First Come the Zebra

Twenty-five years ago, Baseball Saved Us changed the picture-book landscape with its honest story of a Japanese American boy in an internment camp during World War II. This anniversary edition will introduce new readers to this modern-day classic.

Through the story of ten-year-old Jura's first caravan trip with his father, Lawrence McKay, Jr. describes the adventures one boy experiences on the journey to young adulthood.

The spirited story of Marcenia Lyle, the African American girl who grew up to become "Toni Stone," the first woman to play for an all-male professional baseball team.

A photographic exploration comparing celebrations in seven indigenous world cultures and the United States, highlighting common rituals such as body decoration, music, and dance.

A photo-essay of a Muslim family from Egypt; their experiences living in America; and the sacrifices they make to have a better life.

The renowned poet Pat Mora celebrates the culture and landscape of the Southwest through the eyes of a Mexican American girl.

For hundreds of years, school children in Japan have been introduced to poetry through the work of Issa.

The true story of the great Sioux warrior who, as a young boy, defies tradition and seeks a vision on his own in hopes of saving his people.

On a December day in 1955, Rosa Parks changed the course of history when she was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger on a Montgomery, Alabama bus.

Destiny loves words, and her favorite place in the world is Mrs. Wade's bookstore, where words abound.

A Hmong American tells of her people's search for freedom.

A Mexican American girl learns to value the act of giving when she attends her first swap meet.

A photo-essay about the Florida Everglades, its unique ecosystem, and the efforts currently underway to restore this "Wetland of International Importance," told within the framework of a class study project and visit to the Everglades.

The story of the African American abolitionist who, in one dramatic incident, discovered the meaning of freedom.

The story of two young Kenyan boys, one Maasai and one Kikuyu, who find a way to overcome their traditional rivalries and become friends.

An account of the life and career of George Crum, a biracial chef who is credited with the invention of the potato chip at a Saratoga Springs, New York, restaurant in 1853. Based on historical records.

A young African American boy experiences the love and support of his family as they try to make ends meet each week.

A Chinese American girl helps preserve her grandmother's childhood memories of China by creating a special garden for her in America.

A Japanese American boy learns about heroism from his father and uncle who served in the U.S. Army.

A sympathetic tale of a mother-daughter bond and overcoming adversity, brought to life by the vivid illustrations of Felipe Davalos.

Musician Tito Puente. Ballerina Maria Tallchief. Explorer Matthew Henson. Congresswoman Patsy Mink. These are some of the people profiled in this book. They are well known for different reasons, but they also have something in common. They were all smart!

Born in segregated Daytona, Florida, in 1899, Howard Thurman grew up dreaming of a better life--a life where his mother and grandmother would not have to cook and clean for other people; a life where he could become a college man, honoring his late father's wishes and his own dreams.

A biography in verse of reggae legend Bob Marley, exploring the influences that shaped his life and music on his journey from rural Jamaican childhood to international superstardom.

In this intergenerational collection of poetry by new and established African American writers, fatherhood is celebrated with honor, humor, and grace.

During the mid-1930s, an African American boy who yearns to be a boxer learns the value of determination, perseverance, and his own natural abilities from the example of his hero, world champion prizefighter Joe Louis.

A biography of John Lewis, one of the "Big Six" civil rights leaders of the 1960s, focusing on his involvement in Freedom Rides, the March on Washington, and the march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.

A biography of the legendary Native American Jim Thorpe (1888--1953), voted the Greatest Football Player and Greatest Athlete of the Half-Century by two AP polls, focusing on his early childhood and how school and sports shaped his future.

A magical Masai mask takes an African American boy on a series of adventures, and he discovers the joy of being himself.

A young girl, who has just moved to her parents' hometown, realizes that she has come home after the African American emancipation celebration of Juneteenth.

Kenyon loves his grandmother's stories almost as much as he loves baseball.

An inspirational biography of Clayton "Peg Leg" Bates (1907--1998), an African American man who overcame the hardship of losing a leg at age 12 and went on to become a world-renowned tap dancer.

A biography of Louis Sockalexis, Penobscot Indian and the first Native American to play professional baseball, focusing on his formative years and culminating in an historic game at New York's Polo Grounds in 1897.

This inspiring biography on Langston Hughes celebrates his life through poetry.

Thirteen Latino poets celebrate their bonds with their mothers and grandmothers.

After his mother dies, "Sugar" Martin is sent to live with his gruff uncle Free, a loner who makes his living fishing in a swamp in the Mississippi Delta in the early 1900s.

Set in the South of the late 1950s, an African American boy who longs to play golf is banned from the game because of the color of his skin.