﻿THIS BOOK IS CURRENTLY OUT OF STOCK. Born in 1923 in Madisonville, Louisiana, Leah Chase would marry into the Chase restaurant family in nearby New Orleans, but that small geographic move would end up taking her worlds away. Today she is a national-award-winning cook and civic figure. This novel, told in the form of letters to God, shares her inspirational journey with middle-grade readers. BIO Carol Allen was born in Elton, Louisiana, part of Cajun country. As a young girl, she traveled across the state with her father and became fascinated with the richness of Louisiana culture and her own unique heritage. In 1968, she began teaching at Oakdale High School, where she experienced the switch to the integrated school system. Soon after, she became an elementary-school principal and completed her doctorate at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. After a year as an assistant professor at the University of South Carolina, she returned home to become the superintendent of curriculum and instruction for New Orleans Public Schools. In 1985, Allen married a Frenchman and moved to France. There, she volunteered for various service organizations, served on boards for international schools, and worked for an educational institute in Paris that was affiliated with the American College in Paris. Allen helped plan and direct an international conference designed to address the needs and interests of expatriate women. The conference, organized and conducted entirely by volunteers, attracted four hundred conferees representing nineteen different nationalities from twenty-one different countries of residence. She went on to create the Paris Writers Workshop, now an internationally respected program that allows aspiring writers to develop their talents. Allen has written articles for the Writer's Chronicle, Washington Post, Epicurean Magazine, and the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Allen compiled and edited They Only Laughed Later: Tales of Women on the Move, a book of humorous essays written by women about their experiences living abroad. In 1996, she received honorable mention from Writer’s Market for a self-published book in the children's-literary category. She has been a guest lecturer at the Geneva Writers' Conference and is a motivational speaker for the European Speakers Bureau. Allen has been close friends with Leah Chase, the subject of her biography, Leah Chase: Listen, I Say Like This, for more than twenty years. For the book, she spent hours with Chase herself, in the woman's kitchen, reminiscing her own Louisiana childhood and the diverse background and joie de vivre that both the author and her subject share. In addition to writing, Allen loves to cook. Much to the surprise of her French neighbors, she garnered the grand prize in what is known as Les Journées Gourmandes in the region of the Vaucluse, Provence, where she lives most of the time. Her winning recipes were for jams and jellies in 1995 and for Wild-Mushroom Soup in 2001. [P] Pelican Publishing Company / August 24, 2020 0.6" H x 8.4" L x 5.4" W (0.65 lbs) 160 pages

﻿THIS BOOK IS CURRENTLY OUT OF STOCK.
<meta charset="utf-8">Born in 1923 in Madisonville, Louisiana, Leah Chase would marry into the Chase restaurant family in nearby New Orleans, but that small geographic move would end up taking her worlds away. Today she is a national-award-winning cook and civic figure. This novel, told in the form of letters to God, shares her inspirational journey with middle-grade readers.
BIO
<meta charset="utf-8">Carol Allen was born in Elton, Louisiana, part of Cajun country. As a young girl, she traveled across the state with her father and became fascinated with the richness of Louisiana culture and her own unique heritage. In 1968, she began teaching at Oakdale High School, where she experienced the switch to the integrated school system. Soon after, she became an elementary-school principal and completed her doctorate at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. After a year as an assistant professor at the University of South Carolina, she returned home to become the superintendent of curriculum and instruction for New Orleans Public Schools. In 1985, Allen married a Frenchman and moved to France. There, she volunteered for various service organizations, served on boards for international schools, and worked for an educational institute in Paris that was affiliated with the American College in Paris. Allen helped plan and direct an international conference designed to address the needs and interests of expatriate women. The conference, organized and conducted entirely by volunteers, attracted four hundred conferees representing nineteen different nationalities from twenty-one different countries of residence. She went on to create the Paris Writers Workshop, now an internationally respected program that allows aspiring writers to develop their talents. Allen has written articles for the Writer's Chronicle, Washington Post, Epicurean Magazine, and the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Allen compiled and edited They Only Laughed Later: Tales of Women on the Move, a book of humorous essays written by women about their experiences living abroad. In 1996, she received honorable mention from Writer’s Market for a self-published book in the children's-literary category. She has been a guest lecturer at the Geneva Writers' Conference and is a motivational speaker for the European Speakers Bureau. Allen has been close friends with Leah Chase, the subject of her biography, Leah Chase: Listen, I Say Like This, for more than twenty years. For the book, she spent hours with Chase herself, in the woman's kitchen, reminiscing her own Louisiana childhood and the diverse background and joie de vivre that both the author and her subject share. In addition to writing, Allen loves to cook. Much to the surprise of her French neighbors, she garnered the grand prize in what is known as Les Journées Gourmandes in the region of the Vaucluse, Provence, where she lives most of the time. Her winning recipes were for jams and jellies in 1995 and for Wild-Mushroom Soup in 2001.
[P]  Pelican Publishing Company  /  <meta charset="utf-8">August 24, 2020
<meta charset="utf-8">0.6" H x 8.4" L x 5.4" W (0.65 lbs) 160 pages

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A Long Way from the Strawberry Patch: The Life of Leah Chase /// Carol Allen with Leah Chase

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The newest novel by the author of Akata Witch and the forthcoming Marvel comic book series about Shuri, Black Panther's sister! "The most imaginative, gripping, enchanting fantasy novels I have ever read!" --Laurie Halse Anderson, New York Times bestselling author of Speak A year ago, Sunny Nwazue, an American-born girl Nigerian girl, was inducted into the secret Leopard Society. As she began to develop her magical powers, Sunny learned that she had been chosen to lead a dangerous mission to avert an apocalypse, brought about by the terrifying masquerade, Ekwensu. Now, stronger, feistier, and a bit older, Sunny is studying with her mentor Sugar Cream and struggling to unlock the secrets in her strange Nsibidi book. Eventually, Sunny knows she must confront her destiny. With the support of her Leopard Society friends, Orlu, Chichi, and Sasha, and of her spirit face, Anyanwu, she will travel through worlds both visible and invisible to the mysteries town of Osisi, where she will fight a climactic battle to save humanity. BIO Much-honored Nnedi Okorafor, winner of the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy awards, merges today's Nigeria with a unique world she creates. Akata Warrior blends mythology, fantasy, history and magic into a compelling tale that will keep readers spellbound. REVIEWS "★ Akata Warrior swiftly synthesizes the lessons and knowledge of the first book into a heart-racing story of resilience and a determination to save the world. This title is a unique coming of age story, coupling the distinct experience of the cultural duality as both African and African-American with lessons of love, loyalty, and the pains of adolescent insecurities." -- BCCB, starred review "There's more imagination on a page of Nnedi Okorafor's work than in whole volumes of ordinary fantasy epics." --Ursula K. Le Guin, award-winning author of A Wizard of Earthsea "The voice of Nnedi Okorafor does not obey the rules of distance, time, or place. Hers is the voice that fuses matter and imagination. She shows us just how close we are to that alternate reality." --Tchidi Chikere, Nigerian award-winning film director and screenwriter [H] Viking Books for Young Readers / October 03, 2017 1.7" H x 8.3" L x 5.4" W (1.3 lbs) 496 pages [P] Speak / October 16, 2018 1.4" H x 8.2" L x 5.4" W (0.94 lbs) 512 pages

Akata Warrior /// Nnedi Okorafor

Hardcover

Affectionately dubbed the Nigerian Harry Potter, Akata Witch weaves together a heart-pounding tale of magic, mystery, and finding one's place in the world. Twelve-year-old Sunny lives in Nigeria, but she was born American. Her features are African, but she's albino. She's a terrific athlete, but can't go out into the sun to play soccer. There seems to be no place where she fits in. And then she discovers something amazing--she is a free agent with latent magical power. Soon she's part of a quartet of magic students, studying the visible and invisible, learning to change reality. But will it be enough to help them when they are asked to catch a career criminal who knows magic too? Ursula K. Le Guin and John Green are Nnedi Okorafor fans. As soon as you start reading Akata Witch, you will be, too! BIO Nnedi Okorafor is a novelist of African-based science fiction, fantasy, and magical realism for both children and adults. Born in the United States to Nigerian immigrant parents, Nnedi is known for weaving African culture into creative evocative settings and memorable characters. In a profile of Nnedi's work, the New York Times called Nnedi's imagination "stunning." Nnedi has received the World Fantasy Award, the Hugo Award, and the Nebula Award, among others, for her novels. She holds a PhD in English and is a professor at SUNY Buffalo. She divides her time between Buffalo and the suburbs of Chicago, where she lives with her daughter. Learn more at nnedi.com or follow her on Twitter @nnedi. REVIEWS "Okorafor's novels tend to reflect both her West-African heritage and American experiences, but in this series she creates a stunningly original world of African magic that draws on Nigerian folk beliefs and rituals instead of relying on the predictable tropes of Western fantasy novels." -- Time Magazine "There's more imagination on a page of Nnedi Okorafor's work than in whole volumes of ordinary fantasy epics." --Ursula K. Le Guin, award-winning author of A Wizard of Earthsea "I always loved science fiction, but I didn't feel I was part of it--until I read first Octavia Butler, and now Nnedi Okorafor." --Whoopi Goldberg [H] Viking Books for Young Readers / April 14, 2011 1.35" H x 8.58" L x 5.82" W (1.05 lbs) 368 pages [P] ﻿Speak / July 17, 2017 1.1" H x 8.1" L x 5.4" W (0.75 lbs) 384 pages

