At a time when book bans are raging and the federal government is pushing back against DEI initiatives, there’s one place where diversity is thriving: children’s literature.
Picture bookswhich cater to those under the age of 10are often children’s first introduction to poetry and art. And this year, there are many newly-published picture books that celebrate aspects of Black life in nuanced ways, portraying history, culture, and joy. Here are five of our favorites.
‘City Summer, Country Summer’
[Art: Courtesy of Kokila/Penguin Random House]
By Kiese Laymon, illustrated by Alexis Franklin. (Kokila/Penguin Young Readers, ages 5-9.)
Author Kiese Laymon is the author of Heavy: An American Memoir. In 2020, he wrote an article for the New York Times describing what how Black boys from New York would come down South to visit their grandparents during the summer months. He’s translated this narrative into a story about three Black boys who spend a summer together exploring the woods of Mississippi, under the watchful eye of their grandmother.
Under the surface, you find a tale about how the Great Migration shaped the Black community, resulting in different subcultures in the North and South. But ultimately the story is about the tender bonds of friendship that Black boys create with one another, and how they turn to one other to express their joy, as well as their fear.
‘Go Tell It: How James Baldwin Became A Writer’
[Art: Courtesy of Little, Brown Books for Young Readers]
By Quartez Harris, illustrated by Gordon C James. (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, ages 7-10.)
James Baldwin is remembered as a celebrated writer whose work offered Americans a powerful insight into the richness and complexity of Black American life. But few of us know about his childhood. Growing up in Harlem, he was known as a Jimmy, and the stepson of a Reverend who preached fiery sermons against racism. At fourteen, Jimmy decided to take to the pulpit, but chose to speak from a place of love.
This pivotal moment informs the years to come, as Jimmy leaves home to become a writer. With lyrical language, the book shows Jimmy traveling to France and returning back to New York to write his first book, Go Tell It On The Mountain.
‘On Our Way! What a Day!’
[Art: Courtesy of Penguin Random House]
By JaNay Brown-Wood, illustrated by Tamisha Anthony. (Nancy Paulsen/Penguin Young Readers, ages 4-6).
This is a fun, colorful book that will delight young readers. Six grandkids wake up and get ready to go visit their grandmother on her birthday. But none of them have a gift. As they walk over as a grouplooking after one another along the waythey come across lots of little objects, from pine cones to pencils. But they’re not sure whether any of these things are good enough for Gram.
This book is ultimately about the joy of having siblings, discovering treasures in the world around us, and enjoying a little bit of independence from grown-ups. The illustrations in this book are replete with little details that will keep children coming back to it again and again.
‘And She Was Loved: Toni Morrison’s Life’
[Art: Courtesy of Little, Brown Books for Young Readers]
By Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Daniel Minter. (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; ages 4-8).
This book is written as a poem that captures the beauty in Toni Morrison’s language. It depicts how she grew up in a small town in Ohio by the name of Chloe Ardelia, finding joy playing hopscotch in the playground and as the only Black girl at her school. It was at Howard University that she decided to take her fate into her own hands and change her name.
We learn about how Morrison rose through the ranks of the all-white publishing world as an editor. And even though she have very little time as a single mother, she woke up a four in the morning to write her own stories. The words, and she was loved echoes in each page, reflecting how she took all the support her community gave her to create some of the greatest works of American literature.
‘Girls on the Rise’
[Art: Courtesy of Penguin Random House]
By Amanda Gorman, illustrated by Loveis Wise. (Viking Books for Young Readers, ages 4-8).
The poet Amanda Gorman has a new picture book dedicated to girls, written in verse. It is a manifesto about how girls are strong and capable, but are unstoppable when they work together to bring about change. The book nods to history, as the illustrations explore everything from the achievements of everyone from Beyonce to the Williams sisters to Simone Biles. But it also hints at how women have had to fight for their rights, including reproductive freedom.
Gorman first came to the world’s attention as the youngest poet to speak at a presidential inauguration four years ago, when President Biden entered office. As a new administration takes root with a much more regressive stance on women’s rights, this picture book could not come at a better time.
