In February, as well as all year long, we celebrate the joy, bravery, tenacity, endurance, and kindness of African American culture in the United States and beyond. Celebrate Black History this month with these special Diverse Picture Books for Black History Month we selected.
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find new favorites for their bookshelves at home
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•Diverse Picture Books for Black History Month•
Meet Alice Dunnigan, a pioneering Black journalist, who spoke truth to power—and earned the respect of President Harry S. Truman. This inspiring nonfiction picture book for kids ages 7–10 is from award-winning author and illustrator Peggy Thomas and Tonya Engel.
Alice Dunnigan knew all about injustice—she was the daughter of poor Black sharecroppers in Kentucky. But Alice also knew the key to fighting injustice was to speak out.
At 13 years old, she wrote to a Black newspaper asking for a job—and got it! It was only the beginning. After many years of hard work as a teacher, a cleaner, a typist, and a journalist, Alice became the first Black woman in the Capitol Press Corp. But one person was still beyond her grasp, a person who needed to be held accountable: President Truman. Would he keep his promise to support civil rights for Black Americans? By scrimping and saving for a ticket on the president’s cross-country train tour, Alice was able to meet the president and win him over to her cause: justice.
Alice Dunnigan used her words as a moving force, writing America toward justice, a journey beautifully captured by author Peggy Thomas and illustrator Tonya Engel.
WRITING TOWARDS JUSTICE
Written by Peggy Thomas and Illustrated by Tonya Engel
Published by Calkins Creek Publishing
EVICTED! The Struggle for the Right to Vote
This critical civil rights book for middle-graders examines the little-known Tennessee's Fayette County Tent City Movement in the late 1950s and reveals what is possible when people unite and fight for the right to vote. Powerfully conveyed through interconnected stories and told through the eyes of a child, this book combines poetry, prose, and stunning illustrations to shine light on this forgotten history.
The late 1950s was a turbulent time in Fayette County, Tennessee. Black and White children went to different schools. Jim Crow signs hung high. And while Black hands in Fayette were free to work in the nearby fields as sharecroppers, the same Black hands were barred from casting ballots in public elections.
If they dared to vote, they faced threats of violence by the local Ku Klux Klan or White citizens. It wasn't until Black landowners organized registration drives to help Black citizens vote did change begin–but not without White farmers' attempts to prevent it. They violently evicted Black sharecroppers off their land, leaving families stranded and forced to live in tents. White shopkeepers blacklisted these families, refusing to sell them groceries, clothes, and other necessities.
But the voiceless did finally speak, culminating in the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which legally ended voter discrimination.
EVICTED! The Struggle for the Right to Vote
Written by Alice Faye Duncan and Illustrated by Charly Palmer
Published by Astra Publishing
EXTRAORDINARY MAGIC
The Storytelling Life of Virginia Hamilton
Meet Alice Dunnigan, a pioneering Black journalist, who spoke truth to power—and earned the respect of President Harry S. Truman. This inspiring nonfiction picture book for kids ages 7–10 is from award-winning author and illustrator Peggy Thomas and Tonya Engel.
Alice Dunnigan knew all about injustice—she was the daughter of poor Black sharecroppers in Kentucky. But Alice also knew the key to fighting injustice was to speak out.
At 13 years old, she wrote to a Black newspaper asking for a job—and got it! It was only the beginning. After many years of hard work as a teacher, a cleaner, a typist, and a journalist, Alice became the first Black woman in the Capitol Press Corp. But one person was still beyond her grasp, a person who needed to be held accountable: President Truman. Would he keep his promise to support civil rights for Black Americans? By scrimping and saving for a ticket on the president’s cross-country train tour, Alice was able to meet the president and win him over to her cause: justice.
Alice Dunnigan used her words as a moving force, writing America toward justice, a journey beautifully captured by author Peggy Thomas and illustrator Tonya Engel.
WRITING TOWARDS JUSTICE EXTRAORDINARY MAGIC: The Storytelling Life of Virginia Hamilton
Written and Illustrated by Nina Crews
Published by Little Brown Publishing
WRITING TOWARDS JUSTICE
The Life and Reporting of Alice A. Dunnigan
From an award-winning author and illustrator comes this picture book biography about beloved librarian and storyteller Augusta Braxton Baker, the first Black coordinator of children’s services at all branches of the New York Public Library.
Before Augusta Braxton Baker became a storyteller, she was an excellent story listener. Her grandmother brought stories like Br’er Rabbit and Arthur and Excalibur to life, teaching young Augusta that when there’s a will, there’s always a way. When she grew up, Mrs. Baker began telling her own fantastical stories to children at the 135th Street branch of the New York Public Library in Harlem. But she noticed that there were hardly any books at the library featuring Black people in respectful, uplifting ways. Thus began her journey of championing books, writers, librarians, and teachers centering Black stories, educating and inspiring future acclaimed authors like Audre Lorde and James Baldwin along the way.
As Mrs. Baker herself put it: “Children of all ages want to hear stories. Select well, prepare well and then go forth and just tell.”
