If I Go Missing is a graphic novel based on a letter written by 14 year old Brianna Jonnie to the Winnipeg Police Service. This graphic novel begins with a quote from the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the right of Indigenous women and children to be free from all forms of violence and discrimination. Citing statistics and information on murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls, this is an open letter to understand how missing people are treated differently especially Indigenous women and girls by society and men and boys in particular. It is also a call on police services, media and communities to exhaust all efforts to find Indigenous girls and to do this as soon as possible because it is not about the colour of one’s skin, socio-economic status, or legal guardianship but details that humanize those who go missing that matters.
Americas
Materials from the Americas
My Town / Mi Pueblo
“In this bilingual picture book, cousins from opposite sides of the border visit each other’s towns and delight in their similarities and differences”–
Destiny Finds Her Way: How A Rescued Baby Sloth Learned To Be Wild (Baby Animal Tales)
“When Destiny was found by the Sloth Institute in Costa Rica, she was sick, thin, and one of her eyes was closed and not working. The Sloth Institute took her in and introduced her to other sloths as she started to recover. She never regained the use of her one eye, but that didn’t stop Destiny from hanging out with her new buddies, or getting healthier and stronger. Last August, Destiny was fitted for her tracking collar and released back into the wild. This inspiring story not only encourages kids to be determined like Destiny, but it also shows them the importance of being kind to those who may look different than us”–
Plátanos Are Love
A delicious picture book about the ways plantains shape Latinx culture, community, and family, told through a young girl’s experiences in the kitchen with her abuela.
Lolas Nana-Bibi Comes To Visit
Lola’s grandmother is coming to visit, and Lola can’t wait for all the family fun. Nana-Bibi will stay in Lola’s room, so Lola gets to sleep on a special blow-up bed. The family spends the week doing different activities, like shopping for presents for family back in Tanzania, having dance parties, and making special mandazi doughnuts. Nana-Bibi and Lola share a special time as Nana-Bibi remembers all the things she used to do with her nana. This multigenerational celebration of grandmas, moms, and grandaughters will reassure all children preparing for a visit from a faraway relative.
Burn Down, Rise Up
When an urban legend rumored to trap people inside subway tunnels seems to be behind mysterious disappearances in the Bronx, sixteen-year-old Raquel and her friends team up to save their city–and confront a dark episode in its history in the process.
Jovita Wore Pants: The Story Of A Mexican Freedom Fighter
Jovita didn’t want to cook and clean like her sisters, and she especially didn’t want to wear the skirts her abuela gave her. She wanted to race her brothers and climb the tallest mesquite trees in Rancho Palos Blancos, ride horses, and wear pants! When her father and brothers joined the Cristeros War to fight for the right to practice religion, she wanted to help. She wasn’t allowed to fight, but that didn’t stop her from observing how her father strategized and familiarizing herself with the terrain. When tragedy struck, she did the only thing that felt right to her–cut her hair, donned a pair of pants, and continued the fight, commanding a battalion who followed her without question. Jovita Wore Pants is the story of a trailblazing revolutionary who fought for her freedom, told by her great niece, bestselling author Aida Salazar, and illustrated by Molly Mendoza.
Where Butterflies Fill The Sky: A Story Of Immigration, Family, And Finding Home
An evocative picture book that tells the true story of the author’s immigration from Kuwait to the United States.
Mi Ciudad Canta (Spanish Edition)
After experiencing a devastating earthquake, the spirit of a charming and vibrant Mexican neighborhood might be shaken, but it cannot be broken.
Mi Ciudad Sings
After a devastating earthquake hits, a little girl and her neighbors help each other rebuild their city. Includes author’s note.