~ Multicultural Picture Books ~

Multiculturalism means across cultures, against borders

Hazel Rochman, in Against Borders: Promoting Books for a Multicultural World

Our Picture Book Recommendations

Multicultural Canada
Andrews, Jan. Very Last First Time. Groundwood, 1985. PS8551.N48V46
Bouchard, David. Nokum Is My Teacher. Red Deer Press 2006. JUV PS8553.O795.N64 2006
Bouchard, David & Pam Aleekuk. Long Powwow Nights. Red Deer Press 2009. JUV PS8553.O795.L66 2009
Chan, Arlene. The Moon Festival: A Chinese Mid-Autumn Celebration. Umbrella, 1999. GR335.4.M53C49
1999
Eyvindson, Peter. Red Parka Mary. Pemmican, 1996. PS8559.Y85R42 1996
Gilman, Phoebe. Something from Nothing. North Winds Press, 1992. PS8563.I67S64 1992
Gregory, Nan. 1995. How Smudge came. Northern Lights, Red Deer College Press. Classic story of a young
woman, a puppy, and a group home for developmentally delayed adults.
Harrison, Troon & Huang, Zhong-Yang. Courage to Fly. Northern Lights Books for Children 2002. JUV
PS8565.A78868l.C68 2002
Hughes, Monica. A Handful of Seeds. Lester, 1993. PS8565.U5656H36 1993
Loewen, Iris. My Kokum Called Today. Pemmican, 1993. PS8573.O46M89 1993
London, Jonathan. 1995. The sugaring-off party. Toronto: Lester. Classic story of a Quebecois family maple
sugar operation. Great artwork by Gilles Pelletier.
McGugan, Jim. 1994. Josepha a prairie boys story. Northern Lights, Red Deer College Press. GovernorGenerals Award. ESL on the prairies in the early 20th century. Classic.
Waldron, Kathleen. 1994. A wilderness Passover. Northern Lights, Red Deer College Press. Classic Jewish
holy feast in northern British Columbia.
Hearn, Emily, ed. 2007. Our new home: immigrant children speak. Toronto: Second Story Press. Canadian
children tell their immigration stories.
Fitch, Sheree. 2001. No two snowflakes. Vancouver: Orca. Kids celebrate sameness and difference in a nice
wintry Canadian way.

McQuinn, Anna. 2009. My friend Mei Jing. Toronto: Annick. Two little girls enjoy friendship in their school
and community, right there in the GTA.
Carrier, Roch. 1991. A happy New Years day. Montreal: Tundra. Classic Quebecois family having a huge new
years feast. Always a lot of fun with Roch and his memories.
Highway, Thomson. 2001. Caribou song. Toronto: Harper Collins. Lovely family story set in northern
Manitoba. English and Cree.
Yee, Paul. Ghost train. Award winning story of Chinese railway workers in British Columbia.
Campbell, Nicola. 2005. Shi-shi-etko. Toronto: Anansi, Groundwood. Shi-shi-etko says goodbye to her
community as she prepares to leave to attend Residential School.
Lawson, Julie. White Jade Tiger. Beach Holme, 1993.
Harvey, Sarah N. & Buffam, Leslie. Great Lakes & Rugged Ground. Orca Book Publishers, 2010. JUV
PS8615.A764.G74 2010
Larsen, Andrew & Luxbacher, Irene. The Imaginary Garden. Kids Can Press 2009. JUV PS8623.A77.I53
2009
Schwartz, Joanne. Our Corner Grocery Store. Tundra Books 2009. JUV PS8637.C592.O97 2009
Gutirrez, Elisa. Picturescape. Simply Read Books 2005. JUV PS8613.U88.P52 2005
Ulmer, Mike. The Gift of the Inuksuk. JUV PS8641.L57.G53 2004
Grant, Shauntay. Up Home. Nimbus Publishing 2008. JUV PS8613.R3663.U6 2008
Grant, Shauntay. The City Speaks in Drums. Nimbus Publishing 2010. JUV PS8613.R3663.C57 2010
Trottier, Maxine. Migrant. Groundwork Books 2011. JUV PS8589.R8.M54 2011
Croza, Laurel & James, Matt. I Know Here. Groundwork Books. JUV PS8605.R698.I36 2010
Taylor, C.J. Peacewalker: The Legend of Hiawatha and Tekanawita. JUV PS8589.A924.P42 2004
Taylor, C.J. How we saw the world. Tundra Books 1993. JUV PS8589.A924.H62 1993
Taylor, C.J. Bones in the basket. Tundra Books 1993. JUV PS8589.A924.B65 1993
Taylor, C.J. The secret of the white buffalo. Tundra Books 1993. JUV PS8589.A924.S42 1993
Trottier, Maxine & Keating, Nancy. Forget-Me-Not. Tuckamore Books 2008. PS8589.R8.F67 2008
Trottier, Maxine & Van Mil, Al. The Tiny Kite of Eddie Wing. Stoddart 1995. JUV PS8589.R8.T54 1995
Trottier, Maxine & Morin, Paul. Flags. Stoddart Kids 1995. JUV PS8589.R8.F52 1999

