A Map for Falasteen
Maysa Odeh. Aliaa Betawi, illustrator. Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group (2024), ISBN 9781250896704
A young Palestinian girl living in diaspora struggles to find her homeland on a map in this gentle and heartfelt picture book about family, resilience, and home always being where the heart is. Ages 3– 8
2024 Listings
A Door Made for Me
Tyler Merritt. Lonnie Ollivierre, illustrator. WorthyKids, 2022. ISBN 9781546012566
A touching story that explores a racist encounter from the perspective of a young Black boy while offering a message of unconditional love and acceptance to soothe the pain of blind prejudice. Ages 3-8
Kamau & ZuZu Find a Way
Aracelis Girmay. Diana Ejita, illustrator. Enchanted Lion Books, Aug. ISBN 9781592703890
In this diaspora story, Kamau and his grandma ZuZu awake to find themselves on the moon. Kamau doesn’t recall Back Home, but ZuZu does, and together they find a way to live in their strange new land. Ages 7-9
Mixed Rice
Sophie Dipti Sarkar. Parallax Press, Nov. ISBN 9781952692949
Joya must navigate her multicultural family’s debate over which rice to cook. With mindfulness and heart, Joya discovers the power of embracing differences to create harmony. Ages 5-9
Obaasan's Boots
Lara Jean Okihiro and Janis Bridger.Second Story Press, Oct. ISBN 9781772603484
Lou and Charlotte's grandmother shares her experience as a Japanese Canadian during WWII and the painful story of their family's internment. The girls confront how racism shaped their identities. Ages 8-12
Snow Steps
Karen Latchana Kenney. Irina Avgustinovich, illustrator. WorthyKids, Nov. ISBN 9781546006640
Readers will discover how to celebrate the tenacity of the human spirit as they read about Lakshmi, a young girl who learns to brave a snowy Minnesota winter after immigrating from tropical Guyana. Ages 3-8
The City of Light
Theodore Bikel and Aimee Ginsburg Bikel. Noah Phillips, illustrator. Mandel Vilar Press / MomentBooks Imprint (2019), ISBN 9781942134619
Illustrated memoir of Theodore Bikel, in which the author describes the days when his happy childhood in Vienna ended with the Nazi annexation of Austria and restrictive Jewish laws. Ages 12 and up
This article was first published on October 18, 2024, and updated on October 17, 2025 to include new listings.