WRITING TOWARDS JUSTICE GO FORTH AND TELL: The Life of Augusta Baker, Librarian and Master Storyteller
Written by Breanna J. McDaniel and Illustrated by April Harrison
Published by Dial Books
WHEN I HEAR SPIRITUALS
Your spirit will soar! A girl connects with heritage, history, and a higher power through the lyrics of twelve beloved spirituals and four seminal events in African American history.
A beautiful keepsake to be shared by multiple generations.
When I hear spirituals
Sometimes
A big, full feeling
Grows in my chest . . .
Her heart pounds, she gets a lump in her throat, and tears flow down her cheeks. She wants to clap her hands and stomp her feet. There is healing, tenderness, strength, pride, and above all, hope.The author of the classic picture book Bright Eyes, Brown Skin, Cheryl Willis Hudson, has woven together lyrics of twelve timeless, Black spirituals with a moving exploration of how music holds memories, emotions, and empowerment.
Songs include “Go down, Moses,” “Nobody Knows the Troubles I See,” “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child,” “Rock-a-My Soul,” “Get on Board, Little Children,” and more.
Evocative illustrations by award-winning artist London Ladd depict important people and places in Black history and culture: Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King, Jr., the Great Migration, and the Enslaved People's Uprising of 1811.
Journey through Black history and music in this layered picture book.
WHEN I HEAR SPIRITUALS
Written by Cheryl Willis Hudson and Illustrated by London Ladd
Published by Holiday House Books
WHEN ALEXANDER GRACED THE TABLE
From James Beard Award-winning chef Alexander Smalls, New York Times bestselling author Denene Millner, and award-winning illustrator Frank Morrison comes a tender celebration of family, traditions, and the little moments shared at the dinner table that make all the difference.
There is nothing young Alexander looks forward to more than Sunday Dinner, the special time after church when the whole family gathers dressed in their Sunday best and ready to share in the best meal of the week.
For the first time, it's up to Alexander to contribute a dish for the table, something warm and satisfying, with just the right amount of sweetness–something that the whole family will love and, most of all, will make his dad proud. It's time for Alexander to spread that Sunday joy!
WHEN ALEXANDER GRACED THE TABLE
Written by Alexander Smalls and Denene Millner and Illustrated by Frank Morrison
Published by Denene Millner Books/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
THE GLAM WORLD TOUR
Bountiful ‘fros bop. Fresh, tight locs swing. Mehndi flashes as fingers snap. On the glam world tour, the stunning variation of beauty norms around the world are showcased and celebrated as inclusive, not divisive. Written in the spirit of spoken word, author Rachel Werner's compelling picture book reminds us that true beauty comes from accepting everyone.
THE GLAM WORLD TOUR
Written by Rachel Werner and Illustrated by Octavia Ink
Published by Capstone Editions
SATURDAY MORNING AT THE ‘SHOP
Unicorn best friends Magical, Unique, and Divine are getting ready to welcome Santa in this Christmas picture-book adventure. Celebrate your inner unicorn with the first holiday book in the Afro Unicorn line! Includes countdown calendar and stickers.
December is finally here, and all the unicorns in the kingdom of Afronia are excited to meet Santa. But when Santa gets lost on the way, the unicorns fear that Christmas will be ruined. It's up to Magical, Unique, and Divine to use their superpowers of love and kindness to save Christmas.
Let the Christmas countdown begin in this tale of love and hope for the holidays!
When Afro Unicorn creator April Showers realized that her favorite emoji–the unicorn!–was only available in white, she was inspired to create a more inclusive brand for children of color to celebrate how magical, unique, and divine they truly are.
SATURDAY MORNING AT THE ‘SHOP
Written by Keenan Jones and Illustrated by Ken Daley
Published by Beach Lane Books
WASH DAY WITH MAMA
This stunning picture book takes a joyful look into the loving and long process of a hair wash day and the beautiful bond between a daughter and mother. Perfect for Mother's Day or all year round!
I love Sundays, because Sundays are wash days. And wash days are just for us.
Filled with heartwarming illustrations, Wash Day with Mama centers on a little girl cherishing each step of their hair washing routine while Mama imparts her wisdom and stresses the importance of self-care, loving yourself, and being proud of who you are. The process of washing and taking care of Black hair takes time and effort, but this poignant story shows how it is an act of self-love and nurtures a special connection between mother and daughter.
For the Black community, washing their hair can feel like an event in and of itself, and that's why it has been christened “wash day.” For many, wash day isn't just a routine, but an intimate ritual that is a symbol of self-love and pride. This self-care practice, although individual to the person, can root them in their culture and allow them to embrace generations of hair traditions. This book shows the love and care of washing Black hair and compels us to reflect on shared moments that we may take for granted.
WASH DAY WITH MAMA
Written and Illustrated by Monica Mikai
Published by Crown Books for Young Readers
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Bethany Edwards is an elementary educator as well as a reading and literacy specialist. On Biracial Bookworms, she focuses on multiracial and multicultural resources for teaching literacy skills using reading, travel, and learning multiple languages. Additionally, she offers online and self-paced courses for parents and caregivers on Biracial Bookworms Academy.
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