Trottier, Maxine & East, Stella. The Paint Box. Fitzhenry & Whiteside 2003. JUV PS8589.R8.P34 2003
Trottier, Maxine & Friedman, Judith. A Safe Place. A. Whitman 1997. JUV PS8589.R8.S23 1997
Truss, Jan. Peters Moccasins. Reidmore, 1987. PS8589.R86P38 1987
Bouchard, David. Buddha in the Garden. Raincoast Books Vancouver 2001. JUV PS8553.O795.B83 2001
Oberman, Sheldon. The Always Prayer Shawl. Boyds Mills Press 1994. JUV PS8579.B6.A82 1994
Gomes, Filomena & Spires, Ashley. My Mom Loves Me More Than Sushi. Second Story Press 2006. JUV
PS8613.O54.M9 2006
Choi, Yangsook. The Name Jar. Dell Dragonfly Books 2003. PS3553.H5842.N35 2003t
Munsch, Robet & Askar Saoussan. From Far Away. Annick Press 1995. JUV PS8576.U66.F76 1995
Keens-Douglas, Richardo & Gukova, Julia. Freedom Child of the Sea. Annick Press 1995. JUV PS8571 .E36.F74
1995
Keens-Douglas, Richardo & Galouchko, Annouchka. The Nutmeg Princess. Annick Press 1992. JUV
PS8571.E36.N88 1992 lp
Yee, Paul & Chan, Harvey. Ghost Train. Douglas & McIntyre 1996. JUV PS8597.E3.G46 1996
The children of La Loche & friends. Byron Through the Seasons: a Dene-English story book. Fifth House 1990.
JUV PS8550 .B97 1990
Kogawa, Joy & Ohi, Ruth. Naomis Tree. Fitzhenry & Whiteside 2008. JUV PS8571.O43.N365 2008
ega i, Chieri

St phane Jorisch. Sukis Kimono. Kids Can Press 2003. JUV PS8591.E32.S83 2003

Gilmore, Rachna & Priestley, Alice. Lights For Gita. Second Story Press 1994. JUV PS8563 .I676.L54 1994
Gilmore, Rachna & Priestley, Alice. Roses For Gita. Second Story Press 1996. JUV PS8563 .I676.R67 1996
Gilmore, Rachna & Priestley, Alice. A Gift For Gita. Second Story Press 1998. JUV PS8563 .I676.G53 1998
Carrier, Roch & Cohen, Sheldon. The Hockey Sweater. Tundra Books 1984. JUV PS9555 .A826.A6313 1984
Highway, Tomson & Deines, Brian. Fox on the Ice. HarperCollins 2003. JUV PS8565.I39.F69 2003 lp
Sanderson, Esther. Two Pairs of Shoes. Pemmican, 1990. PS8587.A727T89 1990
Waboose, Jan Bourdeau. 1997. Morning on the lake. Toronto: Kids Can. A grandfather and grandchild enjoy
a morning on the lake: both are First Nations people but that is not the point.
Whetung, James & Morin, Paul. The Vision Seeker. Stoddart 1996. JUV E99.C6.W44 1996
Bouchard, David & Willier, Shelley. The Drum Calls Softly. Red Deer Press 2008. JUV PS8553.O795.D78 2008

