She listens and nods but doesn’t speak. It’s hard being the new kid in school, especially when you’re from another country and don’t know the language. Then, on a field trip to an apple orchard, Farah discovers there are lots of things that sound the same as they did at home, from dogs crunching their food to the ripple of friendly laughter. As she helps the class make apple cider, Farah connects with the other students and begins to feel that she belongs.Ted Lewin’s gorgeous sun-drenched paintings and Eve Bunting’s sensitive text immediately put the reader into another child’s shoes in this timely story of a young Muslim immigrant.

    Some people are girls. Some people are both, neither, or somewhere in between.This sweet, straightforward exploration of gender identity will give children a fuller understanding of themselves and others. With child-friendly language and vibrant art, It Feels Good to Be Yourself provides young readers and parents alike with the vocabulary to discuss this important topic with sensitivity.

    A big idea: they would turn their empty apartment courtyard into a playground!This is the uplifting tale of how the author’s aunt and mother first learned to persevere in the face of disappointment and turned a dream into reality. This is a story of children’s ability to make a difference and of a community coming together to transform their neighborhood.

    A school where kids in patkas, hijabs, and yamulkes play side-by-side with friends in baseball caps. A school where students grow and learn from each other's traditions and the whole community gathers to celebrate the Lunar New Year. All Are Welcome lets young children know that no matter what, they have a place, they have a space, they are welcome in their school.

    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.

    A hopeful, timely picture book that helps us all see the rainbows that connect us!On the other side of a window, there is a neighbor.On the other side of a sadness, there is a hug.And on the other side of a storm, there is a rainbow.Sometimes we are separated by distance, sometimes by the way we feel. Even though the world is full of barriers that can make us feel unconnected, we are all just on one end of a rainbow. Connected by all that color and light, there is always something, or someone, waiting for us on the other side.Poetically told with an uplifting message for some of life's most difficult moments, this book encourages readers to look past their immediate surroundings and find comfort, community, and inner courage—all are closer than we might think.Inspired by the multitude of rainbows found in the windows of homes around the world following the coronavirus lockdown, this uplifting picture book shares a message of hope and resilience that is truly timeless.• TIMELY: Sweet, sincere, and uplifting, this book offers comfort to readers young and old. Its graceful approach to navigating both today's difficulties and the inevitable obstacles of the future makes this a staple picture book little ones and their parents will cherish for years and return to time and again.• HOPEFUL: This book provides a much-needed dose of realistic optimism, encouraging readers to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Painting a believable picture of what is and what might be, it also shows readers all the wonderful things within our reach, even in difficult times. Its underlying message has the potential to change perspectives.• COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: The book's emphasis on finding a network of support—whether it's among family members a phone call away, the neighbors right across the street, or a wider community accessible through technology—is particularly potent. Imbued with the unshakeable sense that we are never alone, this is one picture book with a message everyone can get behind, and which will, itself, spread hope from home to home, community to community.• READ ALOUD: As this reassuring picture book artfully reveals what's on the other side of both concrete objects and abstract ideas, it smartly uses the page turn to do so—it will have young readers eagerly turning the page to complete each sentence, to see what's on the other side. It provides the perfect read-aloud experience for story time in the classroom, in the library, and at home.• THE INSPIRATION: This picture book was inspired by the author's own experiences during the COVID-19 crisis.Perfect for:• Children going through a wide variety of difficult experiences, possibly for the first time• Parents and grandparents looking for a hopeful, comforting picture book• Caretakers and gift givers looking for profound, beautifully written, optimistic picture books• Teachers, librarians, and booksellers looking for the perfect uplifting read-aloud option• Fans of picture books that teach new perspectives

    / I swam on by the people / onshore / hollering, / 'A girl like you needs to / stay out of the water / and be dry / like everyone else.'Empower young readers to embrace their individuality, reject societal limitations, and follow their dreams. This inspiring picture book brings together a poem by acclaimed author Angela Johnson and Nina Crews's distinctive photocollage illustrations to celebrate girls of color.-- "Journal"

    Research shows that talking about issues like race and gender from the age of two not only helps children understand what they see, but also increases self-awareness, self-esteem, and allows them to recognize and confront things that are unfair, like discrimination and prejudice.This first book in the series begins the conversation on race, with a supportive approach that considers both the child and the adult. Stunning art accompanies the simple and interactive text, and the backmatter offers additional resources and ideas for extending this discussion.