Akata Witch /// Nnedi Okorafor

A West African story about the much-loved trickster, Anansi, retold and reimagined for a new generation by award-winning author Taiye Selasi“Allow me to introduce myself.” But he needed no introduction. “Anansi the spider!” said Anansi the boy. “The tales were true!” “Traditional tales are always true,” the spider answered, laughing. “Nothing lasts so long as truth, nor travels quite so far.” Award-winning author of Ghana Must Go, Taiye Selasi, reimagines the story of Anansi, the much-loved trickster, for a new generation. Kweku has grown up hearing stories about the mischievous spider Anansi. He is given the nickname Anansi by his father because of his similarly cheeky ways. On a holiday to visit his beloved Grandma in Ghana, Anansi the spider and Anansi the boy meet, and discover a magical pot that can be filled with whatever they want. Anansi fills it again and again with his favorite red-red stew, and eats so much that he feels sick. Will he learn to share this wonderful gift? This charming retelling of a West African story teaches readers about the dangers of greed, and the importance of being kind. Tinuke Fagborun’s colorful illustrations bring the magic and wonder of the tale to life. When you’ve finished sharing the story, you can also find out more about the origins of Anansi folktales. This is a beautiful storybook that little ones will treasure forever. BIO Taiye Selasi was born in London and raised in Massachusetts. She holds a BA in American studies from Yale and an MPhil in international relations from Oxford University. “The Sex Lives of African Girls” (Granta, 2011), Selasi’s fiction debut, appears in Best American Short Stories 2012. Author of Ghana Must Go, she lives in Rome. REVIEWS “A great choice to introduce young readers to West Africa’s wonderful Anansesem storytelling tradition.” --Kirkus Reviews“Selasi brilliantly explores family, tradition, and sharing with a stylish telling and grand show of humanity.” --School Library Journal [H] DK Publishing (Dorling Kindersley) / February 15, 2022 0.4" H x 9.6" L x 9.6" W (0.9 lbs) 32 pages

Anansi and the Golden Pot /// Taiye Selasi, illustrated by Tinuke Fagborun

B is for Baby. B is for Brother. B is for going to see Baba! One morning after breakfast, Baby's big brother is getting ready to take the basket of bananas all the way to Baba's bungalow in the next village. He'll have to go along the bumpy road, past the baobab trees, birds, and butterflies, and all the way over the bridge. But what he doesn't realize is that his very cute, very curious baby sibling has stowed away on his bicycle! Little ones learning about language will love sounding out the words in this playful, vibrantly illustrated story set in West Africa. BIO Atinuke is a Nigerian-born author who started her career doing traditional oral storytelling. Her books include a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Winner, a Notable Book for a Global Society, a Cybils Award Winner, and an Africana Award Winner. She lives in Wales. Angela Brooksbank worked as a designer and art director in children's book publishing before turning her hand to her own illustration. Baby Goes to Market is her debut picture book. She lives in London. REVIEWS "A circular tale of family love with visual rewards. . . . There's no denying the joy in this book." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review) [H] Candlewick Press (MA) / March 12, 2019 0.4" H x 11.1" L x 10.0" W (1.2 lbs) 40 pages [B] Candlewick Press (MA) / March 09, 2021 0.6" H x 7.1" L x 6.3" W (0.62 lbs) 28 pages

B is for Baby. B is for Brother. B is for going to see Baba! 
One morning after breakfast, Baby's big brother is getting ready to take the basket of bananas all the way to Baba's bungalow in the next village. He'll have to go along the bumpy road, past the baobab trees, birds, and butterflies, and all the way over the bridge. But what he doesn't realize is that his very cute, very curious baby sibling has stowed away on his bicycle! Little ones learning about language will love sounding out the words in this playful, vibrantly illustrated story set in West Africa. 
BIO
Atinuke is a Nigerian-born author who started her career doing traditional oral storytelling. Her books include a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Winner, a Notable Book for a Global Society, a Cybils Award Winner, and an Africana Award Winner. She lives in Wales.
Angela Brooksbank worked as a designer and art director in children's book publishing before turning her hand to her own illustration. Baby Goes to Market is her debut picture book. She lives in London.
 REVIEWS
"A circular tale of family love with visual rewards. . . . There's no denying the joy in this book." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
 
[H] Candlewick Press (MA)  /  <meta charset="utf-8">March 12, 2019
<meta charset="utf-8">0.4" H x 11.1" L x 10.0" W (1.2 lbs) 40 pages
[B] Candlewick Press (MA)  /  <meta charset="utf-8">
March 09, 2021
<meta charset="utf-8">0.6" H x 7.1" L x 6.3" W (0.62 lbs) 28 pages

B Is for Baby /// Atinuke with illustrations by Angela Brooksbank

Board Book

Join Baby and his doting mama at a bustling southwest Nigerian marketplace for a bright, bouncy read-aloud offering a gentle introduction to numbers. Market is very crowded.Mama is very busy.Baby is very curious. When Baby and Mama go to the market, Baby is so adorable that the banana seller gives him six bananas. Baby eats one and puts five in the basket, but Mama doesn't notice. As Mama and Baby wend their way through the stalls, cheeky Baby collects five oranges, four biscuits, three ears of sweet corn, two pieces of coconut . . . until Mama notices that her basket is getting very heavy! Poor Baby, she thinks, he must be very hungry by now! Rhythmic language, visual humor, and a bounty of delectable food make this a tale that is sure to whet little appetites for story time. BIO Atinuke is a Nigerian-born author who started her career doing traditional oral storytelling. Her books include a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Winner, a Notable Book for a Global Society, a Cybils Award Winner, and an Africana Award Winner. She lives in Wales. Angela Brooksbank worked as a designer and art director in children's book publishing before turning her hand to her own illustration. Baby Goes to Market is her debut picture book. She lives in London. REVIEWS The smiling, all-black cast sort through myriad wares, while the text keeps up its rhythm, introducing both typical items bought in a West African market and a gentle lesson in arithmetic as Baby alternately snacks and stashes his gifts. Indeed, no one will be able to resist this baby. --Kirkus Reviews The vibrant marketplace is filled with color, texture, and patterns created using a mixed-media palette. The opening and ending endpapers feature the same pattern that is on the wrap Mama uses to hold Baby on her back. Young listeners will delight in getting to know Baby and his Mama as they shop throughout the market. Consider for first purchase in larger collections. --School Library Journal Brooksbank's illustrations, based on her own childhood memories of going to market in Nigeria, are full of colours, patterns and prints, and varieties of local transport. Repetition and variation make the book especially good for the young, and its wealth visual detail promises many satisfying rereadings.--Saturday Star [H] Candlewick Press (MA) / September 05, 2017 0.5" H x 11.3" L x 10.0" W (1.13 lbs) 32 pages [B] Candlewick Press (MA) / March 12, 2019 0.6" H x 7.2" L x 6.2" W (0.65 lbs) 26 pages

