What Color Is the Baby?: A Celebration of Skin Tones by Harshini Vankineni (author) and Neha Rawat (illustrator) (Candlewick). Kundana is thrilled to be a big sister, and she thinks baby Kuku is perfect! So why does Papa look sad? “Kuku’s skin is just darker than yours,” he tells her, “more like Amma’s. And she is just as beautiful as Amma, don’t you think?” But he’s worried the rest of the family — with skin of all different shades — won’t be able to see the newborn’s beauty. Well, Kundana isn’t about to let that happen!

Pentro: Horses of the Spoon-Shaped Valley by Michael DiMarco (author) and Ekaterina Mironova (illustrator) (Via Media Publishing). Far away, a herd of hardy, unusual horses roams. “They are the Pentro, as these horses are named. For thousands of years, they’ve been honored and famed. Most Pentro live there, on the valley’s green ground, where they are free, to gallop year-round.” The most amazing thing about the Pentro? The endangered breed exists — in central Italy — to this day!

The Girl Who Wore Pants by Susanna Isern (author) and Esther Gili (illustrator) (‎NubeOcho). The real-life Luisa Capetillo was born in 19th-century Puerto Rico. “Luisa attended school in the mornings, but the girls there didn’t learn history or math. Back then, they were taught to sew and knit so they could become good wives, mothers, and homemakers.” But the smart, gutsy youngster wants — no, demands — more for herself, and that includes the right to dress how she pleases!