February celebrates African American heritage and history. I have collected some of the best picture books on this subject from this past year. Appropriate ages for all books are seven through adult unless otherwise indicated.
There was a Party for Langston: King of Letters, by Jason Reynolds and ingeniously illustrated using handmade stamps and edited digitally by Jerome and Jarrett Pumphrey, recently won the Caldecott Honor award as well as the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book. Upon opening the book, interestingly the end-pages jump out. The beginning end-pages list premier African American authors listed on book ends. The final end-pages also list some of Langston’s works. Throughout this pulsing story, thriving with onomatopoeias about Langston, the blend between text and pictures seem to pulsate off the pages. Here is a book that gets your juices flowing and feet tapping.
How Do You Spell Unfair? MacNolia Cox and the National Spelling Bee, by Carole Boston Weatherford and gorgeously painted with oil and spray paint by Frank Morrison, is this year’s Coretta Scott King Honor recipient. This true story about MacNolia becoming the first African American to compete in the National Spelling Bee. The book tells how she had to overcome much prejudice while competing at the local level and ultimately to compete at the national level in Washington D.C. Morrison has captured the individual expressions of those featured in the story and the illustrations completely cover the open-page. The clever text emphasizes the spelling of a word on each page signifying the concept that MacNolia was experiencing while traveling in and around D.C. Be sure to check out the Author’s Notes at the back of the book.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Ready-to-Read (Robin Hill School), by Margaret McNamara and brightly illustrated by Mile Gordon, was originally published back in 2007. But this level one reader, for ages five through seven, is a nice synopsis explaining just how MLK was a great leader and why we celebrate this holiday.
Buzzing with Questions: The Inquisitive Mind of Charles Henry Turner, by Janice N. Harrington and illustrated digitally by Theodore Taylor III, explores the brilliant mind of the first African American entomologist. Charles was filled with questions throughout his life and through his love of reading, searching, and experimenting, he was able answer many of his questions. He wondered, for example, if spiders wove webs like a machine. But through his tireless research, he found that they weave according to their environment and adjust constantly. He wondered if bees could recognize color. Once again through many experiments, he discovered that bees can distinguish color. This book is an excellent example for kids that perseverance will eventually pay off! There’s also a timeline and more information found at the back of the book.
Dear Ruby, Hear Our Hearts, by Ruby Bridges and brightly illustrated using wax pencils, brushes of ink, and colored digitally by John Jay Cabuay, is rich with letters from young readers to Ruby expressing hopes and concerns and sharing their hearts. Ruby answers these letters with her hope and love for these children. Ruby, at age six, was the first Black student to enroll in an all-white school in New Orleans. She has since traveled around the country sharing her story. There are letters concerning bullying, homelessness, being brave and more. There’s also a very informative glossary found at the back of the book.
Do You Know Them? Families Lost and Found After the Civil War, by Shana Keller and beautifully illustrated digitally by Laura Freeman, tells the difficulty of freed slaves finding their loved ones at the end of this war. Many of these freed slaves couldn’t read and had little or no money to place advertisements in newspapers. One young girl works hard to learn to read and save her pennies to place ads in order to locate her family. This story brings to light this most arduous time for family members trying to locate their families. Check out the Author’s Note found at the back of the book.
We Could Fly, by Rhiannon Giddens and breathtakingly illustrated digitally by Briana Mukodiri Uchendu, recently won the Coretta Scott King-John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award. This gorgeous and lavishly colored book has a lyrical and poetic reflection of a daughter and her mother rising above the bonds of the earth and flying free up in the air. This celebration of love and resilience also demonstrates the power of heritage. The Author’s Note in the back of the book discusses the inspiration for this beautiful book.
My Hair is Like the Sun, by St. Clair Detrick-Jules and colorfully illustrated by Tabitha Brown, is a board book with a photograph of a young black child on one side of the open-page. On the opposite side, there is text and illustrations showcasing different types of African American hair. On one side shows a girl with her spiral curly hair. On the opposite side with the illustration of a winding river, the text reads: My hair is like a river, winding all around. This book is geared for toddlers.
My Block Looks Like, by Janelle Harper and vibrantly illustrated with color stretching the open page by Frank Morrison, is a majestic look into the jubilant vibe of city life. The lyrical blend of picture and text are a perfect biometric illusion of joy and kinetic energy. Words embolden with love encompass life’s ultimate journey: a collision of cultures/ a melting pot of cool. Check out the symbolic end-pages.
Go Forth and Tell: The Life of Augusta Baker Librarian and Master Storyteller, by Breanna J. McDaniel and richly illustrated using mixed media collage, acrylics, and artist pens by April Harrison, tells the majesty of this remarkable woman and her abilities to replay stores from her grandmother and weave them into adventures all would desire to hear. She learned from an early age to be an amazing story listener as she became involved in the New York Public Library in Harlem. But her story telling preceded her and she eventually became the master Storyteller-in-Residence at the University of South Carolina. What a motivating story to listen and grasp the vision of the tale.
