Gather the midnight strands,
tend the roots that gave you life,
weave hopes into pathways--
paths that lead you home.

Day after day, Nemy sows seeds, pulls weeds, and strips leaves in the sugarcane plantation where she is enslaved. But one night, she follows a woman called Big Mother to a hidden shack. There, she finds a group of women braiding each other's hair. But these are no ordinary braids. Hidden in each elaborate pattern is a secret--a message signaling their intent to flee and a map to guide them in their escape. Will the paths these courageous women weave bring Nemy to a new home where she can be free?

A picture book of love, liberation, and legacy inspired by the true story of enslaved African women in Colombia braiding maps to freedom.

It is Mother's Day tomorrow, and the shops are sparkling with lights and gifts, with people, laughter, and excitement--looking for the perfect gift to bring a smile of joy to moms at home.

Among the candles and balloons, the orchids and chocolate hearts, one young girl searches for a card that features a mom who looks like hers. Her mom has gold bangles that jingle-jangle when she washes the curry pots. Her mom wears silk kameez when she buys papaya at the market. Her mom has dark eyes that flash when she dances the bhangra. What will the little girl do if she can't find a card with a mom who looks like hers?

This is a lively, inclusive picture book about identity and belonging that joyfully celebrates moms and motherhood.

In a quiet suburb of Paris, Matou passes a mosque on her way home from school and can't resist trying on some of the shoes she finds outside.

Curious about the shoes' wearers, she begins to ask questions. Why do the sneakers of a neatly dressed boy look like they have never been worn? Why are the ballet flats of the girl from her school so worn out? With no one to give her any answers, she starts to imagine the answers for herself.

One day, when her mom has to work late, missing out on an afternoon with her daughter, Matou feels frustrated and let down. Can stepping into her mom's shoes help her build a bridge of understanding between them?

Juhi learns the language of flowers while helping her Appa in his flower shop. Can she draw on this knowledge to express her grief when her favorite customer passes away?

Juhi loves helping her Appa sell flowers to the local community. In Appa's flower shop, Juhi knows the language of love--lilies for affection, irises for hugs and kisses. She knows the language of faith--frangipani for full moon days, red hibiscus for the temple. She knows the language of celebration--daffodils for the newborn, peonies for a birthday cake. But when her Appa tells her that her favorite customer has passed away, she does not know the language of grief. While Appa makes a bouquet of lilies and orchids to bring to Mr. Potter's funeral, Juhi decides to make him one final bouquet of her own. Which flowers will she choose to remember a man who was always so full of life?

For one little girl, the prospect of a playdate at her friend Henry's house fills her with excitement.

She really likes Henry. He even has a funny dog. And although she and her mother have to take a bus, then the subway, then change to another line, then a bus, and then walk for a while, it's worth it because Henry's house has millions of rooms to hide in and hundreds of toys to play with.

But while the text tells one story, the illustrations slowly reveal another. As the kids tear around the house enjoying each other's company, their moms experience the playdate very differently. Soon we find that the little girl and her friend Henry live lives that are poles apart.

This compelling story encourages readers to question why we live in a society where those who have and those who have not live very different lives.

Mama always tells me stories on my birthday.
She tells me the story of how I arrived in this world.
They say I first came to them in a quiet dream
and that I was a gift from our ancestors.

For one Armenian child, birthdays are days for decorating the house with bunches of rose and mint and sumac, for eating beef dumplings with garlic yogurt, and for baking cakes with family and friends. But birthdays are also a time for telling stories--stories of ancestors and homelands, of births and new beginnings, and of the land their family now calls home. Because stories make up who we are; they are like rivers that lead into oceans, like seeds that fall from flowers, like pages of this book that come from trees. And the more stories that are told, the brighter this little child shines.

Every time a reader's eyes approached the library, our story trembled like a sheet of paper in the wind and curled its spine, repeating: I'm a ghost, no one sees me. I'm a ghost, no one sees me.

The world is full of stories. Some are long like crocodiles and others are so short they don't even reach the word END. But the secret story is unlike any other story because no one has ever read it! It lives hidden in the darkest corner of the library, far from where the famous tales, written in gold letters, shine.

