The Undefeated Words by Kwame Alexander Illustrations by Kadir Nelson

​Two of America’s finest artists, Kwame and Kadir, showcase with power and breathtaking beauty that Black Lives Matter. Imagine Kwame’s poetry spoken with strength by your students and patrons. Kadir captures the elegance, the athleticism, the sorrow, and the joy of hundreds of outstanding black figures. In less than 250 words, The Undefeated captures the heart of a fighting spirit and unwavering hopefulness. This Caldecott winner is ripe for researching historical black figures and sparking courageous conversations to facilitate equity.                              Additional Resources for The Undefeated
Listen to Author Kwame Alexander read The Undefeated                        Art Connections by Vermont teacher MC Baker

Hummingbird by Nicola Davies Illustrated by Jane Ray

​With feathers flashing and wings beating as fast as thought, HUMMINGBIRD takes readers from Mexico or Central America to the United States and Canada as it follows Ruby-throated hummingbirds on their 2,000-mile migration. As the seasons change, the birds help connect a young girl with her distant granny as shares her love for these tiny visitors.
Listen to Ms. Arapakos read Hummingbird                                         Art Connections by Vermont teacher MC Baker 

Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré
by Anuka Aldamuy Denise Illustrated by Paola Escobar

​How fitting that this book is a PURA BELPRÉ HONOR book as it is a biography of Pura! Beginning in the early 1920s, Pura worked at the 135th Street branch of the New York Public Library in Harlem. As the first bilingual library assistant, she was hired to serve the Spanish speaking population in her community… but found no books of stories of her homeland Puerto Rico in the collection - or even any books in Spanish! To fill this gap, Pura used storytelling, puppets, and eventually books she published herself to fill the void. Reading this book will inspire young people to follow in Pura’s footsteps and spread story seeds of their own, whether with puppets, a pencil, or just their own voice!
Listen to Ms. Arapakos read Planting Stories                                         Art Connections by Vermont teacher MC Baker 

​It Began with a Page: How Gyo Fujikawa Drew the Way
by Kyo Maclear Illustrated by Julie Morstad

Although you may not recognize the name Gyo Fujikawa, you are likely familiar with her iconic board books featuring multi-racial babies. The illustrations in this picture book biography mimic Fujikawa's spare and delicate style. Her life spanned the twentieth century and was shaped by several major events, most notably the Japanese internment during WWII and the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. This biography highlights themes of persistence, the power of books, and the importance of social justice. It includes several pages of back matter, with a timeline, quotes, and information about the process of creating the book.
Listen to Ms. Arapakos read It Began With a Page                                      Art Connections by Vermont teacher MC Baker

Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story 
​by Kevin Noble Maillard Illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal

​The verse and illustrations of this award-winning picture book teach us many things, as a diverse group of children help a grandmother make a family recipe to be enjoyed by many, where the process is as important as the product. Delve deeply in the extensive back matter that includes many ways to understand fry bread’s significance, historical information, and contemporary feelings - and remember to peek under the dust jacket! The endpapers include the names of the several hundreds of recognized tribes and those still in the process of being recognized, which serves to reinforce the fact that Native Americans are alive and thriving. Just like there is no one type of person that represents all Native Americans, there is no one recipe that is accepted by all - even within the author’s own family!
Listen to author Kevin Noble Maillard read Fry Bread                      Art Connections by Vermont teacher MC Baker

​Sea Bear: A Journey for Survival by Lindsay Moore

​With lush illustrations and spare, evocative language, SEA BEAR takes us on an epic journey through the Arctic in search of something to stand on. Written in the first person, we experience the wonder of the Arctic and the rhythm of the sea as a young polar bear swims across the ocean. Gorgeous and lyrical, this timely book shows us the impact of climate change while never mentioning it as it lets us feel the challenges facing a polar bear as the sea ice disappears.
Listen to Sea Bear on Learning Tree T.V.                                          Art Connections by Vermont teacher MC Baker

Lion of the Sky: Haiku for All Seasons 
by Laura Purdie Salas Illustrated by Mercè López

A book of riddles
Walks readers through the seasons
​Guessing as they go
Lion of the Sky invites readers to explore the seasons through the perspective of the plants, animals, objects, and phenomena that are unique to their time of year. Each riddle takes the form of a haiku (dubbed a riddle-ku by the author) which interplays with the beautiful illustrations to keep readers looking, listening, and guessing. Back matter includes a note from the author, suggestions for further reading about haiku, riddle poems, and seasons, and an answer key in case you’re stumped. 
Listen to Ms. Arapakos read Lion of the Sky                                         Art Connections by Vermont teacher MC Baker

​Small in the City by Sydney Smith

You may want to heed this advice from a young person making their way through a snowy city: there are places you might take short-cuts and places you should not. There's a place that has a vent that could keep you warm. There are places that you could go to listen to some music – or to hide. This is a sweet story of traversing a city in winter, with illustrations that put you in the heart of a cold day spent on the bus and walking through the streets and parks… and with a twist in the tale at the end.
Listen to Small in the City on Storytime Table                                       Art Connections by Vermont teacher MC Baker

Crab Cake: Turning the Tide Together by Andrea Tsurumi

​Yes, this is a book about crab cake---but not cake made of crabs! Instead, a crab who makes cakes is the focal character in a mostly scientifically accurate undersea world (except for the baked goods). When a huge pile of trash is dumped into the ocean, Crab's hobby brings the undersea community together to solve the problem. Tsurumi's tale impressed the committee with its humor, detailed comic-style illustrations, and timely messages about ocean pollution and working together.
Listen to Ms. Arapakos read Crab Cake                                       Art Connections by Vermont teacher MC Baker

Sweety ​by Andrea Zuill

​Sweety's grandmother calls her a square peg. Even though she doesn't really know what that means, Sweety knows she doesn't fit in with the other mole rats. None of her peers seem to appreciate her interpretive dance book reports or warrior princess dolls. With a little help, can Sweety embrace her inner oddball and stand tall as the most unique mushroom in the flower bed? 
Listen to Sweety read by teacher Tami Bradford                       Art Connections by Vermont teacher MC Baker
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