Welcoming Gold Sponsor Star Bright Books
Star Bright Books is an independent children’s book publishing house that was established in 1994. They are dedicated to producing great books for great kids—books for parents and children to discover together. Today, Star Bright Books’ high-quality hardcover, paperback, and board books are available in bookstores, schools, libraries, and literacy programs.
This growing publisher believe that all children should see themselves in print and they make a concerted effort to include children of all colors, ethnicities, nationalities, and abilities in their books. As Star Bright Books also believes that children should see and hear familiar language in their books, they publish books in 23 languages including Arabic, Chinese, Navajo, Spanish, and many more.
Diverse Titles from Star Bright Books
Books and Bricks: How a School Rebuilt the Community (Ages 10-12)
Books and Bricks is based on a real event at a primary school in Cape Town, South Africa, shortly after the historic elections in 1994, that ended apartheid and elected the first black president, Nelson Mandela. Books and Bricks is a compelling and uplifting story about self-reliance and community building.
Carry Me (Birth to 3) Board Book (in multiple languages)
Whether they are tucked in a blanket, peeking out of a basket, or wrapped in a parent’s arms, babies worldwide are carried in unique ways. The simple, rhyming text and beautiful photographs in this board book introduce children to the ways their global neighbors travel. Part of the Babies Everywhere™ series.
Cradle Me (Birth to 3) Board Book (in English, Navajo/English, Ojibwe/English)
The rich Native American tradition of carrying babies safely, comfortably and close to their mothers in cradle boards endures to this day. Cradle Me celebrates Native American families and shows how they carry their babies.
Alicia’s Happy Day (Ages 4-8 also in Spanish/English)
It’s Alicia’s birthday! Join her as she walks through her city neighborhood meeting friends and family along the way. The familiar scene will leave every child excited about his or her next birthday.
Papa Gave Me a Stick (Ages 4-8)
When Antonio sees the members of the Mariachi band play, he wants nothing more than a guitar of his own. But guitars cost money, explains his father, who hands Antonio a stick instead. Confused and upset, Antonio resentfully accepts his father’s gift. He heads off, unknowingly starting a chain of exchanges that may, miraculously, earn him what he wants most.
Smelling Sunshine (Ages 4-8)
All around the world in cities, towns and villages—large and small—clothes are washed. They are hung to dry in the breeze and sunshine and children everywhere revel in the fun of helping with the laundry. Smelling Sunshinecaptures some of the special moments of this day-to-day chore—a wonderful, heart-warming time shared between parent and child and an experience young readers will relate to.
Layla’s Head Scarf (Ages 5-8)
Layla is a shy new girl in first grade and her classmates wonder why she wears a head scarf. As the school day progresses, the first graders learn about Layla’s culture and help make her feel more at ease in her new school. Part of the We Love First Grade!™ series.
Wash Day (Ages 5-12)
Miss Ett does the laundry on wash day while Grandpa tells stories. As he plays his trumpet, the children march around and sing to the music. This is a touching story about friendship and overcoming the barriers of age and race.
A Fish to Feed (Ages 1-3) Board Book (also in Spanish/English)
A toddler and Daddy go shopping for a pet fish. On the way they find other fish, but those aren ’t fish to feed. Toddlers will love seeing different fish through holes in the pages. Daddy responds to the child ’s simple words with full sentences, adds more information and asks open-ended questions.
Red Socks (Birth to 2) Board Book (also in Spanish/English)
Baby has fun with Mama as she folds the clean laundry and dresses the baby. A sock is missing! When found and Baby is dressed, it’s time to play outside. Little ones will love seeing Baby getting dressed and finding the sock. Throughout the story Mama talks with Baby about what she and Baby are doing.
The Barefoot Champion (Ages 8-11)
When a young boy in Harlem brings home a brand new pair of Nike Black and Red Double pumps, he can already see his future as an NBA star. Feeling confident, cool, “ice cold” even, he challenges all of his friends at his local basketball court and beats everyone with ease. But lurking outside of the court fence is a challenger—No Joke Moke, the barefoot basketball champion of East Harlem.
Down in the Subway (Ages 4-8)
While riding on the subway, a little boy encounters the Island Lady. From her bag she shares an ocean breeze, a Caribbean meal, a steel band, and a party he’ll never forget.
Zachary’s Dinnertime (Ages 5-8)
When it’s dinnertime at home, Zachary wishes he didn’t have to help set the table, prepare the meal, or clean up after dinner. When he visits his multi-ethnic friends he is not asked to help, but he discovers the many foods and traditions of their cultures—African American, Japanese, Mexican, Israeli and Indian.
Mama, her toddler, and two stuffed bunnies turn a grocery store outing into an opportunity to talk, laugh, and learn a little math. As they fill their cart with items in quantities of one and two, Mama lets her baby hold them, connecting the familiar idea of one and two hands to concepts of one and two.
Babies, Babies (Birth to 2) Board Book (also in Spanish/English)
Babies show just how adorable they are in this photo-filled book featuring all the lovely smiles, frowns, and giggles they make as they discover and react to their day-to-day world.
My Face Book (Birth to 2) Board Book (also in 18 languages)
Babies love looking at other babies and these charming baby faces…smiling, frowning, and being silly or serious are sure to captivate and delight toddlers and babies of all ages. Parents and caretakers will enjoy sharing their baby’s reactions to the book as they begin this visual journey of self-discovery! Self-expression has never been more adorable!
Brothers and Sisters (Ages 4-10)
At least one sibling in each of the families in this book has a disability. But just like all siblings, they work together to solve their problems, whatever they may be.
Words Are Like Faces (Ages 4-8).
The reissue of Edith Baer’s classic poem is a celebration of the power of words told through rhyming couplets.
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