One day, a reader who is blind approaches the story's trembling pages. This reader is unlike any reader the secret story has ever encountered. And when she runs her fingertips over the book's white pages, the secret story is astonished by what she finds.

A beautifully inclusive tale about sight loss, in which we learn that not all stories are meant to be read with the eyes.

Building a treehouse is a big project. But when your mommies are there to help you, there's nothing that can stop you!

When one boy sets out to build the treehouse of his dreams, there's so much to consider - from finding the perfect tree to drawing up the plans. There are certainly challenges along the way, and a lot of spilled paint! But one thing is for sure - he won't go too far wrong with his two mommies to support him.

The Intasimi Warriors are about to embark on their third and most challenging adventure to date--saving their beloved mentor from dying at the hands of the Life Drinkers.

When Soni discovers that her mom has a twin sister with a dark secret, she just might have found the key to discovering the Life Drinkers' identity.

As she delves deeper into Nairobi's dark underbelly, Soni must learn to see the world for what it is--with all its beauty and ugliness. What price will she have to pay to stop the Life Drinkers from draining Mr. Lemayian's life, and will saving his life come at the expense of her own

A heart-stopping, thrill-a-minute journey into the heart of an alternative Kenya where monsters roam the streets and one brave 12-year-old, with the help of her closest friends, will learn a lesson in self-sacrifice that she will never forget.

Ellie is ready to have the best summer ever.

She's especially excited to draw under her favorite tree and hang out with her big brother, Ben. But all Ben seems to care about is impressing the new lip-glossy neighbor, Sara. And all Sara seems to care about is turning Ellie's brother into a Hawaii husband!

Luckily, Ellie's best friend, Ling, has the marriage list--a top-secret tool to track the lovebirds and stop a wedding before it starts. But nothing goes to plan, and while trying to rescue Ben, Ellie ends up putting the weeping willow in her garden in danger. Faced with losing everything she loves most, can Ellie find a way to win back her brother and save her beloved tree?

An utterly charming story about a lovable 10-year-old with Down syndrome whose extra sparkle never fails to shine bright.

Brown-skinned children around the world laugh, love and play together in this infectiously joyful book.

I am brown. I am beautiful. I am perfect. I designed this computer. I ran this race. I won this prize. I wrote this book. A joyful celebration of the skin you're in--of being brown, of being amazing, of being you.

Teach Early Years Award Finalist 2021. UKLA Book Awards Longlist 2021. Derby Children's Book Award Longlist 2021. BookTrust Best Books Guide 2020. A Guardian Children's Book of the Month

A note-perfect hymn about acceptance, pride and belonging--The Observer

Upbeat and uplifting--Kirkus Reviews

An empowering book for all children to read and a beautiful reminder about self-love, dreaming big, culture and self-acceptance--Here Wee Read

Such a joyful book! A must-have for your shelf, and definitely schools and libraries--Bookbairn

A total joy to behold. The gorgeous illustrations and story provide a positive mantra for all children of any ethnicity and background - with the central message that you can be anything you want to be, don't hold yourself back. Highly recommended--BookTrust

This is not just a book about being brown. This book is fundamentally the voice of every child, and every child is amazing. Simply one of the most joyful books I have seen for a long time. I can't wait to share it in my library--Book Monsters

Did you know that constellations are ancient maps that help adventurers find their way?

Rajiv has feelings for everything. He can feel confident. He can feel happy. He can feel silly. But today, he feels angry, and he doesn't know why. With the help of his father, he sets out on a journey to make sense of his feelings. It is a journey that will take him to a park, then up into the branches of a tree, and from there all the way to the stars . . .

Beautifully told and stunningly illustrated, this extraordinary story will help children everywhere explore the complex emotions we all feel but cannot always name.

What does nothing sound like?

Jacki's mama has a rare condition. She is slowly losing her hearing. Together, they are learning Sign Language so that they'll always be able to tell each other everything. But as Mama's world becomes quieter, Jacki's remains full of sound, especially on Music Appreciation Fridays. How can Jacki enjoy listening to music when her mama can no longer hear it?

