Culture is so amazing and can sometimes be overlooked or pushed to the side without caring for its importance. Luckily, we have gathered five children’s books that show beautiful representations of Black History! These books are jam-packed with historical events, iconic people, and pages filled with wonder and knowledge of culture appreciation!
Our Skin: A First Conversation about Race by Megan Madison and Jessica Ralli
Our Skin: A First Conversation about Race is a research-based book that includes discussions about race, consent, gender, and the body geared toward toddlers. This book gives parents a chance to discuss with their young children how to be better observers and ask the right questions in the comfort of their homes.
This first book in the series brings up the conversation of race, with art and pictures geared towards their still-growing minds. The book also provides additional resources and ideas for parents on how to speak about this topic with their children. This book may be small, but it has mighty information that can provide you and the children around you a better insight into the world of culture!
Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History by Vashti Harrison
Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History contains forty African American women in American history, who educated and inspired many by breaking through barriers and making their marks on the world. The book brings to life well-known and lesser-known females in Black history!
Between filmmaker Julie Dash and chemist Alice Ball, reading this book with children can bring so much representation and inspiration to their day-to-day lives, providing them with aspirations they can aspire to! This book helps small readers learn to speak up for whatever they believe in!
The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson
This book honestly would’ve truly helped me as a child because my culture is different from others, and that is precisely what this book talks about. From different foods to different holidays, this book pinpoints a child’s emotions and feelings walking into a room filled with people who are not like them. It provides an avenue to shine awareness on the fact that it is ok to look, think, eat, and feel different!
Jacqueline Woodson’s text, paired with Rafael López’s beautiful illustrations, helps adults as well as children remember and learn that everyone has their own distinct lives and cultures! Pick up a copy for a loved one and enjoy a wonderful story!
Black is… by Last Tex
This picture book provides the best way to describe the beauty of African American culture and gives the reader the perfect way to represent different cultural aspects! Within the book, representation of art, fashion, voice, music, and soul can be found in the embrace of the words! I think this book is so beautifully written and represented to the readers due to the poetry that fills the pages.
In all, this book gives children and adults a taste of rich culture and aspects that can be found in everyday life! Grab a copy and enjoy learning, teaching, and consuming Last Tex’s dazzling work of words!
The ABCs of Black History by Rio Cortez
This awesome book goes letter by letter exploring different words regarding African American history! Rio Cortez created a book of big ideas for growing minds filled with hope, joy, acceptance, and love! Her writing contains rhyming, back matter information including events, people, and places for the reader!
Cortez incorporated such beautiful words with the letters of the alphabet so that while children are also learning their ABCs, they retain information about important historical events and people! I don’t know about you, but I would get this for the kids I know!
I hope you find these books as compelling and moving as I did, and I hope someday you can introduce a child you know to these wonderful words. I know I will. From the inclusion of different ways of life to the people who changed the world, these books celebrate a truly beautiful culture.
Want more children’s stories? Check them out here!
Find more books about diversity on our blog here!
