Good Children's Books for African American History Month
February is Black History Month. While many of us are waiting for the day when there is no longer a need for Black History Month to balance the history that children learn, the commemorative month provides an opportunity for celebration and information that enriches the minds of all children. There are wonderful books available to help children of all ages learn about African American culture. When does history become relevant to children? Very young children have no concept of the past, and it isn’t until around age four that children realize people can live very different lives: some live far away, some long ago, and some close to home. But stories, folktales, and nursery rhymes open their minds to the idea of alternate lives before they understand the idea of past. From the time children begin exploring books, they should be exposed to multicultural images. Four-year-olds can imagine living differently. They are interested in how people and the lives that they lead are the same and different. School-age children are steadily constructing a picture of a world around them and trying to place themselves in time and space. Here is list of great books that offer windows into the world of African American lives and history. Note: Many of the books for older readers are good read-alouds for younger children as well. For Preschool and Younger School-Age Children Shades of Black written by Sandra L. Pinkney, illustrated by Myles Pinkney. The many shades of black are beautifully illustrated in this photo album of the many characteristics of blackness – available in board and hard copy versions. (Ages 2 – 6) Honey I Love by Eloise Greenfield. Elegant poetry that is simple and wise from the heart, based on the experience of growing up black in the south. (Age 2 – 8) Abiyoyo by Pete Seeger. An African folktale, adapted by folk singer Seeger as a bedtime story for his children. This story tells the tale of a little boy and his dad who rise from village annoyances to heroes as they use music and magic to overcome giants. (Age 2 – 8) This Jazz Man by Karen Ehrhardt. Reshapes the traditional toe tapping, counting chant "This Old Man," and introduces jazzmen through the ages with rhythmic text and R.G. Roth’s beautiful geometric shapes and textured prints. Appeals to preschoolers but includes lots of information for older children as well. (Age 3 – 8) En We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball artist Kadir Nelson tells a story about hundreds of unsung, gifted athletes who overcame segregation, hatred, terrible conditions, and low pay to do the one thing they loved more than anything else in the world: play ball. Its striking illustrations and gripping authentic voice will enthrall children and serve as a mirror for the social and political history of black America in the first half of the twentieth century. (Age 5+) Oh Lord, I Wish I Was a Buzzard written by Polly Greenberg, illustrated by Aliki. A gentle, universal story about wanting to be “anywhere but here.” A little girl picks cotton, wishing she was something and somewhere cooler and doing something less back breaking like “a snake curved up cold and cool or a dog under a bush.” A great read-aloud that easily turns into a joyous call and refrain. Aliki’s bright, expressive illustrations are unforgettable. (Age 3 – 5) Goin’ Someplace Special written by Patricia C. McKissock, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. Newbery medal-winning author McKissock and Caldecott Medalist Pinkney bring the reality of segregation in Nashville to life through the eyes of a 9-year-old girl. (Age 3 – 7) Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King Jr. written by Jean Marzollo, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. Pinkney’s stunning and beautiful illustrations and Marzollo’s spare text make this a terrific book to introduce preschoolers to the story of Martin Luther King and the civil rights struggle. (Age 3 – 7) No Mirrors in My Nana's House (musical CD and book) written by Ysaye M. Barnwell, illustrated by Synthia Saint James. A young granddaughter's joyful tribute to her Nana composed by Barnwell and sung by world renowned "Sweet Honey in the Rock" on the CD. The CD also has a spoken-word recording of the book. (Age 3 – 8) Show Way written by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Hudson Talbott. In this Newbery Honor Book, Woodson uses a “Show Way,” – a quilt sewn with secret meanings – to tell her family’s history about African American women in slavery, from the civil rights movement to the present. Talbott’s exquisite illustrations will inspire readers to explore