A heartfelt story, inspired by the author's childhood, about a young girl coming to terms with her mother's hearing loss and finding new ways to experience the world, together.

When a young boy paints his nails with his mom's nail polish, he discovers the most important thing of all: the magic of being his true self.

As the long late summer day stretches ahead of them, a young boy eagerly looks forward to his favorite time--painting-your-nails time. He know that when he dips into those magical bottles of nail polish, he will discover a color to express his every mood and feeling. Purple is the color of magic and mystery. White is the color of endless possibilities. At times, his papa frowns and says, What have you done to your nails? At other times, he says, Why don't you paint on paper instead? But the little boy knows that painting his nails makes his hands look beautiful.

This color-filled story celebrates the joy of finding out who you are and embracing the courage to be yourself.

Mindful haiku poems to help us rediscover our natural surroundings, without traveling too far from home.

Some flowers are the subject of nursery rhymes and childhood games while others help us celebrate love, remember our homelands or mark the passing seasons. These mindful haiku poems invite us to explore twenty-four flower species growing close to home, from wildflower meadows to urban window boxes.

The nature-themed follow up to My Mindful A to Zen, this gorgeous collection of poems teaches us that treating ourselves and our planet mindfully can also be a treat for the senses.

In the pueblo of Palenque in Colombia, hardly anybody knows how to read. Curious about the letters her older sister Gina receives from a young doctor each month--letters that she is sure contain promises of love--one young girl makes a decision that will change her life, and the lives of every child in the pueblo, forever.

With the help of Señor Velandia, the owner of the village shop, she will slowly unlock the letters of the alphabet and discover the magic of reading. And soon she will make a discovery that is more miraculous still--that letters are literally all around her.

How do you cheer someone up when they're stuck in a boring old hospital bed? Cora is determined to find a way.

Grandpa Jim can only see a small square of blue sky from his hospital window, so Cora decides there's only one thing to do--she will bring him some sea to go with it!

First, she brings him a hat full of sea. Then she brings him a hat full of countryside. She even brings him the moon, the black velvet night, and the shimmering, glimmering stars. She empties them all out onto the hospital bed for her beloved Grandpa Jim to share. Can Cora bring the hospital ward to magical life until her grandpa is ready to go outside and play with her once more?

A heartwarming story about one very special hat. Or should that be one very special girl?

A beautifully tender story touching on the range of emotions immigrants may feel when leaving their home countries - excitement and sorrow, fear and courage.

Anita watches the dragons high above her as she hops from one cement roof to another in her village in the Dominican Republic. But being the valiant princesa she is, she never lets them scare her. Will she be brave enough to enter the belly of the beast and take flight to new adventures?

A Barnes & Noble Bookseller Favorite. A BookTrust Book of the Month. A Love Reading For Schools Book of the Month.

A gorgeous story about the love of one's homeland and the courage it takes to emigrate--Kirkus Reviews, STARRED

Anita's courage as she flies off with the dragons to a new land will linger long after the final page--Girls Read The World

What a punch this book packs. Hannah Carmona's lyrical narrative is paired with THE dreamiest artwork by Anna Cunha - I'm obsessed with the color palette, and the gentle simplicity of her spreads is calming, yet full of energy--The Little Literary Society

Every day, Afiya wakes to a brand new day and a clean white dress, ready for her adventures to begin...

Some people have dresses for every occasion but Afiya needs only one. Her dress records the memories of her childhood, from roses in bloom to pigeons in flight, from tigers at the zoo to October leaves falling. A joyful celebration of a young girl's childhood, written by the late Coretta Scott King Book Award-winning Jamaican poet James Berry.

WINNER of the Northern Lights Book Awards Picture Book of the Year. USBBY Outstanding International Book 2021. New York Times, 25 Best Children's Books of 2020. A Guardian Children's Book of the Month.

A joyous celebration of childhood, culture and place--The New York Times, 25 Best Children's Books of 2020

A unique and beautiful combination of poetic story and expressive art--Kirkus Reviews

An exquisite celebration of the simple magic of childhood--Shelf Awareness

Gorgeous--School Library Journal

A book to treasure--Books for Keeps, 5 STARS