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Children's Literature

Guide to several aspects of children's literature, including award winning, multicultural, folklore, etc.

Diversity in Children's Books

African, African-American

Hair Love by Matthew A Cherry, read by Gabrielle Union
Mae among the Stars by Roda Ahmed, read by Kerry Washington
Trombone Shorty by Troy Andrews
eBook - Greater Phoenix Digital Library
Thank you, Omu by Oge Mora
eBook - Greater Phoenix Digital Library

Hover over titles for description.

Do You Know What I'll Do? by Charlotte Zolotow
Call Number: JUV PIC ZOLOTOW DOYO 2000
ISBN: 9780060278809
Rap a Tap Tap by Leo and Diane Dillon (Illustrators)
Call Number: JUV PIC DILLON RAPA 2002
ISBN: 9780590478830
Standing in the Need of Prayer by C B Weatherford; F Morrison (Illus)
Call Number: JUV PIC WEATHERFORD STAN 2022 at GCC Main and North
ISBN: 9780593306345
The People Could Fly by Virginia Hamilton; Dillon and Dillon (Illustrators)
Call Number: JUV PIC HAMILTON THEP 2004 at GCC Main and North
ISBN: 9780375824050
My People by Langston Hughes; Charles R. Smith (Illustrator)
Call Number: JUV PIC HUGHES MYPE 2009 at GCC Main and North
ISBN: 9781416935407
Brothers in Hope by Mary Williams; R. Gregory Christie (Illustrator)
Call Number: JUV PIC WILLIAMS BROT 2005
ISBN: 9781584302322
When We Say Black Lives Matter by Maxine Beneba Clarke (Illus)
Call Number: JUV-PIC CLARKE WHEN 2021-Main
ISBN: 9781536222388
Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
Call Number: JUV YOUTH CURTIS BUDN 1999 at GCC Main & North
ISBN: 9780385323062
The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
Call Number: JUV YOUTH ALEXANDER CROS 2014 at GCC Main & North
ISBN: 9780544107717
We Are the Ship by Kadir Nelson (Illustrator)
Call Number: JUV YOUTH ALEXANDER CROS 2014 at GCC Main & North
ISBN: 9780786808328
Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes
Call Number: JUV - YA GRIMES BRON 2002 at GCC Main & North
ISBN: 9780142501894
The First Part Last by Angela Johnson
Call Number: JUV YA JOHNSON THEF 2003 at GCC North
ISBN: 9780689849220

Arab, Arab-American

From Far Away by Robert Munsch
Content advisory: this TumbleBook contains sensitive passages relating to war, and the refugee experience.

Hover over titles for description.

How Many Donkeys? by MacDonald and Taibah (Retold by)
Call Number: JUV - PIC MACDONALD HOWM 2009 at GCC Main & North
ISBN: 9780807534243
Nasreen's Secret School by Jeanette Winter (Illustrator)
Call Number: JUV PIC WINTER NASR 2009 at GCC Main and North
ISBN: 9781416994374
Silent Music by James Rumford (Illustrator)
Call Number: JUV PIC RUMFORD SILE 2008
ISBN: 9781596432765
Tales Told in Tents by Sally Clayton
Call Number: JUV - ANTH TALE 2004
ISBN: 9781845070663
Four Feet, Two Sandals by Williams, Mohammed & Chayka
Call Number: JUV - PIC WILLIAMS FOUR 2007 at GCC Main & North
ISBN: 9780802852960
The Turtle of Oman by Naomi Shihab Nye
Call Number: JUV - YOUTH NYE TURT 2014 at GCC Main & North
ISBN: 9780062019721
Kids of Kabul by Deborah Ellis
Call Number: JUV - BIO HQ792.A3 E55 2012
ISBN: 9781554981816
Habibi by Naomi Shihab Nye
Call Number: JUV - YA NYE HABI 1999
ISBN: 9780689825231
Hands Around the Library by Roth and Abouraya
Call Number: JUV - PIC ROTH HAND 2012
ISBN: 9780803737471

Chinese, Chinese-American

A Big Mooncake for Little Star by Grace Lin
eBook - Greater Phoenix Digital Library
Lotus and Feather by Ji-li Jiang, read by Michele Yeoh