Baby Goes to Market /// Atinuke with illustrations by Angela Brooksbank

A little girl helping her grandmother prepare a holiday meal learns about the origins of soul food in this powerful picture book that celebrates African American cuisine and identity from an award-winning author.Know what I like most about Grandma’s kitchen?More than jambalaya? More than sweet potato pie? Even more than pralines?Grandma’s stories! Every meal Grandma cooks comes with a story.What will today’s story be?While visiting her grandma in Louisiana, nine-year-old Frances is excited to help prepare the New Year’s Day meal. She listens as Grandma tells stories—dating back to the Atlantic Slave Trade—about the food for their feast. Through these stories, Frances learns not only about the ingredients and the dishes they are making but about her ancestors and their history as well. A celebration of the stories that connect us, this picture book urges us to think about the foods we eat and why we eat them. This book was inspired by the author’s own childhood and includes her family’s very own recipe for pralines in the back! BIO GLENDA ARMAND has had a long career as a teacher and school librarian and enjoys writing picture-book biographies that inspire children to dream big. Glenda is the author of the award-winning Love Twelve Miles Long, Ira’s Shakespeare Dream, and Song in a Rainstorm: The Story of Musical Prodigy Thomas “Blind Tom” Wiggins. Her picture book Black-Eyed Peas and Hoghead Cheese will be published by Crown Books for Young Readers in Fall 2022. When not writing or practicing the piano, Glenda tends a garden full of succulents and roses. She lives in Los Angeles, and you can learn more about her at glenda-armand.com. [H] Crown Books for Young Readers / September 06, 2022 0.4" H x 10.1" L x 10.35" W (1.03 lbs) 40 pages

Black-Eyed Peas and Hoghead Cheese: A Story of Food, Family, and Freedom /// Glenda Armand, illustrations by Steffi Walthall

A celebration of the color black, from the team who created Brown: The Many Shades of Love Black is a wonderful color. Black is special. It is true. It’s the sky when the morning is new. In this loving and lovely ode to the color black, a girl describes the many wonders of her world—from the black of starry nights to her own black eyes, clear and bright. BIO Nancy Johnson James is a writer and educator based in Oakland, California. She is the author of Brown: The Many Shades of Love, illustrated by Constance Moore, published by Cameron Kids. Constance Moore is an artist and educator based in Oakland, California. She loves teaching elementary school art and shares her students’ love of color. REVIEWS An eye-opening tribute to an often underrated color." --Kirkus Reviews "The text discusses positive examples of the color black, deliberately diminishing its stereotypical associations with danger, negativity, and sadness. Childlike collage illustrations layer images on abstract or earth-toned backgrounds, successfully conveying black’s ubiquitous presence in the world, along with its beauty." --Booklist [H] Harry N. Abrams / April 12, 2022 0.4" H x 10.0" L x 7.8" W (0.65 lbs) 32 pages

Black: The Many Wonders of My World /// Nancy Johnson James, illustrated by Constance Moore

In this heartwarming tale inspired by her childhood, superstar chef and TV host Carla Hall shares the story of young Carla, who eats a sugar cookie meant for Santa on the night before Christmas and tries to make things right. Christmas is Carla's favorite holiday of the year. She goes to her grandparents' house and eats grandma's special recipe--a perfectly delicious cornbread. She listens to her grandpa Doc's marvelous stories about traveling the world. And, best of all, she spends lots of time with her family. But when Carla accidentally takes a bite out of Santa's sugar cookie, she thinks she's ruined Christmas. How will Santa know to stop at their house if they don't leave him a midnight snack? With her grandmother's help, Carla comes up with a plan, but will it be enough to save Christmas? BIO Carla Hall attended L'Academie de Cuisine in Maryland. She gained her audience when she competed on Bravo's Top Chef and Top Chef: All Stars. She has been a TV personality since then, cohosting on the ABC talk show The Chew, contributing on Good Morning America, and featuring as a judge on Crazy Delicious on Netflix and on Bakeaway Camp on the Food Network. She is the author of Carla's Comfort Foods, Cooking with Love, and Carla Hall's Soul Food, which received an NAACP Image Awards nomination. She lives in Washington D.C. with her husband. Visit carlahall.com for more. Cherise Harris is an illustrator from Barbados. Her work centers around an interest in fairy tale and its role in telling deep and meaningful stories. Cherise uses pencil, watercolor, and clay, exploring her ideas in both 2D and 3D form. She also uses Photoshop to create digital art and gifs. She received her associate's degree in visual arts at the Barbados Community College, her BFA in illustration at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, and most recently completed her master's in illustration at Falmouth University in the UK. Cherise currently lives back home in Barbados with her husband, Ryan, and her daughter. REVIEWS "With expressive illustrations that set the story in the early 1970s and evoke the Christmas mood in the context of a loving Black family, this tale reminds readers that love and good intentions can almost always save the day. Readers will be eager to try out the cornbread recipe included in the endmatter...[h]eartwarming and cozy." --Kirkus Reviews Denene Millner Books/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers / November 02, 2021 0.41" H x 10.28" L x 11.4" W (1.18 lbs) 40 pages

Carla and the Christmas Cornbread /// Carla Hall, illustrated by Cherise Harris

The team behind Baby Goes to Market and B Is for Baby visit a Nigerian village for a humorous ode to childhood ingenuity. Lami is the best chicken catcher in the whole village. Her sister may be speedy at spelling, her friend fast at braiding hair, and her brother brave with bulls, but when it comes to chickens, nobody is faster or braver than Lami. That is, until the day when Lami chases a little too fast, up the baobab tree, and reaches a little too far . . . ow! How can she catch chickens with an ankle that's puffed up like an angry lizard? Could it be, as Nana Nadia says, that quick thinking is more important than quick running? Award-winning author Atinuke celebrates Nigerian village life in a story vibrantly illustrated by Angela Brooksbank with a universal message at its heart. BIO Atinuke is a Nigerian-born author who started her career doing traditional oral storytelling. Her books include a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Winner, a Notable Book for a Global Society, a Cybils Award Winner, and an Africana Award Winner. She lives in Wales. Angela Brooksbank, a former designer and art director in children's book publishing, is the illustrator of B Is for Baby and Baby Goes to Market, both by Atinuke. She lives in London. REVIEWS "Living in a small African village compound, perhaps in the author's home country of Nigeria, Lami is cheerfully energetic, always ready to take off chasing a chicken, with beaded hair bouncing happily. The text is lively and snappy, full of well chosen verbs and adverbs punctuated with smooth alliteration. The mixed-media illustrations portray sunny scenes of family life."--Booklist "Humorous and colorful mixed-media illustrations depict a tightknit community, with entertaining details about how Lami's poultry obsession plays out in daily life; even while getting her hair braided, for example, she lunges for a chicken passing by. A thoughtful mix of double-page spreads, single pages, and occasional panel-style illustrations allows for quicker or slower pacing throughout. Lively chase scenes and funny poultry antics make for a laugh-out-loud preschool adventure." --The Horn Book "Atinuke's well-paced text uses repetition, alliteration and seamless bilingual text to draw her audience into the story. It's nicely paired with Atinuke's previous illustrative partner (B Is for Baby; Baby Goes to Market) Angela Brooksbank's brightly colored, patterned and energetic mixed-media illustrations, which convey a strong sense of life within the bustling compound." --Shelf Awareness for Readers (starred review) [H] Candlewick Press (MA) / July 07, 2020 0.5" H x 11.2" L x 9.9" W (1.15 lbs) 32 pages

Catch That Chicken! /// Atinuke with illustrations by Angela Brooksbank

A lyrical picture book debut from #1 New York Times bestselling author and presidential inaugural poet Amanda Gorman and #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator Loren Long I can hear change hummingIn its loudest, proudest song.I don't fear change coming,And so I sing along. In this stirring, much-anticipated picture book by presidential inaugural poet and activist Amanda Gorman, anything is possible when our voices join together. As a young girl leads a cast of characters on a musical journey, they learn that they have the power to make changes--big or small--in the world, in their communities, and in most importantly, in themselves. With lyrical text and rhythmic illustrations that build to a dazzling crescendo by #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator Loren Long, Change Sings is a triumphant call to action for everyone to use their abilities to make a difference. BIOS ﻿Amanda Gorman is the youngest presidential inaugural poet in US history. She is a committed advocate for the environment, racial equality, and gender justice. Amanda's activism and poetry have been featured on The Today Show, PBS Kids, and CBS This Morning, and in the New York Times, Vogue, Essence, and O, The Oprah Magazine. In 2017, Urban Word named her the first-ever National Youth Poet Laureate of the United States. After graduating cum laude from Harvard University, she now lives in her hometown of Los Angeles. The special edition of her inaugural poem, "The Hill We Climb," was published in March 2021 and debuted at #1 on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists. Her debut picture book, Change Sings, will be published in September 2021. Please visit theamandagorman.com. Loren Long is the author and illustrator of the New York Times bestselling Otis series which is in development as an animated television series. He's also the illustrator of the #1 New York Times bestsellers Of Thee I Sing by Barack Obama and Love by Matt de la Pena. He recently illustrated a modern edition of the Clement C. Moore classic The Night Before Christmas. He lives near Cincinnati with his wife and rescue hound, Charlie. Visit him online at LorenLong.com or on Twitter @lorenlong. REVIEWS "In rich language and vivid art, this hopeful celebration of the life-affirming power of change to ripple out into a better future is irresistible. Text and poetry work together to regulate a careful reading of this beautiful work. One to keep, to read, and to reread." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "This uplifting serenade will instill readers of any age with hope for the future and the initiative to improve it." --Publishers Weekly, (starred review) "A lovely and loving call to action and kindness." --Booklist "So rich are both the art and the verses in uplifting imagery that it's hard to imagine any young audience remaining unstirred by this call to be the change they want to see." --School Library Journal Viking Books for Young Readers / September 21, 2021 0.5" H x 11.1" L x 10.3" W (1.2 lbs) 32 pages