their own family histories. (Age 4 – 8) Mr. Williams written and illustrated by Karen Barbour. A beautifully illustrated retelling of one man’s oral history of the hardships of African American rural life in the 1930s and 1940s. (Age 4 – 8) Sky Sash So Blue written by Libby Hathorn, illustrated by Benny Andrews. The special sky-blue sash that a young slave girl offers to give her older sister for her wedding dress becomes a lifelong tie between them. This inspiring book depicts a slave family’s story from the perspective of a child who turns fabric into art and uses hope and joy to transcend sorrow and oppression. (Age 4 – 8) Visiting Langston written by Willie Perdomo, illustrated by Bryan Collier. This is an inspiring, poetic book about an African American girl anticipating a visit to the Harlem brownstone of Renaissance poet, Langston Hughes. Perdomo’s poetry and Collier’s watercolor and collage bring to life the first half of 20th-century Harlem. (Age 4 – 8) I Saw Your Face illustrated by Tom Feelings, text by Kwame Dawes. Feelings illustrates history “through the multiplication of faces” while Dawes creates stories around the faces Feelings sketches. (Age 5 – 10) The Village that Vanished written by Ann Grifalconi, illustrated by Kadir Nelson. A folklore tale of quick-witted African villagers who draw on the spirits of their ancestors to hide from approaching slavers. This is a story of community solidarity and resourcefulness overcoming evil. (Age 6 – 10) For Older School-Age Children Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis. Narrator, eleven-year-old Elijah, is the first child born into freedom in Buxton, Canada – a settlement of runaway slaves. Elijah ends up on a journey and becomes exposed to the horrors of slavery. This Newbery Honor book is at times funny, exciting, thrilling, suspenseful, and deeply moving; a subtle, original story by a wonderful writer. (Age 9 – 12) Let It Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters written by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Stephen Alcorn. An engaging and inspiring look at the contributions of 10 women from former slave and abolitionist, Sojourner Truth, to the first black congresswoman, Shirley Chisholm. Pinkney tells the stories of Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Fannie Lou Hamer, and others — stories of hardship and struggle, determination and strength. Alcorn's beautiful and exciting oil painting illustrations bring life to each story. (Age 8 – 12) Claudette Colvin, Twice toward Justice by Phillip Hoose. Tells the story of teenager Claudette Colvin who, before Rosa Parks, was tired of the daily injustices of Jim Crow segregation and refused to give her seat to a white woman on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. A year later she challenged segregation again as a key plaintiff in a landmark case that struck down the segregation laws of Montgomery and began the sweeping away the legal underpinnings of the Jim Crow South. A engaging, fascinating account of a little known important figure in civil rights history. (Age 12+)
Good Children's Books for Black History Month
Below are a few good choices about African American lives, history, and culture.
For Preschool Children and Young School-Age Children Rap A Tap Tap written and illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon. Through beautiful watercolor illustrations and bouncy, captivating text, Leo and Diane Dillon tell the story of Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, an extraordinary, groundbreaking dancer who brought tap from the streets to the world. (Age 3 – 6) Mr. George Baker written by Amy Hest, illustrated by Jon Muth. George is a 100-year-old jazz musician who has decided to learn to read. Everyday he waits for the school bus along with his young neighbor, Harry. At school, while Harry learns to read, so does George with a group of grown-ups. Harry narrates the story and the extraordinary watercolor illustrations depict the warm relationship between the white boy and the African American man. (Age 4 – 8) My Dream of Martin Luther King written and illustrated by Faith Ringgold. This book provides an extraordinarily powerful picture of King's childhood and experiences of segregation, prejudice, and protest. (Age 4 – 8) Martin's Big Words: The Life of Martin Luther King, Jr. written by Doreen Rappaport, illustrated by Bryan Collier. This picture book biography of Martin Luther King, Jr. uses King’s words along with paper collages and watercolor artwork to tell an age-appropriate version of the civil rights leader’s life story. (Age 4 – 8) Yesterday I Had the Blues written by Jeron Ashford