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Lon Po Po by Ed Young
Call Number: JUV - PIC YOUNG LONP 1996 at GCC Main & North
ISBN: 9780613003957
Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel (Retold by)
Call Number: JUV PIC MOSEL TIKK 1989
ISBN: 9780805011661
Uncle Peter's Amazing Chinese Wedding by Lenore Look
Call Number: JUV PIC LOOK UNCL 2006 at GCC Main & North
ISBN: 9780689844584
Ruby Lu, Brave and True by Lenore Look
Call Number: JUV - YOUTH LOOK RUBY 2004 at GCC Main & North
ISBN: 9780689849077
Cat and Rat by Ed Young
Call Number: JUV - PIC YOUNG CATA 1998
ISBN: 9780805060492
Summoning the Phoenix by Emily Jiang
Call Number: JUV - PIC JIANG SUMM 2013 at GCC Main & North
ISBN: 9781885008503
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang; Lark Pien (Illustrator)
Call Number: JUV - YA YANG AMER 2006 (graphic novel)
ISBN: 9781596432086
The Jade Dragon by Virginia Shin-Mui Loh; Carolyn Marsden
Call Number: JUV - YOUTH MARSDEN JADE 2006 at GCC Main & North
ISBN: 9780763640613
Red Scarf Girl by Ji-Li Jiang
Call Number: JUV - BIO DS778.7 .J53 2004
ISBN: 9780060275853

European

India, Southeast Asia

A Ticket around the World by Natalia Diaz and Melissa Owens

Hover over titles for description.

Go to Sleep, Gecko! by Margaret Read MacDonald (Retold by)
Call Number: JUV - PIC MACDONALD GOTO 2006
ISBN: 9780874837803
Hush! a Thai Lullaby by Mingfong Ho
Call Number: JUV - PIC HO HUSH 1996
ISBN: 9780531071663
Monkey; a trickster tale from India by Gerald McDermott
Call Number: JUV - PIC MCDERMOTT MONK 2011 at GCC Main & North
ISBN: 9780152165963
The Magic Flute; folk tales from India by Uma Raman (Editor)
Call Number: JUV ANTH MAGI 2011
ISBN: 9789350361498
Children of the Dragon by Sherry Garland
Call Number: JUV - PIC GARLAND CHIL 2012
ISBN: 9781455617098
Half Spoon of Rice by Icy Smith
Call Number: JUV - PIC SMITH HALF 2010 at GCC Main & North
ISBN: 9780982167588
Beautifully Me by Nabela Noor; Nabi H. Ali (Illus)
Call Number: JUV - PIC NOOR BEAU 2021-Main
ISBN: 9781534485877
Drawn Together by Minh Lê; Dan Santat (Illustrator)
Call Number: JUV - PIC LE DRAW 2018
ISBN: 9781484767603
Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhhà Lai
Call Number: JUV - YOUTH LAI INSI 2011 at GCC Main & North
ISBN: 9780061962783
Hair Twins by Raakhee Mirchandani; Holly Hatam (Illus)
Call Number: JUV - PIC MIRCHANDANI HAIR 2021
ISBN: 9780316495301
Escaping the Tiger by Laura Manivong
Call Number: JUV - YOUTH MANIVONG ESCA 2010 at GCC Main & North
ISBN: 9780061661778
From the Tops of the Trees by Kao Kalia Yang; Rachel Wada (Illustrator)
Call Number: JUV - PIC YANG FROM 2021 at GCC Main & North
ISBN: 9781541581302

Japanese, Japanese-American

Zen Shorts by Jon J Muth, read by Gabriela Hearst

Hover over titles for description.

One Leaf Rides the Wind by Mannis and Hartung
Call Number: JUV - PIC MANNIS ONEL 2005 at GCC Main & North
ISBN: 9780142401958
Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say (Illustrator); Eve Bunting
Call Number: JUV - PIC SAY GRAN 1993 at GCC Main & North
ISBN: 9780395570357
Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki
Call Number: JUV - PIC MOCHIZUKI BASE 1993
ISBN: 9781880000014
Hana Hashimoto, Sixth Violin by Chieri Uegaki
Call Number: JUV - PIC UEGAKI HANA 2014 at GCC Main & North
ISBN: 9781894786331
Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr
Call Number: JUV - YOUTH COERR SADA 2004 at GCC Main & North
ISBN: 9780399237997
The Big Wave by Pearl S. Buck
Call Number: JUV - YOUTH BUCK BIGW 1986 at GCC Main & North
ISBN: 9780381999230
Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus
Call Number: JUV - YOUTH PREUS HEAR 2010 at GCC Main & North
ISBN: 9780810989818
Journey to Topaz by Yoshiko Uchida
Call Number: JUV - YOUTH UCHIDA JOUR 2005
ISBN: 9781890771911
Weedflower by Cynthia Kadohata
Call Number: JUV - YOUTH KADOHATA WEED 2006 at GCC Main & North
ISBN: 9780689865749

Latino: Mexico, Central & South America

¡El gallo que no se callaba! (The Rooster who would not be Quiet) by Deedy, read by Lin Manuel Miranda
My Papi has a Motorcycle by Isabel Quintero
eBook - Greater Phoenix Digital Library
Funny Bones: Posada and his Day of the Dead Calaveras by Duncan Tonatiuh
eBook - Greater Phoenix Digital Library

Hover over titles for description.

