February is Black History Month, a time for remembrance and celebration of the accomplishments of Black pioneers and leaders. Storytime is just one of many ways to teach young children about Black history. Check out these books to add to your home library or checkout at your local library. These children’s books are great to integrate into your library to enjoy throughout the months of the year. I hope this list of inspiring children’s books for Black History Month is helpful as you choose books.
Children’s publishing has made progress over the last few years, so there is an increase in the availability of diverse books. There are so many great books and when children can see themselves through characters in stories, it’s almost magical. As parents, we have an amazing ability to guide our children’s young minds and create lifelong values that will help them better themselves and the world.
But how do we as parents instill the message of diversity and acceptance in our children?
Well, one way to start is with books. Whether it’s during playtime, before bed, or anywhere in between, a good book can be a great way to start the conversation and create a new way of thinking without your children even realizing it.
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Children’s Books for Black History Month
The ABCs of Black History
Letter by letter, The ABCs of Black History celebrates a story that spans continents and centuries, triumph and heartbreak, creativity and joy.
In addition to rhyming text, the book includes back matter with information on the events, places, and people mentioned in the poem, from Mae Jemison to W. E. B. Du Bois, Fannie Lou Hamer to Sam Cooke, and the Little Rock Nine to DJ Kool Herc.
Sing a Song: How Lift Every Voice and Sing Inspired Generations
In Jacksonville, Florida, two brothers, one of them the principal of a segregated, all-black school, wrote the song “Lift Every Voice and Sing” so his students could sing it for a tribute to Abraham Lincoln’s birthday in 1900. From that moment on, the song has provided inspiration and solace for generations of Black families. Mothers and fathers passed it on to their children who sang it to their children and grandchildren. It has been sung during major moments of the Civil Rights Movement and at family gatherings and college graduations.
Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History
An important book for all ages, Little Leaders 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, politician Shirley Chisholm, mathematician Katherine Johnson, poet Maya Angelou, and filmmaker Julie Dash.
Little Legends: Exceptional Men in Black History
The legends in Little Legends: Exceptional Men in Black History span centuries and continents, but each one has blazed a trail for generations to come.
The Power of Her Pen: The Story of Groundbreaking Journalist Ethel L. Payne
Ethel Payne always had an ear for stories. Seeking truth, justice, and equality, Ethel followed stories from her school newspaper in Chicago to Japan during World War II. It even led her to the White House briefing room, where she broke barriers as the only black female journalist. Ethel wasn’t afraid to ask the tough questions of presidents, elected officials, or anyone else in charge, earning her the title, “First Lady of the Black Press.”
Juneteenth for Mazie
Mazie is ready to celebrate liberty. She is ready to celebrate freedom. She is ready to celebrate a great day in American history. The day her ancestors were no longer slaves. Mazie remembers the struggles and the triumph, as she gets ready to celebrate Juneteenth.
In Daddy’s Arms I Am Tall: African Americans Celebrating Fathers
Daddy’s Arms I Am Tall testifies to the powerful bond between father and child, recognizing the family as our greatest gift, and identifying fathers as being among our most influential heroes.
I Am Enough
This gorgeous, lyrical ode to loving who you are, respecting others, and being kind to one another comes from Empire actor and activist Grace Byers and talented newcomer artist Keturah A. Bobo. We are all here for a purpose. We are more than enough. We just need to believe it.
Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race
They participated in some of NASA’s greatest successes, like providing the calculations for America’s first journeys into space. And they did so during a time when being black and a woman limited what they could do. But they worked hard. They persisted. And they used their genius minds to change the world.
In this beautifully illustrated picture book edition, we explore the story of four female African American mathematicians at NASA, known as “colored computers,” and how they overcame gender and racial barriers to succeed in a highly challenging STEM-based career.
Amazing Grace
Grace loves stories, whether they’re from books, movies, or the kind her grandmother tells. So when she gets a chance to play a part in Peter Pan, she knows exactly who she wants to be. Remarkable watercolor illustrations give full expression to Grace’s high-flying imagination.
The Night is Yours
This lyrical text, narrated to a young girl named Amani by her father, follows her as she plays an evening game of hide-and-seek with friends at her apartment complex. The moon’s glow helps Amani find the last hidden child, and seems almost like a partner to her in her game, as well as a spotlight pointing out her beauty and strength.
This is a gorgeous bedtime read-aloud about joy and family love and community, and most of all about feeling great in your own skin.
Goin’ Someplace Special
There’s a place in this 1950s southern town where all are welcome, no matter what their skin color…and ’Tricia Ann knows exactly how to get there. To her, it’s someplace special and she’s bursting to go by herself. But when she catches the bus heading downtown, unlike the white passengers, she must sit in the back behind the Jim Crow sign and wonder why life’s so unfair.
Still, for each hurtful sign seen and painful comment heard, there’s a friend around the corner reminding ’Tricia Ann that she’s not alone. And her grandmother’s words—“You are somebody, a human being—no better, no worse than anybody else in this world”—echo in her head, lifting her spirits and pushing her forward.
Sulwe
Sulwe has skin the color of midnight. She is darker than everyone in her family. She is darker than anyone in her school. Sulwe just wants to be beautiful and bright, like her mother and sister. Then a magical journey in the night sky opens her eyes and changes everything.
In this stunning debut picture book, actress Lupita Nyong’o creates a whimsical and heartwarming story to inspire children to see their own unique beauty.
28 Days
Each day features a different influential figure in African-American history, from Crispus Attucks, the first man shot in the Boston Massacre, sparking the Revolutionary War, to Madame C. J. Walker, who after years of adversity became the wealthiest black woman in the country, as well as one of the wealthiest black Americans, to Barack Obama, the country’s first African-American president.
ABC I Love Me
ABC I Love Me takes black children along for a journey of self love, confidence, and adventure while teaching young learners positive affirmations for each letter of the alphabet. This book encourages children to accept their unique qualities, and promotes positive self-esteem and a healthy lifestyle.
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