Change Sings: A Children's Anthem /// Amanda Gorman

Ada Ruth's mama must go away to Chicago to work, leaving Ada Ruth and Grandma behind. It's war time, and women are needed to fill the men's jobs. As winter sets in, Ada Ruth and her grandma keep up their daily routine, missing Mama all the time. They find strength in each other, and a stray kitten even arrives one day to keep them company, but nothing can fill the hole Mama left. Every day they wait, watching for the letter that says Mama will be coming on home soon. Set during World War II, Coming On Home Soon has a timeless quality that will appeal to all who wait and hope. BIO Jacqueline Woodson (www.jacquelinewoodson.com) is the recipient of a 2020 MacArthur Fellowship, the 2020 Hans Christian Andersen Award, the 2018 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, and the 2018 Children's Literature Legacy Award. She was the 2018-2019 National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, and in 2015, she was named the Young People's Poet Laureate by the Poetry Foundation. She received the 2014 National Book Award for her New York Times bestselling memoir Brown Girl Dreaming, which was also a recipient of the Coretta Scott King Award, a Newbery Honor, the NAACP Image Award, and a Sibert Honor. She wrote the adult books Red at the Bone, a New York Times bestseller, and Another Brooklyn, a 2016 National Book Award finalist. Born in Columbus, Ohio, Jacqueline grew up in Greenville, South Carolina, and Brooklyn, New York, and graduated from college with a B.A. in English. She is the author of dozens of award-winning books for young adults, middle graders, and children; among her many accolades, she is a four-time Newbery Honor winner, a four-time National Book Award finalist, and a three-time Coretta Scott King Award winner. Her books include Coretta Scott King Award winner Before the Ever After; New York Times bestsellers The Day You Begin and Harbor Me; The Other Side, Each Kindness, Caldecott Honor book Coming On Home Soon; Newbery Honor winners Feathers, Show Way, and After Tupac and D Foster; and Miracle's Boys, which received the LA Times Book Prize and the Coretta Scott King Award. Jacqueline is also a recipient of the Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement for her contributions to young adult literature and a two-time winner of the Jane Addams Children's Book Award. She lives with her family in Brooklyn, New York. E. B. Lewis has illustrated more than fifty picture books, including Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award winner Talkin' About Bessie (by Nikki Grimes) and Caldecott Honor winner Coming On Home Soon (by Jacqueline Woodson). He taught art in public schools for twelve years, and currently teaches at the University of Arts in Philadelphia. He lives in Folsom, New Jersey. REVIEWS "Woodson and Lewis tell a moving historical story of longing and separation. [The] period and place are wonderfully specific; the yearning is timeless." --Booklist, starred review "Perfectly matched words and illustrations masterfully bring to life all the emotions that the girl is experiencing as she, her grandmother, and a stray kitten that has come to stay all try to comfort and console one another." --School Library Journal, starred review G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers / October 07, 2004 0.4" H x 11.0" L x 8.8" W (0.9 lbs) 32 pages

Coming On Home Soon /// Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by E.B. Lewis

Twenty years after the release of the first edition of this bestseller, poet Nikki Giovanni has added 10 new poems to the 22 that made up the original collection. Powerfully illustrated by George Ford, Ego-Tripping captures the essence of the African-American experience in ways that have special relevance and appeal for adolescents. BIO Nikki Giovanni, poet, activist, mother, and professor, is a seven-time NAACP Image Award winner and the first recipient of the Rosa Parks Woman of Courage Award, and holds the Langston Hughes Medal for Outstanding Poetry, among many other honors. The author of twenty-eight books and a Grammy nominee for The Nikki Giovanni Poetry Collection, she is the University Distinguished Professor of English at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. Lawrence Hill Books / November 01, 1993 0.28" H x 8.92" L x 5.94" W (0.32 lbs) 76 pages

Ego-Tripping and Other Poems for Young People /// Nikki Giovanni, illustrated by George Ford with foreword  by Virginia Hamilton

Join the celebration in the kitchen as a family makes their traditional New Year's soup -- and shares the story of how Haitian independence came to be. The shake-shake of maracas vibrates down to my toes. Ti Gran's feet tap-tap to the rhythm. Every year, Haitians all over the world ring in the new year by eating a special soup, a tradition dating back to the Haitian Revolution. This year, Ti Gran is teaching Belle how to make the soup -- Freedom Soup -- just like she was taught when she was a little girl. Together, they dance and clap as they prepare the holiday feast, and Ti Gran tells Belle about the history of the soup, the history of Belle's family, and the history of Haiti, where Belle's family is from. In this celebration of cultural traditions passed from one generation to the next, Jacqueline Alcántara's lush illustrations bring to life both Belle's story and the story of the Haitian Revolution. Tami Charles's lyrical text, as accessible as it is sensory, makes for a tale that readers will enjoy to the last drop. BIO Tami Charles is the author of numerous books for children, including her fiction debut, Like Vanessa. During an appearance on Good Morning America, she featured a Thanksgiving version of Freedom Soup, which she first learned to make from her husband's ti gran. Tami Charles lives in New Jersey. Jacqueline Alcántara, the illustrator of The Field by Baptiste Paul, was selected for the inaugural We Need Diverse Books Mentorship program. She lives in Chicago. REVIEWS The dynamically detailed mixed-media artwork swirls with motion, feeling, and references to Haitian culture, and Alcántara ( The Field) creates memorable characters in Ti Gran and Belle. Complete with a soup recipe and a personal note from Charles ( Like Vanessa) honoring her family and Haitian history, this vibrant title is bound to teach, empower, and rumble the bellies of its readers. --Publishers Weekly (starred review) The sumptuous illustrations accentuate Tami Charles's evocative, celebratory text. In an author's note, Charles ( Becoming Beatriz) shares her inspiration for this luscious picture book: her husband's Ti Gran taught her how to make Freedom Soup (or Soup Joumou) with a recipe that had been passed down for generations. She includes their family's kid-friendly recipe, giving readers an opportunity to make the traditional soup at home. Haitian Creole words appear throughout, adding to the book's authenticity, and some are translated within the recipe. --Shelf Awareness for Readers (starred review) [H] Candlewick Press / December 10, 2019 0.5" H x 10.7" L x 9.2" W (0.9 lbs) 32 pages

Freedom Soup /// Tami Charles, illustrated by Jacqueline Alcántara

Zoe Washington isn't sure what to write. What does a girl say to the father she's never met, hadn't heard from until his letter arrived on her twelfth birthday, and who's been in prison for a terrible crime? A crime he says he never committed. Could Marcus really be innocent? Zoe is determined to uncover the truth. Even if it means hiding his letters and her investigation from the rest of her family. Everyone else thinks Zoe's worrying about doing a good job at her bakery internship and proving to her parents that she's worthy of auditioning for Food Network's Kids Bake Challenge. But with bakery confections on one part of her mind, and Marcus's conviction weighing heavily on the other, this is one recipe Zoe doesn't know how to balance. The only thing she knows to be true: Everyone lies. When Marcus tells Zoe he is innocent, and her grandmother agrees, Zoe begins to learn about inequality in the criminal justice system, and she sets out to find the alibi witness who can prove his innocence. (Publishers Weekly, An Anti-Racist Children's and YA Reading List) BIO Janae Marks graduated from the New School with an MFA in writing for children. When she isn't writing fiction, she's spending time with her husband and daughter at home in Connecticut. From the Desk of Zoe Washington is her debut novel. Visit Janae online at www.janaemarks.com. REVIEWS "Marks tackles the complex costs of the pursuit of justice and motivates readers to feel equipped--and energized--to stand up for what's right, right now. Readers will recognize that, like Zoe Washington, they need not wait until they grow up to make their actions count." --Tanita S. Davis, author of Mare's War "A delightful confection of a novel! Zoe is a wondrous heroine who inspires a deeper love for food, family, and friends. Advocating for social justice, she creates a new recipe for a better, sweeter world. An enticing and enthralling debut from Janae Marks." --Jewell Parker Rhodes, New York Times bestselling author of Ghost Boys "Marks delivers a spirited central character whose determination to get to the truth is admirable. An involving family story, this novel could also serve as an introduction to social justice for elementary schoolers." --Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books [H] Katherine Tegen Books / January 14, 2020 ﻿1.1" H x 8.2" L x 5.8" W (0.8 lbs) 304 pages [P] Katherine Tegen Books / January 5, 2021 0.8" H x 7.5" L x 5.1" W (0.45 lbs) 320 pages

