Be A King: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Dream And You
By: Carole Boston Weatherford
Illustrated By: James E. Ransome
“You can be a King.
Lift up the less fortunate.
Be the King or Queen of Help.”
There is no doubt that we are all aware of the impact Dr. King has made on our nation. He envisioned a better future for his children, and he fought for it without hesitation. What excites you the most? What gets you up in the morning? What is it that makes you look forward to a new day, a new year, your future? This book brings all of this to a personal level and states how, you too, can be King. It encourages readers to acknowledge their own unique gifts, and use them to positively impact our world. It reminds us to, “keep the faith, know that bigotry hurts, learn as much as you can, march to your own conscience.” We don’t have to conform to what society currently praises, no. We should be embodying everything that we already ARE. Let’s raise up the next generation of Martins and Rosas… although times have changed we still have something to fight for, right?
The Hula-Hoopin’ Queen
By: Thelma Lynne Godin
Illustrated By: Vanessa Brantley-Newton
“I sort through my hoops and pick out my favorite. And then I feel it comin’ on. The itch. The Hula-Hoopin’ itch. My fingers start snappin’, and my feet start tappin’.”
Chiilleeee, this book is going to have you grinning ear to ear. The story has such a classic and timeless feel to it. Kameeka is the beautiful black girl on this book’s cover who plans on beating her main competitor, Jamara, at a hula-hooping contest so she can become The Hula-Hoopin’ Queen of 139th street. Unfortunately, Kameeka finds herself in some trouble when she can no longer face-off with Jamara because of an important birthday party she has to plan… will she ever find the time to earn the special title? Another story based in Harlem, New York! YASSS, and you get all the feels of community, family, laughter, fun… all things that make for the most memorable childhood experiences. The intensity of Black culture is also ALL OVER this book. Our beauty (from young to old), our language, our fashion, our forever-young spirits, and most importantly our love. This is a book I especially enjoyed… yes, I was a hula-hooper myself ; ).
Let The Children March
By: Monica Clark-Robinson
Illustrated By: Frank Morrison
“Boys and girls, brothers and sisters, cousins and friends,
on and on we marched,
we marched.
we marched.
SINGING THE SONGS OF FREEDOM, ONE THOUSAND STRONG WE CAME.”
Tears flowed as I read this. While I am not a parent yet, I am an aunt and we just LOVE our nieces, nephews, cousins, siblings, we love our children unconditionally. The pain that a parent must feel knowing they cannot help their child in a situation where they may not be able to fend for themselves… unbearable. This tells the true historical events of The Children’s Crusade March of Birmingham, Alabama in May 1963. After Dr. King urges folks to fight for their freedom and march, a number of adults expressed their fears of losing their jobs… so the children stepped in. Dr. King proclaimed, “Let the children march. They will lead the way.” May 2nd was the beginning of 8 consecutive days of marching. Children were attacked by dogs, hoses, people, and thousands were imprisoned. On May 10th, Dr. King was able to reach an agreement with city leaders to begin the process of desegregation in Birmingham. The children’s resilience and energy, led to a great victory. This book makes you think about the things you might hold the little people in your life back from… let them lead. Children have the power to change the world, we just need to trust them with it.
Yo, Jo!
By: Rachel Isadora
“I love you Grandpa,”
Jomar says.
“That’s better,” Grandpa says with a wink.”
This book has such a fun-loving, upbeat, and SWAGGED out feel to it! And the illustrations are dope, having been done in collage and oil on pallete paper. It all JUMPS out right at you and I love it! It also has very humorous aspects that made me chuckle a number of times as I flipped through the pages. You watch all of the different ways Jomar and his brother Franklin say hello to people in their neighborhood. Then, you hear how Jomar says hello to Grandpa, haha! Who sets that boy straight. Another book set in the concrete jungle of New York City, the cool vibes of the Hip-Hop influenced culture spews out in every part of this book. Different places and activities commonly seen in urban neighborhoods are also represented in this book; from the infamous Spanish Bodega, to B-boys break dancing on the side walk. This is an awesome book for a little black boy or girl! Who lives in or is familiar with the culture of an urban city, as the images and language used in this book easily mirrors people and places within these cities. Being able to have real life examples and books representative of personal life experiences are invaluable resources for children to have when building literacy skills. If you’re looking for a quick, hip, easy, and fun read –Yo, Jo is the way to go, go!
