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The first week of February marks a unique moment in the calendar. Designating the start of Black History Month, it also happens to be Children’s Authors and Illustrators Week. This combined celebration creates the perfect opportunity to feature children’s books that educate and honor key figures and events of Black history. From a little girl setting off on the Great Migration with her family to the legacy of the Civil Rights anthem Lift Every Voice and Sing, these seven books highlight historic moments of the Black American experience that deserve to be recognized. Vashti Harrison, Kadir Nelson and other heavy hitters in the world of kid lit grace this list with their talent, creativity and skill. Whether you’re an educator looking for a good read-aloud or a parent looking to expand your little one’s bookshelf, take a look to find an extraordinary kid lit read for this February.

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The ABCs of Black History
by Rio Cortez, illustrated by Lauren Semmer (Workman Publishing Company)

Where better to start than with the ABCs? More than just a tool for teaching kids the alphabet, this New York Times bestselling book brings the past to life. Each page features lyrical prose and bright, bold illustrations that succinctly cover a piece of Black history centered around one of the 26 letters. In the back of the book, parents, educators and readers can find a glossary that goes into further detail and provides historical context. Each topic — from Harlem and Zora Neale Hurston to Power and Black Panthers — calls for a celebration of the past and hope for the future. This delightful book is sure to inspire readers and teach them key historical events and figures from Black history.

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The Undefeated
by Kwame Alexander, illustrated by Kadir Nelson (Versify)

With the accolades of the 2020 Caldecott Medal and the 2020 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award — as well as a 2020 Newbery Honor — it’s clear that The Undefeated is truly one-of-a-kind. Kwame Alexander’s crisp prose flows effortlessly alongside Kadir Nelson’s stunning oil paintings. From the horrors of slavery to the struggles of the Civil Rights movement and beyond, this book carries the reader through history to see the adversity Black Americans have faced. This book does far more than simply focus on suffering, however — it highlights the movers and shakers of Black history who worked tirelessly to fight against this country’s legacy of racism. With its victorious tone and message of hope for the future, The Undefeated honors the past and celebrates the potential of what is to come.

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Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History
by Vashti Harrison (Little, Brown and Company)

Chances are this cover already looks familiar to you! The first of the bestselling Little Leaders series, Vashti Harrison’s beloved book commemorates the incredible Black women of American History. This book highlights famous heroines of the Black American experience like abolitionist Sojourner Truth, poet Maya Angelou and journalist Ida B. Wells — as well as some underappreciated women from history who deserve to have their praises sung. In her exclusive interview with BookTrib, Harrison shared how working on Little Leaders made her feel “connected to [these women’s] stories of hard work, dedication, courage through adversity, love for craft, and love for family.” The same sentiment will surely be shared with readers as they discover these amazing trailblazers and find inspiration to be the little leaders of the next generation.

Read our full interview with Vashti Harrison here.

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Sing a Song: How “Lift Every Voice and Sing” Inspired Generations
by Kelly Starling Lyons, illustrated by Keith Mallett (Nancy Paulsen Books)

Storybooks featuring songs have always been a hit with young readers — the rhyming sentences and steady beat make for perfect read-aloud-ability. When a book weaves music, story and history together in its narrative, that’s a truly special find.

Sing a Song manages to do just that; unveiling the origins of the legendary song “Lift Every Voice and Sing” and its incredible rise to fame. Once a song written for a segregated school in Jacksonville, Florida, the music of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” lived on in the children and grandchildren of the students and became a staple of the Civil Rights Movement. Now known as the Black National Anthem, the song carries with it a message of resilience and hope for a brighter future that’s resonated with people for over a century. Readers of any age will be moved by the promising message that Sing a Song holds.

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Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre
by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Floyd Cooper (Carolrhoda Books)

As the winner of the 2022 Coretta Scott King Book Awards for both Author and Illustrator, it’s no secret that Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre is a truly exceptional read. Refusing to shy away from a dark moment in history, this book depicts the 1921 massacre that tore apart the thriving Black population of Tulsa’s Greenwood district, known then as “Black Wall Street.” Carole Boston Weatherford’s masterful writing portrays the dichotomy of Tulsa — from the prosperity of the Greenwood District to the rubble that was left after the massacre. Unspeakable also uncovers the difference between the real-life event and the suppressed news that was released to the public. By unveiling the truth about Tulsa, Weatherford and Cooper educate this generation on the tragedies of the past and appeal for a better future.

Read our full write-up of the 2022 ALA Youth Media Awards here.

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Overground Railroad
by Lesa Cline-Ransome, illustrated by James E. Ransome (Holiday House)

As a little girl named Ruth Ellen looks out the train window, Overground Railroad sets off on a journey away from sharecropper cotton fields and towards New York City. The musical prose carries the story of Ruth Ellen and her parents as they set off on the Great Migration — an exodus of African American families from the South hoping to leave segregation behind and set out for a new life in the North. The text is further enhanced by James E. Ransome’s stunning multimedia illustrations, featuring pencil, watercolor and cut-paper collage. Winner of awards such as New York Public Library Best Book of the Year, it’s clear that Overground Railroad is a poetic and engaging story of overcoming hardships and facing new experiences with bravery and hope.

Read our full review of Overground Railroad here.

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28 Days: Moments in Black History that Changed the World
by Charles R. Smith, illustrated by Shane W. Evans (Roaring Brook Press)

As a child, author Charles R. Smith was tired of hearing the same stories of Black history over and over each February. In an effort to rebuild his relationship with Black History Month, he created 28 Days — a book that honors lesser-known icons and events of Black history that deserve to be known and celebrated. His sincere poetry, combined with Shane W. Evans’s dynamic illustrations, creates a compilation of stories that seems to jump off the page. Starting in 1770 with Crispus Attucks — whose death at the Boston Massacre marked the first colonist casualty in the American Revolution — and leading up to present-day, 28 Days becomes far more than just a book. It is an ode to the people and moments of history that have been excluded from mainstream narratives, and whose voices and messages deserve to be heard.

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Genre: Children’s Books
Cameron Kimball

Cameron Kimball is an illustrator, graphic artist and writer. She graduated from Pratt Institute with a degree in Communications Design and a minor in Art History. She’s a member of the Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators and the Society of Illustrators. Cameron lives in Connecticut and when she’s not writing or drawing, she can be found in a café drinking tea and listening to Celtic folk music. For more of her work, visit her website at https://cameronkimball.myportfolio.com/

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