Zamzam for Everyone – A Child’s Hajj, A Universal Muslim Story

Razeena Omar Gutta is an acclaimed children’s book author known for her bright and joyful picture books centering young Muslim characters. Her new picture book, Zamzam for Everyone, is her third picture book published with Barefoot Books, and follows a young girl as she experiences Hajj for the first time.

“To place this book in the hands of Muslim children across the world is to connect them with a heritage that spans centuries. And for non-Muslim readers this is a chance to glimpse the beauty and humanity of the sacred journey of Hajj.”

For many Muslims, Hajj is a story we hear about before we can fully comprehend it. It is a sacred journey woven into our earliest memories – watching Tawaaf around the Kaaba on TV or YouTube, visiting friends or family

Expanding Access to Inclusive, Bilingual Books: Our New Partnership with Reach Out and Read

We’re thrilled to share some exciting news! Barefoot Books has been named a preferred vendor for Reach Out and Read, a national nonprofit that’s redefining early childhood health and literacy by integrating reading into pediatric care.

For over 30 years, Reach Out and Read has partnered with pediatric clinicians to transform routine checkups into powerful opportunities for connection and learning. During well-child visits, doctors and nurses share books and guidance with families, helping them nurture early literacy skills and strong caregiver-child bonds from the very start.

Through this new partnership, Barefoot’s vibrant, culturally reflective, and bilingual books will reach millions of families across more than 6,500 Reach Out and Read clinics in all 50 states.

“At Barefoot, we believe that books

What Disability Pride Means to Me

Jenna Elyse Johnson is a children’s author, teacher and bookseller with a particular passion for writing stories that highlight disability joy. Having grown up with cerebral palsy, and now living with other chronic illnesses, Jenna enjoys creating stories that feature all types of characters. Her new picture book, Every Body Move!, is an original singalong celebrating kids with disabilities and the tools that help them access our world.

When I talk about disability joy or disability pride, I sometimes get confused looks from others. “You are happy to be disabled?” someone might ask me. Or “So, you’re never upset about being disabled or chronically ill?” The answer is…well, it’s complicated!

I want to preface this by saying that I cannot possibly speak for the entire disability

Some Days I’m the Wind: My Illustration Process and the Concept Behind the Art

Poetry, Picture Books, and the Power of Feelings: A Conversation with Rebecca Gardyn Levington

A New, Wide-Lens Look at Bird Migration

All Thanks to an Acorn

The Remembering Candle: Conjuring Delight

The Sleeping Bag Story and Fictionalizing Fragments of Memory

Kwesi and Nana Ruby Learn to Swim: From Water to Paper