    It was unlike any other garden she knew. It had no flowers or vegetables. Instead, Ojiichan made it out of stones: “big ones, little ones and ones in-between.” Every summer, Mayumi visits her grandfather in Japan, and they tend the garden together. Raking the gravel is her favorite part. Afterward, the two of them sit on a bench and enjoy the results of their efforts in happy silence. But then one summer, everything changes. Ojiichan has grown too old to care for his home and the garden. He has to move. Will Mayumi find a way to keep the memory of the garden alive for both of them? This gentle picture book story will warm children's hearts as it explores a deep intergenerational bond and the passing of knowledge from grandparent to grandchild over time. The lyrical text by Chieri Uegaki and luminous watercolor illustrations by Genevieve Simms beautifully capture the emotional arc of the story, from Mayumi's contentment through her anger and disappointment to, finally, her acceptance. The story focuses on an important connection to nature, particularly as a place for quiet reflection. It contains character education lessons on caring, responsibility, perseverance and initiative. It's also a wonderful way to introduce social studies conversations about family, aging and multiculturalism. Mayumi lives in North America with her Japanese mother and Dutch father, and visits her grandfather in Japan. Some Japanese words are included.

    Black high-tops. Two white stripes."All Jeremy wants is a pair of those shoes, the ones everyone at school seems to be wearing. But Jeremy’s grandma tells him they don’t have room for "want," just "need," and what Jeremy needs are new boots for winter. When Jeremy’s shoes fall apart at school, and the guidance counselor gives him a hand-me-down pair, the boy is more determined than ever to have those shoes, even a thrift-shop pair that are much too small. But sore feet aren’t much fun, and Jeremy comes to realize that the things he has — warm boots, a loving grandma, and the chance to help a friend — are worth more than the things he wants.

    This joyous and loving celebration of family is the first-ever picture book to highlight Black nighttime hair traditions--and is perfect for every little girl who knows what it's like to lose her bonnet just before bedtime. In my family, when the sun goes down, our hair goes up!My brother slips a durag over his locs.Sis swirls her hair in a wrap around her head.Daddy covers his black waves with a cap.Mama gathers her corkscrew curls in a scarf.I always wear a bonnet over my braids, but tonight I can't find it anywhere!Bedtime Bonnet gives readers a heartwarming peek into quintessential Black nighttime hair traditions and celebrates the love between all the members of this close-knit, multi-generational family.Perfect for readers of Hair Love and Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut

    Young readers will be drawn into the luminous illustrations inviting them to engage with the world in a new way and see how everyone is connected, and that everyone matters.

    It’s the start of a brand new year and, best of all, it’s her older sister Asiya’s first day of hijab–a hijab of beautiful blue fabric, like the ocean waving to the sky. But not everyone sees hijab as beautiful, and in the face of hurtful, confusing words, Faizah will find new ways to be strong.Paired with Hatem Aly’s beautiful, whimsical art, Olympic medalist Ibtihaj Muhammad and Morris Award finalist S.K. Ali bring readers an uplifting, universal story of new experiences, the unbreakable bond between siblings, and of being proud of who you are.

    But when she, her mother and her father arrive, “all her words fly away like birds.” The girl waits, and watches, and listens, trying to figure things out. Only, it's hard. Then one day the girl meets someone who needs her help. And as she makes a new friend, she finds that the new words start to come easier --- becoming her words, at last.The story is inspired by the many newcomer families Debora Pearson has met in her work as a children's librarian in a bustling urban center.

    Imagine if you lost everything and everyone, and you had to make a dangerous journey all alone. Imagine that there was no welcome at the end, and no room for you to even take a seat at school. And then a child, just like you, gave you something ordinary but so very, very precious. In lyrical, deeply affecting language, Nicola Davies's text combines with Rebecca Cobb's expressive illustrations to evoke the experience of a child who sees war take away all that she knows.