From the Desk of Zoe Washington /// Janae Marks

Best Children's Books of the Year, Bank Street College of EducationTexas Bluebonnet Masterlist, Texas Library Association (TLA)Distinguished Children's Biography List, Cleveland Public Library An account of the life and career of George Crum, a biracial chef who is credited with the invention of the potato chip at a Saratoga Springs, New York, restaurant in 1853. Based on historical records. Growing up in the 1830s in Saratoga Springs, New York, isn't easy for George Crum. Picked on at school because of the color of his skin, George escapes into his favorite pastimes - hunting and fishing. Soon George learns to cook too, and as a young man he lands a job as chef at the fancy Moon's Lake House. George loves his work, except for the fussy customers, who are always complaining! One hot day George's patience boils over, and he cooks up a potato dish so unique it changes his life forever. Readers will delight in this spirited story of the invention of the potato chip - one of America's favorite snack foods. George Crum and the Saratoga Chip is a testament to human ingenuity, and a tasty slice of culinary history. BIO ﻿Gaylia Taylor was born in Cleveland, Ohio. She is a retired Reading Recovery(R) teacher who is pursuing a full-time career writing children's books. She is the author of Bebop Books' Family Picnic, The Dashiki, and First Day at School. Lee & Low's George Crum and the Saratoga Chip was her first picture book. When she isn't writing, Gaylia loves to travel. Taylor lives in Norfolk, Virginia, with her husband. Frank Morrison has illustrated numerous award-winning books, including the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor winner Little Melba and Her Big Trombone, published by Lee & Low Books. Before becoming an illustrator, Morrison was a graffiti artist and b-boy. Morrison lives with his family in Georgia. You can learn more about him at morrisongraphics.com. [P] Lee & Low Books / April 01, 2006 ﻿0.11" H x 10.26" L x 8.4" W (0.33 lbs) 32 pages

George Crum and the Saratoga Chip /// Gaylia Taylor, illustrated by Frank Morrison

Accompanied by Ken Daley's vibrant, sun-soaked artwork, Sadé Smith's debut picture book Granny's Kitchen is the perfect readaloud for budding chefs everywhere.Shelly-Ann lives with her Granny on the beautiful island of Jamaica. When Shelly-Ann becomes hungry, she asks her Granny for something to eat. Granny tells her “Gyal, you betta can cook!” and teaches Shelly-Ann how to get in touch with her Jamaican roots through the process of cooking.As Shelly-Ann tries each recipe, everything goes wrong. But when Granny is too tired to cook one morning, Shelly-Ann will have to find the courage to try one more time and prepare the perfect Jamaican breakfast. BIO Sadé Smith is a Canadian children's book author of Jamaican descent. Her books often involve food with colorful illustrations to capture the vibrancy and beauty of the Caribbean islands. In addition to writing, Sadé is also a design technologist who loves the beach and enjoys fruits. She is very passionate about literature and she writes books of representation for young readers. She is the author of Granny’s Kitchen and Julie and the Mango Tree. REVIEWS "Daley transports readers to Smith’s clearly cherished Jamaica with joyous Photoshop illustrations that suit the setting wonderfully in a vibrant tropical palette with bold pops of turquoise and fuchsia. This multigenerational homage to home cooking and heritage cuisine serves up a sweet message of confidence-building and can-do assurance." --Booklist"Delivers the honesty, giggles, and punch ... Daley’s digital illustrations, in eye popping hues of juicy fruit and turquoise sea, convey the easy give-and-take of the close-knit pair, with snazzy-spectacled Granny patiently cheerleading her determined but frustrated granddaughter through some rough culinary challenges. Shelly-Ann’s four recipes are included for foodie families to try together, and a page of fun facts on Jamaica are a bonus for armchair travelers." --Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (BCCB)"Warm and inviting. Daley’s vibrant, highly saturated illustrations bolster the appeal and are sure to entice young readers—and perhaps encourage them to try their own hand in the kitchen. ... A vibrant, upbeat story of a determined girl and her love of food." --Kirkus Reviews [H] Feiwel & Friends / July 12, 2022 0.35" H x 8.27" L x 10.35" W (0.72 lbs) 32 pages

Granny's Kitchen: A Jamaican Story of Food and Family /// Sadé Smith, illustrated by Ken Daley

"Nothing short of magic. One of the best writers of our times." --Elizabeth Acevedo, New York Times bestselling author of The Poet X The powerful novel-in-verse from Safia Elhillo, the critically acclaimed poet featured on Forbes Africa's "30 Under 30" list. This mesmerizing journey of family, identity, and finding yourself in the most unexpected places is filled with lyrical beauty and stunning strength. Nima doesn't feel understood. By her mother, who grew up far away in a different land. By her suburban town, which makes her feel too much like an outsider to fit in and not enough like an outsider to belong somewhere else. At least she has her childhood friend Haitham, with whom she can let her guard down and be herself. Until she doesn't. As the ground is pulled out from under her, Nima must grapple with the phantom of a life not chosen, the name her parents didn't give her at birth: Yasmeen. But that other name, that other girl, might be more real than Nima knows. And more hungry. And the life Nima has, the one she keeps wishing were someone else's . . . she might have to fight for it with a fierceness she never knew she had. BIO Safia Elhillo is the author of the poetry collection The January Children, which received the the 2016 Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poets and a 2018 Arab American Book Award.Sudanese by way of Washington, DC, she holds an MFA from The New School, a Cave Canem Fellowship, and a 2018 Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Fellowship from the Poetry Foundation. Safia is a Pushcart Prize nominee, co-winner of the 2015 Brunel International African Poetry Prize, and listed in Forbes Africa's 2018 30 Under 30. She is a 2019-2021 Stegner Fellow at Stanford University. REVIEWS "Movingly unravels themes of belonging, Islamophobia, and the interlocking oppressions thrust upon immigrant women." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review "[A] surreal crash-course in perspective, agency, and self-love." --Booklist, starred review "Artfully profound and achingly beautiful, Elhillo's verse aptly explores diasporic yearning for one's home and a universal fascination with possibilities." --Publishers Weekly, starred review "Elhillo's tender and descriptive writing may leave readers feeling the need to live life to the fullest...[a] passionate, piercing YA collection of poems." --Shelf Awareness, starred review "A love letter to anyone who has ever been an outsider, or searched to understand their history, no matter where they come from." --NPR Make Me a World / March 02, 2021 1.1" H x 8.4" L x 5.6" W (0.75 lbs) 224 pages

Home Is Not a Country /// Safia Elhillo

Her Mama calls her Girlpie–a sweet treat, homemade with love. And when Girlpie makes a mistake, the love of her mother and father lets her pick up the pieces and make everything right again. Shane W. Evans’ resplendent artwork teems with “homemade love,” one of the tender nicknames award-winning author bell hooks gives her young heroine. The simple, dynamic text paired with bold, energetic illustrations make this beautiful board book perfect for little hands. BIO bell hooks is a world-renowned poet, cultural critic, feminist theorist, and intellectual, bell hooks is a distinguished author and professor of English. In addition to Homemade Love, she has written several acclaimed children's books including Be Boy Buzz, Skin Again, Happy to Be Nappy, and Grump Groan Growl, all illustrated by Chris Raschka. Shane W. Evans is the illustrator of many picture books for children, including The Way a Door Closes, a Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award winner; Underground, a Coretta Scott King Award winner; My Brother Charlie, a NAACP Image Award winner; We March and Lillian's Right to Vote, Jane Addams Award winners; as well as Chocolate Me! and Mixed Me! He has exhibited his art in West Africa and Paris, as well as in Chicago, New York, and other major U.S. cities. He lives in Kansas City, Missouri, where he runs Dream Studio, a community art space. REVIEWS "Renowned writer and feminist theorist hooks gets Girlpie's voice exactly right, and puts her finger on just what every child is most concerned with: will my parents love me even when I'm bad?... This joyful, loving African-American family is a model for all families to emulate." --Kirkus Reviews "The rhythm of the words, the smoothness of the text, and the positive message all combine to make a lovely read-aloud." --School Library Journal "[Evans's] cheerful, splashy paintings display an abundance of affection between the girl and her parents." --Publishers Weekly [B] Jump at the Sun / November 14, 2017 0.8" H x 7.9" L x 6.9" W (0.88 lbs) 28 pages

