Mae Among the Stars written by Roda Ahmed Illustrated by Stasia Burrington Reviewed by Jane Lyons (MAT 2022) Mae Among the Stars is a historical fiction picture book inspired by Mae Jemison, the first black woman in space. The story begins with Mae as a little girl. She was working on an assignment for school […]
Tag: people’s history
The ABCs of Black History
Written by Rio Cortez Illustrated by Lauren Semmer Reviewed by Emily Richardson “M is for march, for lifting our feet, taking the movement, the cause to the street. Black lives matter. Every breath, every dream – Every thought, each idea, each impossible scheme. The might of our message is easy to hear: The drumbeat of […]
Town Is by the Sea
Written by Joanne Schwartz Illustrated by Sydney Smith Reviewed by Lindsey Smith It’s hard to find good children’s books about working class people. Sí Se Puede by Diana Cohn and A Chair for My Mother by Vera Williams come to mind of course, but they’re lonely exemplars in a sparse field. Town Is by the Sea […]
Born on the Water
Authors: Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renèe Watson Illustrator: Nikkolas Smith Reviewed by: Erin Healy This story is powerful. A part of the 1619 Project, this book tells the origin story of Black Americans from Ndongo before they were enslaved. We see people who had full, rich lives. Who had knowledge and culture and joy. Until one […]
Black Lives Matter
Written by Duchess Harris Reviewed by Sofia Puorro It can be challenging for elementary school teachers to find books that dig into heavy topics such as systemic racism and oppression without being overly simplified, White-washed, or in service of promoting color-blindness. However, Duchess Harris, the author of many racial justice centered books, has managed to […]
Radiant Child : The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat
Written and Illustrated by Javaka Steptoe Reviewed by Mary Bishop Winner of the Caldecott Medal and the Coretta Scott King Award, this wonderful picture book tells the story of Jean-Michel’s early life as an artist. Steptoe’s accolades are well deserved, his sparse and poetic word choice evoke the bold and alluring style of Basquiat himself. […]
When We Were Alone
Written by David A. Robertson Illustrated by Julie Flett Reviewed by Lindsey Smith Why does the child’s grandmother wear such colorful clothes? Why is her hair so long? Why does she spend so much time with her brother? Why does she sometimes speak Cree? In this simple yet haunting dialogue between a child and grandmother, […]
Harlem’s Little Blackbird
Written by Renée Watson Illustrated by Christian Robinson Reviewed by Una O’Donnell-King (LC MAT 2019-2020) I love biographical picture books so much, I use them in my classroom all the time and I am always looking for one that show diverse people and the change they made. Harlem’s Little Blackbird is the true story of […]
Fatty Legs
Written by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton Illustrated by Liz Amini-Holmes “This book is a rare book” proclaims the first line of the foreword in this book. And it is. Fatty Legs is the true story of an Inuit girl, Olemaun (or Margaret) who leaves her home in the Arctic Circle to attend a […]
The Book Itch: Freedom, Truth and Harlem’s Greatest Bookstore by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie
The Book Itch: Freedom, Truth and Harlem’s Greatest Bookstore by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. Reviewed by Isabelle Grant. “When Dad went to a bank to borrow money to open a bookstore for black people, the banker said no. He said Dad could have a loan to sell fish and chips or […]