Black Kidstory Month
Photo by Sasha Kim from Pexels
It’s Black History Month, and while we should read books by Black authors and illustrators, about Black characters, and about more than history all year long, we’re taking the opportunity to highlight some of the books in our Renaissance Kids collection.
The Big Bed by Bunmi Laditan, illustrated by Tom Knight, ages 4-6
A young girl tries to persuade her father that he is the one who should sleep in a special, little bed while she shares the big bed with Mommy.
Last Stop on Market Street by Matt De la Peña, illustrated by Christian Robinson, ages 3-5
A young boy rides the bus across town with his grandmother and learns to appreciate the beauty in everyday things.
Uptown, written and illustrated by Bryan Collier, ages 4-8
A tour of the sights of Harlem, including the Metro-North Train, brownstones, shopping on 125th Street, a barber shop, summer basketball, the Boy’s Choir, and sunset over the Harlem River.
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia, ages 8-12
In the summer of 1968, after traveling from Brooklyn to Oakland, California, to spend a month with the mother they barely know, eleven-year-old Delphine and her two younger sisters arrive to a cold welcome as they discover that their mother, a dedicated poet and printer, is resentful of the intrusion of their visit and wants them to attend a nearby Black Panther summer camp.
Please, Baby, Please by Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee, illustrated by Kadir Nelson, ages 2-5 (a favorite of my daughter!)
A toddler’s antics keep her mother busy as she tries to feed her, watch her on the playground, give her a bath, and put her to bed.
These Hands by Hope Lynne Price, illustrated by Bryan Collier, ages 0-2
Illustrations and simple text describe some of the many things the hands of a young African American girl and her family can do.
We March by Shane Evans, ages 4-8
Illustrations and brief text portray the events of the 1963 march in Washington, D.C., where the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a historic speech.
Hank Aaron: Brave in Every Way by Peter Golenbock, illustrated by Paul Lee, ages 4-7
A biography of the Hall of Fame baseball player who broke Babe Ruth’s career home run record.
Juneteenth for Mazie by Floyd Cooper, ages 6-9
Little Mazie wants the freedom to stay up late, but her father explains what freedom really means in the story of Juneteenth, and how her ancestors celebrated their true freedom.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul by Carole Boston Weatherford, art by Frank Morrison, ages 4-8
Aretha Franklin was born to sing. The daughter of a pastor and a gospel singer, her musical talent was clear from her earliest days in her father’s Detroit church. Aretha sang with a soaring voice that spanned more than three octaves. Her incredible talent and string of hit songs earned her the title “the Queen of Soul.” This Queen was a multi-Grammy winner and the first female inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And there was even more to Aretha than being a singer, songwriter, and pianist: she was an activist, too. Her song “Respect” was an anthem for people fighting for civil rights and women’s rights.
Need help requesting a book? Want to schedule an appointment to browse our collection? Looking for videos, CDs, or ebooks related to Black history? Ask a Librarian!