Homemade Love /// bell hooks, illustrated by Shane W. Evans

Board book

Winner of the Stonewall Book Award Winner of the Lambda Literary Award Born during a storm, Caroline Murphy, a 12-year-old black girl, is convinced that she has been cursed with bad luck. The old ladies around her way say this is the fate of any child born during a hurricane. Recent events in her life seem to confirm this. Feeling unwanted by everyone, especially since the abrupt departure of her mom, Caroline leads a difficult life. She is bullied by those at her school in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, including her teacher, for her skin, which is darker than theirs. She is also followed around by a spirit—the woman in black—that she is sure only she can see. The arrival of a new student from Barbados changes Caroline’s life significantly. Also bullied, the exuberantly dreadlocked Kalinda becomes Caroline’s first and only friend, and soon Caroline’s feelings blossom into something more than platonic. This spells problems for Caroline, since feelings like these are considered sinful in Catholic school. Caroline now must deal with growing up without a mother and her feelings for Kalinda, all while trying to figure out why the woman in black will not leave her alone. Her journey to the answers to her most burning questions finds her discovering much about herself and those around her. Writing in Caroline’s present-tense voice, Callender draws readers in and makes them identify with Caroline’s angst and sorrow and joy and pain. Embedding their appealing protagonist in a fully realized Caribbean setting, Callender has readers rooting for Caroline the whole way. BIO Kacen Callender is a bestselling and award-winning author of multiple novels for children, teens, and adults, including the National Book Award-winning King and the Dragonflies and the bestselling novel Felix Ever After. Kacen enjoys playing RPG video games, practicing their art, and focusing on healing and growth in their free time. They currently reside in Los Angeles, California. REVIEWS [Caroline and Kalinda's] journey toward understanding is harrowing but rewarding, because of all the dangers in this novel…the greatest by far is isolation. When Caroline risks heartbreak and scorn to tell Kalinda how she feels, most readers will understand why. They will also know why Caroline embarks on a perilous search for her mother. The stakes are high, the revelations are serious and Callender doesn't sugarcoat. But readers who face troubles of their own may recognize Caroline's fierce resolve…It's not a soft or gentle vision; these are not circumstances anyone wants children to face. But Caroline's insistence on love, no matter what, might be just what young readers need to see. --Nalini Jones The New York Times Book Review Twelve-year-old Caroline Murphy was born during a hurricane, which is considered a curse in her home of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, and she’s convinced that she’s the recipient of bad luck. Caroline’s mother left her alone with her father more than a year ago, sending occasional postcards that slowly dwindled to nothing; Caroline is bullied at school for her darker skin; and she begins to see a spirit dressed in black and wonders whether it means help or harm. When Kalinda arrives from Barbados, she strikes Caroline as a true individual, someone who can help her on her quest to find her mother, and things begin to look up. Then Caroline’s admiration of Kalinda becomes romantic love, which is not well received in her community, and she must face her feelings on all fronts. Callender’s debut novel contains absorbing descriptions of the island (“The paint gets big bubbles whenever it rains so that I can pick and pick and pick at them until they burst”) and is a folkloric tale about overcoming old narratives and creating new ones. --Publishers Weekly Writing in Caroline's present-tense voice, Callender draws readers in and makes them identify with Caroline's angst and sorrow and joy and pain.Embedding her appealing protagonist in a fully realized Caribbean setting, Callender has readers rooting for Caroline the whole way. --Kirkus Reviews [H] Scholastic Press / March 27, 2018 1.0" H x 8.4" L x 5.4" W (0.75 lbs) 224 pages

Hurricane Child /// Kacen Callender

Young Josefina gives up sweets for Lent and then learns how to make her Dominican family’s traditional Easter dessert. Like all kids, Josefina loves to eat sweets. She loves warm chocolate chip cookies right out of the oven, cupcakes and candy! One night, while eating a piece of flan, Mami asks her to consider giving up sweets for Lent, the 40 days leading up to Easter. “That’s impossible!” Josefina says. When Mami promises to teach her how to make her favorite dessert, habichuelas con dulce, she agrees to give it a try. Josefina can’t wait to end her fast and eat the delicious sweet cream beans, her family’s traditional Easter dessert. While she and her mom, tías and abuela prepare the dish, they dance to merengue music and tell stories about life back in the Dominican Republic. The kitchen fills with the aromatic smells of cinnamon and sugar, but it’s the feelings of love and happiness Josefina will never forget. On Easter Sunday, when the family eats the special dessert she prepared, the girl’s grandmother proclaims, “It’s the best pot of habichuelas con dulce I’ve tasted in my life!” This heart-warming, bilingual picture book for children shares a universal story all kids can relate to—learning about one’s culture through food, music and family stories—while focusing on a cultural tradition specific to the Dominican Republic. As a bonus, the book includes the recipe for this special dessert—in both English and Spanish! BIO Jasminne Mendez is a Dominican-American poet, playwright, translator and award winning author of several books for children and adults. She is the author of two hybrid memoirs, Island of Dreams (Floricanto Press) and Night-Blooming Jasmin(n)e: Personal Essays and Poetry (Arte Público Press). Her second YA memoir, Islands Apart: Becoming Dominican American (Arte Público Press) is forthcoming in Summer 2022 and her debut poetry collection, City Without Altar, was a finalist for the Noemi Press Book Award for Poetry and will be released in August 2022. As a translator she has translated Amanda Gorman’s best-selling Change Sings into the Spanish edition La canción del cambio and has translated librettos for The Houston Grand Opera. Her debut middle grade book Anina del Mar Jumps In (Dial) is a novel in verse about a young girl diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis and is set to release in 2023. Her debut picture book Josefina’s Habichuelas (Arte Público Press), was released last year. For all publishing inquiries please contact her literary agent Stefanie Sanchez Von Bortsel at Full Circle Literary. For events, performances, reading or writing workshops please contact her speaking agency The Speakeasy Project. REVIEWS "Presented in both English and Spanish (via Espinosa’s translation), the author’s text forgoes flair for simple earnestness in a manner that highlights the book’s themes. Likewise, De Vita’s cozy pictures provide plenty of ideal images of family, with a diverse range of skin tones from light brown to dark brown. A stirring author’s note and a recipe for habichuelas con dulce wrap up a pretty sweet tale. A delicious treat." -- Kirkus Reviews A wonderful choice for picture book collections that focuses on traditions, family, and dedication to one's goals. --Selenia Paz, School Library Journal [H] Pinata Books / October 31, 2021 0.35" H x 11.23" L x 8.87" W (0.89 lbs) 32 pages

Josefina's Habichuelas / Las Habichuelas de Josefina /// Jasminne Mendez, illustrations by Flor de Vita, translated by Espinosa Adnaloy

With colorful illustrations and a timeline, this introductory history of Juneteenth for kids details the evolution of the holiday commemorating the date the enslaved people of Texas first learned of their freedom​.On June 19, 1865—more than two years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation—the enslaved people of Texas first learned of their freedom. That day became a day of remembrance and celebration that changed and grew from year to year.Learn about the events that led to emancipation and why it took so long for the enslaved people in Texas to hear the news. The first Juneteenth began as “Jubilee Day,” where families celebrated and learned of their new rights as citizens. As Black Texans moved to other parts of the country, they brought their traditions along with them, and Juneteenth continued to grow and develop.Today, Juneteenth’s powerful spirit has endured through the centuries to become an official holiday in the United States in 2021. The Juneteenth Story provides an accessible introduction for kids to learn about this important American holiday. BIO Alliah L. Agostini writes to spread joy, because we can always use more of it. She also knows firsthand how valuable it is for more people, young readers especially, to finally see themselves reflected on the page. Alliah founded and contributes to Grownesque, a blog and social media destination for Xennial women. She resides in New Jersey, where she enjoys impromptu dance parties and making up corny jokes with her husband and two children. She is a member of SCBWI and has an AB and MBA from Harvard. REVIEWS “An important look at Juneteenth history, made accessible for young readers.” --Kirkus Reviews“A well-contextualized American history of enslaved Black persons” --Publishers Weekly [H] Becker & Mayer / May 03, 2022 0.4" H x 11.2" L x 8.6" W (0.85 lbs) 32 pages

The Juneteenth Story: Celebrating the End of Slavery in the United States /// Alliah L. Agostini, illustrated by Sawyer Cloud