Frame, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. This is a beautifully illustrated, wonderfully quirky book about everyday life and having the blues. An African American boy laments his blue day and goes on to describe his other days and moods and the feelings of the people around him using the colors of the rainbow. (Age 4 – 8) For Younger School-Age Children Henry's Freedom Box written by Ellen Levine, illustrated by Kadir Nelson. The true story of Henry "Box" Brown, a runaway slave from Virginia who "mailed himself to freedom" in a cramped wooden crate. This is an amazing story of courage and ingenuity. (Age 5 – 8) When Marian Sang written by Pam Muñoz Ryan, illustrated by Brian Selznick. About the 20th-century life of Marian Anderson and how she overcame racial barriers with a voice heard and loved worldwide. We follow Marian from her childhood, singing in church in Philadelphia, through her rejection from a music school that refused to take "coloreds," to her success in the concert halls of Europe, and back to America, where she finally receives acclaim, despite the challenges of racism. Selznick's carefully researched, sepia-toned, acrylic illustrations are extraordinary and capture Marian’s soulful determination. (Age 5 – 8) Li’l Dan, The Drummer Boy: A Civil War Story written and illustrated by Romare Bearden. This extraordinary book is based on the stunning collage illustrations of famed African American artist Bearden and tells the powerful story of a slave boy dealing with his new-found freedom. Included is a CD with Maya Angelou reading this poignant story. (Age 5 – 10) Ellington Was Not a Street written by Ntozake Shange, illustrated by Kadir Nelson. Poet and playwright Shange offers a lyrical reflection on her childhood and the many noted African Americans who often gathered in her home, from Duke Ellington and Dizzy Gillespie to W.E.B. DuBois and African leader Kwame Nkrumah. Beautiful full-page paintings capture the times and the "men who changed the world.” (Age 5 – 10) Love to Langston written by Tony Medina, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. Harlem poet Medina offers a poem of loving biographical tribute to one of America's most cherished poets, Langston Hughes. The bold, beautiful illustrations by Christie complement the text. (Ages 5 – 10) For Older School-Age Children Pink and Say written and illustrated by Patricia Polacco. This is an unforgettable, moving, Civil War picture book about the horrors of war. The emotion of the story is carried in dramatic, powerful illustrations that capture the story of a wounded 15-year-old white soldier and a teenage African American Union soldier who become friends after meeting in tragic circumstances. (Age 8 – 12) Through My Eyes written by Ruby Bridges, illustrated by Margo Lundell. Bridges gives voice to her innocent six year old self who every day walked through a mob of howling, angry protestors to integrate the New Orleans public schools in 1960. Bridges recounts how she innocently thought at the time that, "Two, four, six, eight, we don't want to integrate" was a jump rope chant, even while the mob was carrying a black doll in a coffin. Many sepia-toned period photographs and excerpts from newspaper articles, comments by her teacher, and a timeline place her story within the context of the larger Civil Rights Movement. This book is a 1999 Parents' Choice® Gold Award Winner. (Age 8 – 12) The Watsons Go to Birmingham — 1963 written by Christopher Paul Curtis. The Watson family heads from Michigan to the deep south of Birmingham, Alabama in 1963 to straighten out fourth grader Kenny by depositing him at the home of his strict grandmother. This Newbery Medal-winning book is both funny and moving. Kenny narrates his family’s trip into the pivotal time and place in civil rights history — the bombing of a Baptist Church with four little girls inside. (Age 8 – 12) A Friendship for Today by Patricia C. McKissack. Rosemary, who is black, develops an unlikely friendship with mean Grace Hamilton, considered "white trash" by classmates, after school integration in 1955. Rosemary is a plucky character with wry observations on life and people and the book offers a great view of life in the 1950s. (Age 9 – 12) Only Passing Through written by Anne Rockwell, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. A powerful picture book biography of one the most remarkable women of the 19th century. Sojourner Truth was a slave sold three times by age 13 who watched her parents die of cold and hunger. She became one of the abolitionist movement’s strongest voices. Christie’s dramatic impressionist illustrations complement Rockwell’s moving storytelling. (Age 9 – 12)
|