Cucú by Lois Ehlert; Gloria de Aragón Andújar (Translator)
Call Number: JUV - PIC EHLERT CUCK 1997
ISBN: 9780152002749
Adelita by Tomie dePaola
Call Number: JUV - PIC DEPAOLA ADEL 2002
ISBN: 9780399238666
Love and Roast Chicken by Barbara Knutson (Illustrator)
Call Number: JUV - PIC KNUTSON LOVE 2004
ISBN: 9781575056579
Chato's Kitchen by Gary Soto; Susan Guevara (Illustrator)
Call Number: JUV - PIC SOTO CHAT 1995 at GCC Main and North
ISBN: 9780399226588
When Angels Sing by Michael James Mahin; José Ramírez (Illustrator)
Call Number: JUV - BIO ML3930.S26 M34 2018 Main & North
ISBN: 9781534404137
Laughing Tomatoes and Other Spring Poems by Francisco X. Alarcón
Call Number: JUV - PIC ALARCON LAUG 1997
ISBN: 9780892391394
Viva Frida by Yuyi Morales
Call Number: JUV - PIC MORALES VIVA 2014 Main & North
ISBN: 9781596436039
Martina the Beautiful Cockroach by Carmen Agra Deedy; Michael Austin (Illustrator)
Call Number: JUV - PIC DEEDY MART 2007
ISBN: 9781561453993
The Pot That Juan Built by Nancy Andrews-Goebel
Call Number: JUV - PIC ANDREWS POTT 2002
ISBN: 9781584300380
Where Wonder Grows by Adriana M. Garcia (Illustrator); Xelena González
Call Number: JUV PIC GONZALEZ WHER 2022 at GCC Main & North
ISBN: 9781947627468
My Two Border Towns by David Bowles; Erika Meza (Illus)
Call Number: JUV-PIC BOWLES MYTW 2021-Main
ISBN: 9780593111048

Native American/ Indigenous People

Legend of the Indian Paintbrush by Tomie DePaola
Ten Little Rabbits by Virginia Grossman & Sylvia Long
eBook - Hoopla, Phoenix or other public library

Hover over titles for description.

A Boy Named Beckoning by Gina Capaldi (Illustrator)
Call Number: JUV - BIO E99.Y5 M65325 2008- Main
ISBN: 0822576449
The Girl Who Helped Thunder - Native American Folktales by James Bruchac
Call Number: JUV - ANTH GIRL 2007 Main and North
ISBN: 9781402732638
We All Play by Julie Flett (Illustrator)
Call Number: JUV - PIC FLETT WEAL 2021-Main
ISBN: 9781771646079
Soft Child by Joe Hayes (Retold by); Kay Sather (Illustrator)
Call Number: JUV - PIC HAYES SOFT 1993
ISBN: 0943173892
Heroes and Heroines, Monsters and Magic by Joseph Bruchac
Call Number: JUV - ANTH HERO 1985
ISBN: 9780895949950
Shin-Chi's Canoe by Nicola I. Campbell; Kim Lafave (Illustrator)
Call Number: JUV-PIC CAMPBELL SHIN 2008 Main & North
ISBN: 9780888998576
Mii Maanda Ezhi-Gkendmaanh / This Is How I Know by Luby; Pawis-Steckley; Corbiere
Call Number: JUV-PIC LUBY THIS 2021-Main
ISBN: 9781773063263
The Butterfly Dance by Marty K. De Montano; Gerald Dawavendewa
Call Number: JUV- PIC DAWAVENDEWA BUTT 2001
ISBN: 0789201615
Navajo Long Walk by Joseph Bruchac; Shonto W. Begay (Illustrator)
Call Number: JUV - NONFIC E99.N3 B744 2002
ISBN: 9780792270584
Thunder Boy Jr. by Sherman Alexie; Yuyi Morales (Illustrator)
Call Number: JUV- PIC ALEXIE THUN 2016 Main
ISBN: 0316013722
How I Became a Ghost by Tim Tingle
Call Number: JUV- YOUTH TINGLE HOWI 2013 Main
ISBN: 9781937054533
Waterless Mountain by Laura Adams Armer; Sidney Armer (Illustrator)
Call Number: JUV-YOUTH ARMER WATE 2014 North
ISBN: 9780486492889

Black Lives Matter Instructional Library Read-Alouds

Click on any of the picture books in this presentation to watch a video of the book being read aloud.

Creative Commons Attribution, Non-Commercial, Share-Alike License Tag

All guides are available under the CC-BY-NC-SA license.