Back to the Books

There are several books that celebrate being Black-American and having African heritage that we have added to Spud’s library.

Black All Around is a rhyming book with bold illustrations. This joyous picture book honors all things in our world that are beautiful and black.

The beauty of diversity within the African American community is the focus of the book, Shades of Black. It features fun photography and marvelous metaphors for skin of all hues.

I See the Rhythm is a serious yet fun rhyming book that is a stunningly-illustrated. It explores the history of African American music and the impact it has had on the world. This is a book kids can grow into – they may not understand all of the vocabulary when they are small, but they will love the sound of you reading it. And as they get older, kids will enjoy the timeline and facts that are included in the margins of each page.

Africa Brothers and Sisters is an out-of-print book I ordered from an online reseller. It’s about a father sharing the family’s African roots with his son and describing the diversity and gifts of the people and cultures of Africa.

The author of Masai and I uses the imagination of a young girl to take readers on a journey through Masai culture. The main character compares a typical day in her life to what her life would be like in a Masai village. The text is engaging and the illustrations are colorful.

A couple of books I’ve read but have not purchased are Happy to be Nappy, Nappy Hair, and I Love My Hair. These are all great books that feature girls experiencing the joys and trials associated with their hair. Since Spud is a boy, I decided to spend my limited funds on other books for now, but I hope to add these to our collection at a later time.

Do you know of any other books along these lines that we should check out? Please share!

Peace.