Five brilliant books chosen by Joseph Coelho
Waterstones Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho has chosen five fantastic books by people of colour to find in your local library or bookshop
Joseph Coelho
The Past Master by Patience Agbabi
The fourth installment in Patience Agbabi’s Leap Cycle series is a time-travelling adventure – will time-travelling Elle get to protect the past and save our future?
Stop! That’s Not My Story by Smriti Halls, illustrated by Erika Meza
A gorgeous picture book about finding yourself in a story, touching on some well-known fairytales and beautifully illustrated by Erika Meza.
Flight by Mya-Rose Craig, illustrated by Lynn Scarfield
Ever wondered about the migrations of birds? In this beautiful narrative non-fiction picture book you can discover the ins and outs of bird migration, following the routes of seven different birds.
Sala, Mountain Warrior by Wakanyi Hoffman, illustrated by Onyinye Iwu
A beautiful picture book about perseverance, set in the Samburu region of northern Kenya. Will Sala climb the mountain near her home? What stories will she unleash?
The Girl Who Became a Fish by Polly Ho-Yen, illustrated by Sojung Kim-McCarthy
When her brothers leave her behind, Ita begins a journey that will see her transform into a fish! A magical chapter book.
Programmes
Find more information about authors and illustrators of colour through our BookTrust Represents programme.
-
BookTrust Represents is a programme created to promote and improve the representation of people of colour in children’s books so that all children read a range of books that reflect them and their wider communities.
-
Frank Cottrell-Boyce is a multi award-winning children’s book author and screenwriter. Millions, his debut children’s novel, won the prestigious CILIP Carnegie Medal and he is the Waterstones Children’s Laureate for 2024–26.