"The poetic stylings of Alice Walker will convince children across the world that Sweet People Are Everywhere... Children of all ages will be able to enjoy the illustrations; the timeless images show how beautifully diverse the world is." - Seattle Book Review Sweet People Are Everywhere, an illustrated picture book featuring a poem by internationally renowned writer and activist Alice Walker, is a powerful celebration of humanity. The poem addresses a young boy getting his first passport, taking the boy--and the reader--on a journey through a series of countries around the globe where "sweet people" can be found. They are all over the globe. Sweet people can be found from Canada to Congo to Cuba, from Afghanistan to Australia, from Ireland to Iraq...there are sweet people in the thirty-seven places listed in these pages and almost everywhere else on the planet. Take a trip through the lines of this large-hearted poem by Alice Walker and meet some of them! An ode to humanity, Walker's heartening message is celebrated through Quim Torres' deeply felt illustrations. BIO Alice Walker, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, is a canonical figure in American letters. She is the author of The Color Purple, The Temple of My Familiar, Horses Make a Landscape Look More Beautiful, The Way Forward Is with a Broken Heart, Now Is the Time to Open Your Heart, and many other works of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. Her writings have been translated into more than two dozen languages, and more than fifteen million copies of her books have been sold worldwide. Quim Torres is an award-winning illustrator and author based in Barcelona. He has illustrated several children's books, including the recent Tra Publishing titles Sweet People Are Everywhere by Alice Walker and The Rare, Tiny Flower by Kitty O'Meara (both 2021). He has studied art as healing and Gestalt psychology, and he teaches workshops in which drawing becomes a means of self-discovery. He believes that people are made of stories, and he hopes his drawings inspire others to share their tales. He feels that art is a healing force. REVIEWS "My go-to comfort novel is The Color Purple, by Alice Walker. Even though it touches on difficult subject matter like child abuse and forced marriage, this story believes that human kindness, courage and love can defeat any challenge. Its big, beautiful happy ending is heartfelt and hard-won. Every single time I read this book, I walk away as a slightly better person than I was when I picked it up." --Tayari Jones, The New York Times "The Color Purple was what church should have been, what honest familial reckoning could have been, and it is still the only art object in the world by which all three generations of Black artists in my family judge American art." --Kiese Laymon "A novel of permanent importance." --Peter S. Prescott, Newsweek [H] Tra Publishing / November 02, 2021 0.5" H x 10.4" L x 10.3" W (1.2 lbs) 48 pages

Sweet People Are Everywhere /// Alice Walker, illustrated by Quim Torres

Explore the globe with Waffles + Mochi and learn about the stories behind the food we eat in this accessible, child-friendly cookbook, based on the Netflix children's show from Higher Ground, President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama's production company in partnership with Netflix. Join Waffles and Mochi for recipes and cooking adventures that take you around the world--from Delicioso Stew inspired by Peru to a Pani Puri Party in California to making Hands-on Onigiri in Japan. These best friends discover how chefs mix fresh ingredients to create delicious dishes that make our taste buds happy. Each chapter begins with a simple recipe to master--like creating magical salts to dust over your dishes, boiling eggs four ways, and baking a potato that's anything but ordinary. Then the recipes build from there. Before you know it, you'll be whipping up Tenacious Tomato Salad, Chicken Sancocho, Kimchi Grilled Cheese, and Cloud Meringues. Are you ready? 3 - 2 - Yum, BLAST OFF! BIO Yewande Komolafe is a writer, recipe developer, and food stylist who has worked in a variety of roles in the culinary world, including restaurants, food media, and cookbook publishing. A cooking writer for the New York Times, she is the author of My Everyday Lagos Kitchen: Nigerian Cooking at Home and in the Diaspora. [H] Clarkson Potter Publishers / December 07, 2021 0.57" H x 10.31" L x 8.36" W (1.57 lbs) 112 pages

Waffles + Mochi: Get Cooking!: Learn to Cook Tomato Candy Pasta, Gratitouille, and Other Tasty Recipes: A Kids Cookbook /// Yewande Komolafe with foreword by Michelle Obama

The 1619 Project's lyrical picture book in verse chronicles the consequences of slavery and the history of Black resistance in the United States, thoughtfully rendered by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones and Newbery honor-winning author Renée Watson. A young student receives a family tree assignment in school, but she can only trace back three generations. Grandma gathers the whole family, and the student learns that 400 years ago, in 1619, their ancestors were stolen and brought to America by white slave traders. But before that, they had a home, a land, a language. She learns how the people said to be born on the water survived.And the people planted dreams and hope, willed themselves to keep living, living. And the people learned new words for love for friend for family for joy for grow for home. With powerful verse and striking illustrations by Nikkolas Smith, Born on the Water provides a pathway for readers of all ages to reflect on the origins of American identity. BIOS Nikole Hannah-Jones is a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter covering racial injustice for The New York Times Magazine and creator of the landmark 1619 Project. In 2017, she received a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, known as the Genius Grant, for her work on educational inequality. She has also won a Peabody Award, two George Polk Awards, three National Magazine Awards, and the 2018 John Chancellor distinguished journalism award from Columbia University. In 2016, Nikole co-founded the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting, a training and mentorship organization geared towards increasing the numbers of investigative reporters of color. Renée Watson is a New York Times bestselling author. Her young adult novel, Piecing Me Together (Bloomsbury, 2017) received a Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Award. Her books for young readers include Harlem's Little Blackbird: The Story of Florence Mills, which was nominated for an NAACP Image Award, and Ways to Make Sunshine, which received the SCBWI Golden Kite Award. She has given readings and lectures at many renown places including the United Nations, the Library of Congress, and the U.S. Embassy in Japan and New Zealand. Renée is on the Council of Writers for the National Writing Project and is a member of the Academy of American Poets' Education Advisory Council. Renée grew up in Portland, Oregon, and splits her time between Portland and New York City. To learn more about Renée's work, visit her at www.reneewatson.net Nikkolas Smith is a Houston, Texas-born Artivist, picture book author, and Hollywood film illustrator. He is the author/illustrator of The Golden Girls of Rio, nominated for an NAACP Image Award, My Hair Is Poofy And That's Okay, and World Cup Women. As a Black illustrator, Nikkolas is focused on creating captivating art that can spark important conversations around social justice in today's world and inspire meaningful change. Many of his viral, globally shared and published sketches are included in his book Sunday Sketch: The Art of Nikkolas. Nikkolas also speaks on his Artivism at conferences, workplaces, and schools around the world, and leads workshops in digital painting, character, and movie poster design. He lives in Los Angeles, California. Learn more here: www.NIKKOLAS.art [H] ﻿Kokila / ﻿November 16, 2021 0.4" H x 9.3" L x 9.3" W (0.8 lbs) 48 pages

The 1619 Project: Born on the Water /// Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renée Watson, illustrated by Nikkolas Smith

A Caldecott and Coretta Scott King Honor Book Mama's love is brighter than the sun, even on the rainiest of days. This celebration of a mother-daughter relationship is perfect for sharing with little ones! On a rainy day when the house smells like cinnamon and Papa and Luca are still asleep, when the clouds are wearing shadows and the wind paints the window with beads of water, I want to be everywhere Mama is. With lyrical prose and a tender touch, the Caldecott and Coretta Scott King Honor Book Mama and Me is an ode to the strength of the bond between a mother and a daughter as they spend a rainy day together. BIO Cozbi A. Cabrera received a BFA from Parsons School of Design. Her cloth dolls (Muñecas) have garnered the attention of collectors around the world and have been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show. She is the illustrator of several books, including the picture book Beauty, Her Basket, which Publishers Weekly called "a quiet treasure" in a starred review. Her work is featured in her eponymous shop and atelier in Brooklyn. She lives in New York City. To learn more about Cabrera, please visit her at Cozbi.com. REVIEWS "Mother-daughter pairings of swimsuits, flower bouquets, and bicycles are presented in small, bright vignettes on the endpapers of Cabrera's cozy tale, serving as appetizers for the visual feast within. Impressively detailed scenes, from the first spread, which shows the child coming downstairs, to her mama's artfully designed workspace to a later scene of the little girl drifting off to sleep haloed by stars and dreaming of day with her mother, are rendered with visible daubs of acrylic paint...still, the greatest delight is in the images that vibrantly showcase their simple, loving connection. A beautifully illustrated, slice-of-life ode of adoration for doting daughters and marvelous mamas." - Kirkus Reviews "Lush acrylic hues of color wash every double-page spread while spare text describes the tender feelings a small Black child with curly, high-bunched pigtails has for her beautiful mother. Simple words express the little one's emotions as she eagerly wakes up in the morning to enjoy their daily activities together... a warm tribute to a special family relationship and comforting home." - Booklist ﻿[H] Denene Millner Books/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers / August 25, 2020 0.6" H x 10.2" L x 8.1" W (0.98 lbs) 40 pages

