwards, this lavishly illustrated book will invite frequent re-reads to examine the joyful and inspiring illustrations. In a series of thoughtful questions, the text reminds readers of the impact they can have through everyday actions and words. From simply saying "please" and "thank-you" to helping, comforting, and protecting others, A World of Kindness goes beyond mere platitudes and politeness to examine, in a kid-friendly way, the most powerful of social interactions. All royalties will be donated to the World Kindness Movement.Many of the original images in this book have been donated by the artists. The custom cover art was created and donated by award-winning author-illustrator Suzanne Del Rizzo.

Wanting Mor


Rukhsana Khan - 2009
    Even with her cleft lip and lack of educational opportunities, Jameela feels relatively secure, sustained by her Muslim faith and the love of her mother, Mor. But when Mor dies, Jameela’s father impulsively decides to start a new life in Kabul. Jameela is appalled as he succumbs to alcohol and drugs, then suddenly remarries, a situation that soon has her a virtual slave to a demanding stepmother. After she’s discovered trying to learn to read, Jameela is abandoned in a busy market, eventually landing in an orphanage run by the same army that killed so many members of her family. Throughout it all, the memory of her mother sustains her, giving Jameela the strength to face her father and stepmother when fate brings them together again. Inspired by a true story, and set in a world far removed from that of Western readers, this powerful novel reveals that the desire for identity and self-understanding is universal.

The Day of Ahmed's Secret


Florence H. Parry - 1990
    All day long, as he maneuvers his donkey cart through streets crowded with cars and camels, down alleys filled with merchants' stalls, and past buildings a thousand years old, Ahmed keeps his secret safe inside. It is so special, so wonderful, that he can reveal it only to his family, only when he returns home, only at the end of the day.

The Bake Shop Ghost


Jacqueline K. Ogburn - 2005
    But now Cora Lee haunts the shop she used to own.When new bakers arrive to take over her empty bake shop, Cora Lee scares them away, each and every one. Then Annie Washington comes to town . . .Jacqueline K. Ogburn and Marjorie Priceman combine their talents to give us an enchanting baker’s battle in this story about how to unlock the secrets of the perfect recipe and a lonely heart.

The Matatu


Eric Walters - 2012
    But today, for his fifth birthday, he climbs aboard one with his grandfather. As the matatu pulls away from the market, the village dogs chase after them. When Kioko asks his grandfather why the dogs always bark and chase after matatus, his grandfather tells him an entertaining tale about a dog, a goat and a sheep. Set in East Africa, The Matatu is a colorful story filled with many unexpected turns and twists along the way.

The Story I'll Tell


Nancy Tupper Ling - 2015
    I might tell how you came from a land far away in a hot air balloon. The basket slowly drifted down like a feather into our yard. I dropped the firewood I was carrying and ran to you. You re home now, I said. Or maybe it was a lark and not a stork that brought the child to the mother. Or perhaps he was rescued from a dragon! Each lyrical and fantastic tale contains a small kernel of truth that pieces together the baby s journey across a wide ocean into his new mother's arms. Beautifully illustrated by Jessica Lanan, The Story I'll Tell is a gentle and moving story of adoption and parental love that is sure to touch the hearts of readers everywhere, no matter how they came to be a family."

The Flower Girl Wore Celery


Meryl G. Gordon - 2016
    However, nothing is quite as she expected it to be, from the ring bearer whom she expected to be a bear, to her celery-colored dress, which she expected to be covered in real celery, to the wedding's two brides.

Here Is the World: A Year of Jewish Holidays


Lesléa Newman - 2014
    Beginning with the weekly observance of Shabbat, readers join a family through the holidays and the corresponding seasons. From sounding the shofar on Rosh Hashanah to lighting the menorah for Chanukah to rattling a grogger for Purim, and on through the Jewish year, the joy and significance of each holiday beautifully come to life.In addition to the narrative text, there is a description of each holiday in the back matter along with an easy craft or recipe.

Ritu Weds Chandni


Ameya Narvankar - 2020
    She can't wait to dance in the baraat ceremony! But not everyone is happy that Ritu is marrying her girlfriend Chandni. Some have even vowed to stop the celebrations. Will Ayesha be able to save her cousin's big day?This vibrant book sets the story of a same-sex couple struggling to gain acceptance against the colorful backdrop of an Indian wedding.

In the Land of Milk and Honey


Joyce Carol Thomas - 2012
    Terrific sights and flavors welcome them with sweet possibility, reflected in the faces of people of all races, cultures, and ethnicities. Where oranges are as big as grapefruits and bears fish like men-California awaits, as one girl makes the exciting cross-country move by train with her family. Awe-inspiring scenes come to life as soaring mountains give way to the sweeping Golden Gate. The adventure of this world unfolds as the train takes them to a place where people from all paths come together, sipping Mexican hot chocolate and eating African bread, and music from the welcome party fills the air. This tells the tale of many who made this same trip, drawn by a land filled with plenty and promise, the land of milk and honey. in this breathtaking and gorgeous story, the dynamic duo of Joyce Carol Thomas and Floyd Cooper capture the anticipation and thrill of a girl on the brink of her new life.

Mold and the Poison Plot


Lorraine Gregory - 2017
    . . and a nose to match!Mold's a bit of a freak. His nose is as big as his body is puny and his mother abandoned him in a bin when he was a mere baby. Who else but the old healer, Aggy, would have taken him in and raised him as her own? But when Aggy is accused of poisoning the King, Mold sets out to clear her name.In a thrilling race against time to save Aggy from the hangman's noose, Mold faces hideous, deadly monsters like the Yurg and the Purple Narlo Frog. He finds true friendship in the most unusual - and smelly - of places and must pit his wits and his clever nose against the evil witch Hexaba.This is an exciting fantasy story with an array of wonderful characters, including the inimitable Mold, told in a fresh and distinctive voice by a promising new writer.