TRAILBLAZER: The Story of Ballerina Raven Wilkinson
By: Leda Schubert
Illustrated By: Theodore Taylor III
With A Foreword By: Misty Copeland
“In some states, it was illegal for black dancers and white dancers to share the same stage. Sometimes Raven lightened her skin with makeup.”
This book tells of the triumphant life of Raven Wilkinson, the first African-American ballerina to ever dance with a major American touring troupe. Misty Copeland regards Ms. Wilkinson as her inspiration, as she helped pave the way for many Black ballerinas. Although very fair-skinned, Raven did not always go below the radar and encountered threatening incidents, simply from being a member of an all-white troupe. In the foreword, Misty states, “the lack of diversity and representation in classical ballet is an ongoing issue,” as is in a number of other sports. One that immediately comes to mind is Tennis, where trailblazing sisters Venus and Serena Williams have unapologetically brought every part of their Blackness onto those courts with them (STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON). I’m grateful Raven Wilkinson’s story is being told, as I had never heard of her until I discovered this book. There’s a quote that says, “You cannot BE what you have not SEEN.” It becomes this collective victory for our people when someone Black makes history because then it becomes OUR history, and then it sparks the next generation to MAKE history. This is a beautiful and inspiring book for your aspiring ballerina.
A beautiful and inspiring story of the life of Jean-Michel Basquiat a legendary artist from Brooklyn, New York who inspired generations of artists that came after him. One thing I find to be amazing about this book is how the Javanka interprets Basquiat’s work in this book, as none of it is Basquiat’s original artwork. In the foreword Javanka encourages his readers to create their own art by collecting materials from people and places in their environment. This story is very informational and highlights important aspects in the complex life of Jean-Michel. Mental illness is also touched on in this book as Basquiat’s mother suffered from it; Javanka says, “I also wanted young readers and the adults in their lives to be able to use Basquiat’s story as a catalyst for conversation and healing.” Nonetheless, this book serves as a powerful tool to encourage children to color/draw/paint imperfectly, because the 
Ahh!! This book is brilliant and was simply a joy to read… and look at! Photographer, Charles R. Smith found this original poem written by Langston and decided to bring its words to life. And he DID THAT! What I love so much about this book is that it shows black people of all different shades, features, ages etc. demonstrating to all that while we stand collectively, there are a number of things that make us unique to one another. In the photographer’s notes at the end of the book he talks about his inspiration for creating the book and how he made his decisions. Charles says something that is very important and that was, “Only black people would be in the book, since they are who Langston celebrated. His words were not meant to dismiss other races; just to celebrate his own.” This a very important concept we should teach our children as early as possible and one we should remember as we continue through life.
Now I have to confess, I found and read this book more for me personally than anyone else. Haha! I am a lover of all things Langston Hughes and I saw a lot of myself in this little girl. This book is a tale of a Harlem girl who visits Langston’s home with her father, she too, is a poet. She talks about who Langston was and raves about her special trip to his house. First of all, I need to visit Langston’s house now! And second, I think this was a great way to connect an American cultural hero to the youth of today. While Langston lived during times of heartache and pain, he still created a number of masterpieces (novels, children’s stories, lyrics for musicals, plays etc.) exhibiting his hopes for a better tomorrow. This is a beautiful and inspiring book for both children and adults.
This book is calls out every Black child and asks them very important questions… questions that I feel a lot of people forget to actually ask black children regularly. This book is a reminder not only to the Black child, but to everyone who reads it, that you can do anything you imagine. We are not predisposed to stupidity (that is not funny – it is offensive & I’ve witnessed people laugh when that was said), we are not less than, we are not less capable, WE. ARE. NOT. LESS. This book is saying exactly this using other words and it charges the upcoming generations to aspire to take on leadership positions to positively impact our nation.
Listennnnnnn, if you have or know a young boy who knows how DOPE it is to get a FRESH CUT! This is the book you NEED. It truly captures the essence of “Black Boy Joy” and the emotions that come from getting a fresh hair cut at your local barbershop. It warmed my heart to also see different hair types depicted in the book — locks, braids, low cut, fade… even a woman with a tapered side (like I used to have) man oh man! I smiled as I read this, because it’s exactly what our little ones need to feel their very best! With or without a haircut, this book shares with the world a very special experience, that words have not been able to describe, in such an impeccable way.
sweetSARendipity 