Wheeler, Bernelda. Where Did You Get Yoru Moccasins? Peguis, 1992

Us, Our Families & Our Communities

Aliki. Hello! Good-Bye! Greenwillow, 1996. GT3050.A43 1996
Diakite, Penda. I Lost My Tooth in Africa. Scholastic, 2006. PS3604.I125I46 2006
Dillon, Leo and Diane Dillon. 1998. To every thing there is a season. Classic beautiful book depicts the
Gaiman, Neil & Dave McKean. Crazy Hair. HarperCollins, 2009. PR6057.A319C73 2009
London, Jonathan. The Sugaring-Off Party. Lester Publishing Limited, 1995. JUV PS3562.O4874.S84 1995
Park, Linda Sue. Bee-bim Bop! Clarion Books, 2005. JUV PS3566.A6739.B43 2005
Sis. Peter. Madlenka. Groundwood, 2000. PS3569.I75M34 2000
---. Madlenkas Dog. Groundwood, 2000. PS3569.I75M34 2002
Van Camp, Richard. A Man Called Raven. Childrens Boo Press, 1997. PS8593.A565M36 1997
--. Whats the Most Beautiful Thing you Know About Horses? Childrens Boo Press, 1998.
PS8593.A565W47 1998
Walker, Rob. 2009. Mama says, a book of love for mothers and sons. NY: Blue Sky Press. Wonderful
artwork, wonderful message.

Global Communities
Baker, Jeannie. Mirror. Candlewick, 2010. PR9619.3.B27 M57 2010
Author of Home (Greenwillow, 2004) and Window (Greenwillow, 1991).
Blackstone, Stella. My Granny Went to Market: A Round-theWorld Counting Rhyme. Barefoot Books, 2005.
PR6052.L3418M9 2005
Corr, Christopher & Fred Penner. Whole World. Barefoot Books, 2007. PR6052.L3418W46 2007
Fine, Edith Hope & Judith P. Josephson. Armando and the Blue Tarp School. Lee & Low, 2007.
PS3606.I54A76t 2007
Isadora, Rachel. At the Crossroads. Greenwillow, 1991. PS3559.S22A8 1991
Kindersley, Barnabas & Anabel Kindersley. Children Just Like Me: Celebrations! UNICEF & United Nations
Childrens Fund; Fenn Publishing, 1997. GT3933.K56 1997
Lewin, Ted. How Much? Visiting Markets Around the World. HarperCollins, 2006. HF5470.L478 2006
McIntosh, Patti. Ollies Field Journal: A 9/10ths Happy Story From Africa. Junior Global Citizen, 2008.
PS8625.I57

Milord, Susan. 1992. Hands around the world: 365 creative ways to build cultural awareness and global
respect. Charlotte VT: Williamson. 365 activities, great ideas for classroom global awareness.
Milway, Katie. The Good Garden: How One Family Went from Hunger to Having Enough. Kids Can, 2010.
PS8626.I48G66 2010
---. One Hen: How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference. Kids Can, 2008. PS8626.I48O54 2008
Priceman, Marjorie. How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World. Knopf, 1994. PS3566.R55h68 1994
Ravishankar, Anushka & Emanuele Scanziani. To Market! To Market! Tara Publishing, 2007.
PR9499.3.R37M37 2007
Schuett, Stacy. 1995. Somewhere in the world right now. NY: Dragonfly, Knopf. A geographical journey for
primary children.
Strauss, Rochelle. One Well: The Story of Water on Earth. Kids Can, 2007. QH90.16 S87t 2007
Winter, Jeanette. The Librarian of Basra: A True Story from Iraq. Harcourt, 2005. Z720.B24W56 2005