Me & Mama /// Cozbi A. Cabrera

With passion and precision, Kekla Magoon relays an essential account of the Black Panthers--as militant revolutionaries and as human rights advocates working to defend and protect their community. In this comprehensive, inspiring, and all-too-relevant history of the Black Panther Party, Kekla Magoon introduces readers to the Panthers' community activism, grounded in the concept of self-defense, which taught Black Americans how to protect and support themselves in a country that treated them like second-class citizens. For too long the Panthers' story has been a footnote to the civil rights movement rather than what it was: a revolutionary socialist movement that drew thousands of members--mostly women--and became the target of one of the most sustained repression efforts ever made by the U.S. government against its own citizens. Revolution in Our Time puts the Panthers in the proper context of Black American history, from the first arrival of enslaved people to the Black Lives Matter movement of today. Kekla Magoon's eye-opening work invites a new generation of readers grappling with injustices in the United States to learn from the Panthers' history and courage, inspiring them to take their own place in the ongoing fight for justice. BIO Kekla Magoon's young adult novel The Rock and the River, which won the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award, was the first mainstream novel for young people to feature the Black Panther Party. She is the Margaret A. Edwards Award-winning author of more than a dozen books for young readers, including Fire in the Streets and How It Went Down. She is also the coauthor, with Ilyasah Shabazz, of X: A Novel, which was long-listed for the National Book Award and received an NAACP Image Award and a Coretta Scott King Honor. Kekla Magoon grew up in Indiana and now lives in Vermont, where she serves on the faculty at Vermont College of Fine Arts. REVIEW ﻿This comprehensive, meticulously researched volume helps readers understand the Panthers within the spectrum of Black resistance. The narrative is cinematic in its descriptions of the personalities and incidents that make up the party's history while presenting a throughline to the anti-racist activism of today. The book's attractive graphic design, with ample use of robin's egg blue in contrast to dramatic black-and-white photographs, and with memorable quotes scattered throughout, makes it visually pleasing. The highly readable and not-to-be-missed story of America's history and current reality. --Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Kekla Magoon is a national treasure, and Revolution in Our Time passionately and meticulously details a critical truth that is both feared and necessary in the classroom. --Rita Williams-Garcia, award-winning author of A Sitting in St. James [H] Candlewick Press / November 08, 2021 1.2" H x 10.1" L x 7.6" W (3.0 lbs) 400 pages

Revolution in Our Time: The Black Panther Party's Promise to the People /// Kekla Magoon

Snuggle, snuggle.Time to rest.Nana joins us in her nest. There is no one like Nana in the whole wide world. She is the best. Nana knows how to take an ordinary afternoon and make it extra special! Nap time, story time, and playtime are transformed by fairies, dragons, dancing, and pretending -- and then mixing and fixing yummy, yummy fudge just like Nana and Mommy did not so many years ago.... Pulitzer Prize-winning author Toni Morrison and her son Slade tell a story of what really goes on when Nana is left in charge! BIOS Toni Morrison (1931-2019) was a Nobel Prize-winning American author, editor, and professor. Her contributions to the modern canon are numerous. Some of her acclaimed titles include: The Bluest Eye, Song of Solomon, and Beloved, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1988. She won the Nobel Prize for Literature 1993. Slade Morrison was born in Ohio and educated in New York City. He studied art at SUNY Purchase and collaborated with his mother, Toni Morrison, on five books for children. Joe Cepeda is the illustrator of many award-winning picture books, including Peeny Butter Fudge and The Tortoise or the Hare by Toni Morrison and Slade Morrison, What a Truly Cool World by Julius Lester, Mice and Beans by Pam Muñoz Ryan, and Gracias the Thanksgiving Turkey by Joy Cowley. Mr. Cepeda received his BFA in illustration from California State University, Long Beach. His illustrations have appeared in publications such as the Los Angeles Times; Buzz, Inc. Magazine; and Latina Magazine. Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books / September 15, 2009 0.37" H x 11.26" L x 8.88" W (0.91 lbs) 32 pages

Peeny Butter Fudge /// Toni Morrison & Slade Morrison, illustrated by Joe Cepeda

Fans of the Netflix reboot of The Babysitters Club will delight as four new sisters band together in the heart of New York City. Discover this jubilant novel about the difficulties of change, the loyalty of sisters, and the love of family from a prolific award-winning author. [A] jubilant middle grade novel. -The New York Times Bo and her mom always had their own rhythm. But ever since they moved to Harlem, Bo's world has fallen out of sync. She and Mum are now living with Mum's boyfriend Bill, his daughter Sunday, the twins, Lili and Lee, the twins' parents...along with a dog, two cats, a bearded dragon, a turtle, and chickens. All in one brownstone! With so many people squished together, Bo isn't so sure there is room for her. Set against the bursting energy of a New York City summer, award-winning author Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich delivers a joyful novel about a new family that hits all the right notes! "This ode to Black girlhood and the communities that serve them offers humor, tenderness, and charm." -Renée Watson, New York Times bestselling author"A beautiful, rich, and deeply comforting story about family and the powerful choice to live with joy, Operation Sisterhood is a book to savor." -Rebecca Stead, New York Times bestselling author BIO Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich is the author of 8th Grade Superzero, It Doesn't Take a Genius, the nonfiction books Above and Beyond: NASA's Journey to Tomorrow and Someday Is Now: Clara Luper and the 1958 Oklahoma City Sit-Ins, and the upcoming Mae Makes a Way and Saving Earth: The Climate Crisis and the Fight for Our Future. She is the coauthor of the middle-grade novel Two Naomis, which was nominated for an NAACP Image Award, and its sequel, Naomis Too. Inspired by some of her favorite family stories and the city she loves, Operation Sisterhood is a celebration of the sweetness and spice of sisterhood. Olugbemisola is a member of the Brown Bookshelf and a former board member of We Need Diverse Books. She lives with her family in New York City, where she writes, makes things, and needs to get more sleep. Discover more about Olugbemisola online at olugbemisolabooks.com. REVIEWS "Rhuday-Perkovich's love letter to New York City is brimming with heartwarming moments....A loving display of family and community." --Kirkus Reviews "Readers looking for books with positive depictions of blended families and Black girlhood will enjoy this title." --Booklist "In this sweet and comforting middle-grade novel, a tween girl deals with the changes that come along with being a part of a new blended family." --Shelf Awareness [H] Crown Books for Young Readers / January 04, 2022 1.3" H x 8.3" L x 5.9" W (1.0 lbs) 320 pages

Operation Sisterhood /// Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich

From the New York Times bestselling author of the National Book Award-winning title The Poet X comes a dazzling novel in prose about a girl with talent, pride, and a drive to feed the soul that keeps her fire burning bright. Ever since she got pregnant freshman year, Emoni Santiago's life has been about making the tough decisions--doing what has to be done for her daughter and her abuela. The one place she can let all that go is in the kitchen, where she adds a little something magical to everything she cooks, turning her food into straight-up goodness. Even though she dreams of working as a chef after she graduates, Emoni knows that it's not worth her time to pursue the impossible. Yet despite the rules she thinks she has to play by, once Emoni starts cooking, her only choice is to let her talent break free. BIO Elizabeth Acevedo is the author of The Poet X--which won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature, the Michael L. Printz Award, the Pura Belpré Award, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, and the Walter Award--as well as With the Fire on High and Clap When You Land. She is a National Poetry Slam champion and holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of Maryland. Acevedo lives with her partner in Washington, DC. You can find out more about her at www.acevedowrites.com. REVIEWS "The acclaimed author follows up her celebrated The Poet X with a love letter to food and a tribute to young, single mothers... Acevedo's second serving offers a much-needed nuanced exploration of teen parenting that belongs on all shelves." --School Library Journal (starred review) "Emoni's story is a gift... With its judicious depth and brilliant blazes of writing that simmer, then nourish, With the Fire on High is literary soul food." --New York Times Book Review "[A] stunning sophomore novel from National Book Award and Printz winner Acevedo.... With evocative, rhythmic prose and realistically rendered relationships and tensions, Acevedo's unvarnished depiction of young adulthood is at once universal and intensely specific." --Publishers Weekly (starred review) [H] Quill Tree Books / May 07, 2019 1.3" H x 8.6" L x 5.8" W (1.04 lbs) 400 pages [P] Quill Tree Books / March 30, 2021 1.1" H x 7.9" L x 5.2" W (0.65 lbs) 416 pages

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