“The Color of Us” by Karen Katz

Karen Katz is one of my favorite authors of children’s books. The author created “The Color of Us” for her daughter, Lena, whom she and her husband adopted from Guatemala. “The Color of Us” is a positive and affirming look at skin color, from an artist’s perspective. In “The Color of Us” seven-year-old Lena is […]

“Skin Again” by Bell Hooks

The quote from the book “Skin Again” by Bell Hooks that defines the book is, “The skin I’m in is just a covering. It cannot tell my story. If you want to know who I am, you have got to come inside and open your heart way wide.” In “Skin Again” children learn race matters, […]

“Little Leaders Bold Women in Black History” by Vashti Harrison

Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History by Vashti Harrison educates and inspires as it relates true stories of forty trailblazing black women in American history. Illuminating text paired with irresistible illustrations bring to life both iconic and lesser-known female figures of Black history such as abolitionist Sojourner Truth, pilot Bessie Coleman, chemist Alice Ball, […]

Black Is a Rainbow Color by Angela Joy

We live in a colorful world, and Black Is a Rainbow Color by Angela Joy teaches children that the beauty of the African American culture and history is not only extraordinary but something worth celebrating. In Black Is a Rainbow Color child reflects on the meaning of being Black in this moving and powerful anthem […]

“Hidden Figures” by Margot Lee Shetterly and Coretta Scott King

Weekly Trip to the Library In honor of Black History Month I highly recommend reading Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race with your Nanny Kids. It is inspiring for girls and boys and children of every race and culture specifically written for children ages four- to eight-years-old. Hidden […]

A Sweet Smell of Roses by Angela Johnson

Weekly Trip to the Library for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day This is a great book to read to children in honor of MLK Day and civil rights day. In A Sweet Smell of Roses there’s a sweet, sweet smell in the air as two young girls, Minnie and her sister, sneak out of […]

13 Children’s Books of Black American Heroes

Black History Month Black History Month was created to celebrate the history of African-Americans in the United States, which was typically not included in history textbooks in America. It is inspiring for children to learn of the difficult struggles of African Americans who overcame to become American heroes. Here are some of our favorite children’s […]

Black History Month Books for Kids

Children’s Books for Preschoolers February is Black History Month so there is no better time to read books about our individual uniqueness to our charges. When I was a kid I remember reading biographies of the first African American to play in major league baseball for Black History Month. I remember learning about jazz, the […]

Let It Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters

Children’s Book for Black History Month              Review by Elizabeth Kennedy, About.com Guide  Let It Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fightersby Andrea Davis Pinkney is geared to upper elementary and middle school age children. Let It Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fightersis organized chronologically and covers the lives of ten women: Sojourner Truth, Biddy Mason, […]

Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-Ins

Children’s Books for Black History Month Review by Elizabeth Kennedy, About.com Guide Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-Ins is the historic story of the Greensboro, North Carolina, sit-ins is told, in picture book format, from the perspective of a young African American girl. The story and the dramatic illustrations provide a realistic glimpse of the […]