Immigration Stories
Aliki. Marianthes Story: Painted Words, Part 1. Spoken Memories, Part 2. Greenwillow, 1998.
PS3551.L3636P34 1998
Classic immigrant family/childs story with ESL interest.
Bunting, Eve. One Green Apple. Clarion, 2006. PS3552.U4735O538 2006
Molnar- Fenton. 1998. An-Meis strange and wonderful journey. NY: Dorling-Kindersley Chinese girl
adoption story.
Shulevitz, Uri. How I Learned Geography. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2008. PS3569.H7685H69 2008
Wilkes, Sybella. One Day We Had to Run! UNHCR & Save the Children; Millbrook Press, 1994.
HV640.4.K4W55 1994
Williams, Karen L. & Khadra Mohammed. Four Feet, Two Sandals. Eerdmans, 2007.
PS3573.I44964 F68 2007

Tales & Legends

Amery, Heather. Reteller. Usborne Stories from Around the World. Usborne, 2000. PR6051.M47 U73 2000
Daly, Niki. Pretty Salma: A Little Red Riding Hood Story from Africa. Clarion, 2007. PR9369.3.D23P74 2007
Fleischman, Paul. Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal: A Worldwide Cinderella. Holt, 2007.
PS3556.L42268G53 2007
Gavin, Jamila. Children Just Like Me: Our Favourite Stories from Around the World. Dorling Kindersley,
1997. PR6057.A88O93 1997

Isadora, Rachel. Reteller. Rapunzel. Putnams, 2008. PS3559.S22R37 2008

Rapunzel in an African setting.
---. Reteller. The Fisherman and His Wife. Putnams, 2008. PS3559.S22F57 2008
---. Reteller. The Princess and the Pea. Putnams, 2007. PS3559.S2P7 2007
Martin, Rafe. [Reteller.] The Rough-Face Girl. Putnams, 1992. E99.A349M37 1992
OBrien, Anne Sibley. The Legend of Hong Kil Dong. Charlesbridge, 2006. PN6727.O27T36 2006
Simpson, Caroll. The First Mosquito. Heritage, 2010. PS8637.I484F57 2010

Bilingual Books
including books containing just segments written in other languages
Garza, Carmen Lomas. 1996. En mi familia, in my family. San Fran: Childrens Boo Press. Dual language
text, lovely family story.
Mora, Pat. Book Fiesta!: Celebrate Childrens Day / Book Day. Celebremos El Dia de los Ninos/El dia de los
libros. HarperCollines, 2009. PS3563.O73B66 2009
---. Gracias Thanks. Lee & Low Books, 2009. PS3563.O73G73 2009
Rumford, James. Silent Music A Story of Baghdad. Roaring Brook, 2008. PS3658.U64S55t 2008
Teevee, Ningeokuluk. Alego. Groundwood, 2009. PS8639.E35 A44 2009

Picture Books for Older Readers (Junior / Intermediate)

Deedy, Carmen Agra. 14 Cows for America. Peachtree, 2009. E183.8.K4D44 2009
Granfield, Linda. Pier 21: Gateway of Hope. Tundra, 2000. JV7225.G73 2000
Johnson, Jen Cullerton. Seeds of Change. SB63.M22J646 2010
Logan, Claudia. The 5,000-Year-Old Puzzle: Solving a Mystery of Ancient Egypt. Boston Museum of Fine
Arts, 2002. PS3562.O4455F58 2002
Polacco, Patricia. The Junkyard Wonders. Philomel, 2010. PS3566.O396J86 2010
Ruelle, Karen Gray & Deborah Durland DeSaix. The Grand Mosque of Paris: A Story of How Muslims
Rescued Jews During the Holocaust. Holiday House, 2009. D804.65.R84 2009
Rumford, James. Silent Music: A Story of Baghdad. Roaring Brook, 2008. PS3618.U64S55t 2008
Shoveller, Herb. Ryan and Jimmy and the Well in Africa That Brought Them Together. Kids Can, 2006.
HV28.H74S56 2006
Stamaty, Mark Alan. Alias Mission: Saving the Books of Iraq. Knopf, 2004. Z720.B24S73 2004

