New in November: 5 Must Read Picture Books

As we head into a season of giving, this book list New in November: 5 Must Read Picture Books is a great resource for adding books to your home or classroom library or to choose one of these fabulous books as a gift for a child this holiday season.

New in November: 5 Must Read Picture Books

WE SHALL OVERCOME

A celebration of the gospel anthem and Civil Rights protest song We Shall Overcome, masterfully brought to life by Caldecott Honor recipient and a nine-time Coretta Scott King Award winner Bryan Collier.

We Shall Overcome is one of the most recognizable anthems of the Civil Rights movement, widely performed at protests and rallies to promote nonviolent civil rights activism. Now, these inspirational, empowering, legendary lyrics are brought to life with the stirring, evocative, and breathtaking illustrations from multi-award-winning talent Bryan Collier.

Powerfully imagined for the present moment, Collier's illustrations meld the most emblematic moments of the twentieth-century Civil Rights movement with the present day, depicting the movements, protests, and demonstrations — big and small — as the fight for justice continues. With illustrations full of depth, tenderness, and expression, and offering historical context while remaining powerfully relevant to the present-day, this impactful picture book is a must-have for every home, classroom, and bookshelf.

WE SHALL OVERCOME Written and Illustrated by Bryan Collier
Published by Hachette Children's Group/Orchard Books

PARKER SHINES ON

The New York Times bestselling team behind Parker Looks Up returns with an uplifting story about Parker making a new friend and learning about self-expression, opening your heart, and helping others.

Parker Curry loves being a big sister. She gets to play dress-up with her little sister, Ava, and piano with her baby brother, Cash. And Parker loves to dance, twirling and leaping and spinning in joy. But when a dancer joins her class and needs her help, Parker wonders if she has what it takes to be not only a real dancer, but a real friend.

This inspirational picture book has an afterword by prima ballerina and New York Times bestselling author Misty Copeland.

PARKER SHINES ON Written by Parker and Jessica Curry
Illustrated by Brittany Jackson
Published by Simon and Schuster/Aladdin Books

SWEET PEOPLE ARE EVERYWHERE

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.

SWEET PEOPLE ARE EVERYWHERE by Alice Walker
Illustrated by Quim Torres 
Published by Tra Publishing

SONG FOR JIMI

Jimi Hendrix's talent was epic, and so is this fifty-six-page lyrical account of his life, with spectacular artwork by Edel Rodriguez.

Let me tell you a story,
a story 'bout a boy,
who became a man,
a git-tar man,
named Jimi.

From his turbulent childhood through his epical appearance at the Monterey and Woodstock festivals, Charles R. Smith Jr. covers it all in this rich and rhythmic account of a singular life, accompanied by the psychedelic splendor of Edel Rodriguez's acid-tinged artwork.Written as a series of verses beginning with intro and ending with outro, this unique mix of rhythm and rhyme captures the essence of rock icon Jimi Hendrix and his struggle to live life on his own terms.

---

THE ME I CHOOSE TO BE 

What will you choose to be?
A free spirit?
A weaver of words?
A star dancing across the night sky?
A limitless galaxy?

The possibilities are endless in this uplifting ode to the power of potential. With lyrical text by bestselling author Natasha Anastasia Tarpley and images by Regis and Kahran Bethencourt–the team behind CreativeSoul Photography–each page of The Me I Choose To Be is an immersive call for self-love that highlights the inherent beauty of all Black and brown children.

10 Children’s Books by Indigenous Authors and Illustrators

For those looking to celebrate Native American Heritage Month or add some creativity to your Thanksgiving celebration on Zoom, consider choosing one of these children’s books by Indigenous authors and illustrators to read aloud.