10 Recommended Print Sources for Multicultural Booklists

An Aboriginal Book List for Children. Indian & Northern Affairs Canada, 2000. Ref Z1037.A26 2000
East, Kathy & Rebecca L. Thomas. Across Cultures: A Guide to Multicultural Literature for Children. Libraries
Unlimited, 2007. Reference Z1037.E19 2007
Gopalakrishnan, Ambika. Multicultural Childrens Literature: A Critical Issues Approach. Sage, 2011.
PN1009.5.M84G67 2011
Hadaway, Nancy L. & Marian J. McKenna, Eds. Breaking Boundaires with Global Literature: Celebrating
Diversity in K-12 Classrooms. PN1008.8.B74 2007
Hansen-Krening, Nancy, Elaine M. Aoki, & Donald T. Mizokawa, Eds. Kaleidoscope: A Multicultural Booklist
for Grades K-8. 4th ed. National Council of Teachers of English, 2003. Reference Z1361.E4K34 2003
Lehman, Barbara A., Evelyn B. Freeman & Patricia L. Scharer. Reading Globally, K-8: Connecting Students to
the World Through Literature. Corwin, 2010. LB1575.L37 2010
Muse, Daphne. Ed. The New Press Guide to Multicultural Resources for Young Readers. New Press, 1997.
Reference Z1037.N57 1997
Norton, Donna E. Multicultural Childrens Literature: Through the Eyes of Many Children. 3rd ed. Pearson,
2009. PS153.M56N675 2009
Peterson, Shelley Stagg Larry Swartz. Ch. 6, Multicultural literature in Good Books Matter. Pembroke,
2008. Z1037.P453 2008
Tiedt, Pamela L. & Iris M. Tiedt. Multicultural Teaching: A Handbook of Activities, Information, and
Resources. 8th ed. Allyn & Bacon, 2010. LC1099.3.T54 2010

10 Recommended Free Web Sites Featuring Multicultural Booklists

Canadian Childrens Boo Centre
http://www.bookcentre.ca/files/MulticulturalBookList.pdf
Canadian Multicultural Picture Books
http://www.mun.ca/educ/people/hammett/canadian_multicultural_picture_b.htm
A list produced by a group of Canadian researchers as part of their research into pre-service teachers
perspectives on Canadian identity and their understandings of ideology in multicultural picture boo s.
Cooperative Childrens Book Centre
http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/
http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/books/detailListBooks.asp?idBookLists=42
Dia, from the
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/initiatives/diadelosninos/diaresources/diaresources.cfm
An American Library association boo list that is prepared annually to celebrate Dia, Childrens Day / Boo
Day
Multicultural Childrens Literature Wiki @ UBC

http://wiki.ubc.ca/Multicultural_Children's_Literature
Novelist K-8
http://eresources.knowledgeontario.ca/
This database is free to all Ontarians. Go to the K-Grade 6 portal for access.
papertigers.org
http://www.papertigers.org/listLinks/readingLists/index.html
Read Up On It (Canadian)
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/read-up-on-it/index-e.html
Check the Previous Themes for booklists on Multiculturalism and Aboriginal Stories
Recommended Books From the Association for Library Services for Children (American)
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/compubs/booklists/index.cfm
See the Growing Up Around the World booklist
World of Worlds (WOW) @ The University of Arizona, College of Education
http://wowlit.org/

5 Web Sites with Online Picture Books Free to View

International Childrens Digital Library
http://en.childrenslibrary.org/
New Yor Public Librarys List of Sites for Online Childrens Boo s
http://kids.nypl.org/reading/Childrensebooks.cfm
TumbleBooks (available via many Public Libraries)
http://www.kfpl.ca
Search culture.
Story Before Bed
http://www.astorybeforebed.com/books
Books may be previewed for free.
We Give Books
http://www.wegivebooks.org/

Multicultural Childrens Book Awards

Theres a good list here from librarian Heida McReynolds at Nation-Louis University in Chicago, IL
http://libguides.nl.edu/content.php?pid=20655&sid=145694