Picture books

Ages 3–8

Michael S. Bandy

After tasting the warm, rusty water from the fountain designated for African Americans, a young boy questions why he cannot drink the cool, refreshing water from the "Whites Only" fountain. Based on a true experience co-author Michael S. Bandy had as a boy.

Ages 3–8

Rio Cortez

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 ...

Ages 3–8

Virginia Hamilton

"The well-known author retells 24 black American folk tales in sure storytelling voice: animal tales, supernatural tales, fanciful and cautionary tales, and slave tales of freedom. All are beautifully readable. With the added attraction of 40 wonderfully expressive paintings by the Dillons, this collection should be snapped up."--(starred) School Library Journal.

Ages 3–8

Andrea Davis Pinkney

"This picture book is a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the momentous Woolworth's lunch counter sit-in, when four college students staged a peaceful protest that became a defining moment in the struggle for racial equality and the ...

Ages 3–8

Thelma Lynne Godin

Kameeka yearns to continue her hula hooping competition with her rival, Jamara, rather than help prepare for Miz Adeline's birthday party, and "the itch" almost ruins the party before the girls learn who the real winner is.

Ages 3–8

Javaka Steptoe

Now, award-winning illustrator Javaka Steptoe's vivid text and bold artwork echoing Basquiat's own introduce young readers to the powerful message that art doesn't always have to be neat or clean--and definitely not inside the lines--to be ...

Ages 3–8

Vaunda Micheaux Nelson

Outlaws feared him. Law-abiding citizens respected him. Bass always got his man, dead or alive. He achieved all this in spite of whites who didn't like the notion of a black lawman. The true story of former slave Bass Reeves, is the story of a remarkable African American hero of the Old West. This biography profiles the life of Bass Reeves, a former slave who was recruited as a deputy United States Marshal in the area that was to become Oklahoma.

Ages 3–8

Patricia McKissack

Piece by piece, she puzzles her quilt together—telling not just her story, but the story of her family, the story of Gee’s Bend, and the story of her ancestors’ struggle for freedom.

Ages 3–8

Laban Carrick Hill

Chronicles the life of Dave, a nineteenth-century slave, and a potter, who went on to become an influential poet and artist.

Ages 3–8

Calvin A. Ramsey

The picture book inspiration for the Academy Award-winning film The Green Book Ruth was so excited to take a trip in her family's new car! In the early 1950s, few African Americans could afford to buy cars, so this would be an adventure. But she soon found out that Black travelers weren't treated very well in some towns. Many hotels and gas stations refused service to Black people. Daddy was upset about something called Jim Crow laws . . . Finally, a friendly attendant at a gas station showed Ruth's family The Green Book. It listed all of the places that would welcome Black travelers. With this guidebook—and the kindness of strangers—Ruth could finally make a safe journey from Chicago to her grandma's house in Alabama. Ruth's story is fiction, but The Green Book and its role in helping a generation of African American travelers avoid some of the indignities of Jim Crow are historical fact.

Ages 3–8

Calvin A. Ramsey

In Gee's Bend, Alabama, Miz Pettway tells young Alex about the historic role her mule played in the struggle for civil rights led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Includes factual information about the community of Gee's Bend and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Ages 3–8

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

While twins Ella and Herbie help the handyman Mr. Midal work on their new home, he tells them about such inventors as Granville Woods, Dr. Henry T. Sampson, and James West, giving them a new view of their heritage as African-Americans.

Ages 3–8

Spike Lee

Please, puppy, please by Spike Lee — a thoughtfully chosen inclusive book for young readers.

Ages 3–8

Allen, Debbie.

Sassy tries out for a summer dance festival in Washington, D.C., despite the other girls' taunts that she is much too tall.

Ages 3–8

Else Holmelund Minarik

(Age 4-8) (Preschool to Gr 3) **Little Bear enjoys his visits with his Grandmother and Grandfather Bear. He likes Grandfather’s hat and Grandmother’s cooking. But most of all, he loves to listen to their stories!**

Ages 3–8

Deborah Hopkinson

Based on true events, Ron Husband's uplifting illustrations bring to life Deborah Hopkinson's tale of a resourceful, determined teacher; his bright, inquisitive students; and their refusal to accept discrimination based on the color of ...

Ages 3–8

Elizabeth Starr Hill

Evan's family lives in a crowded apartment too small for privacy. But Evan's mother lets him choose his own special corner. Evan fills it with a milk-crate table and chair, a bright painting, and even a pet turtle.

Ages 3–8

Connie Schofield-Morrison

On a trip to the park with her mother, a young girl hears a rhythm coming from the world around her and begins to move to the beat, finally beginning an impromptu dance in which other childen join her.

Ages 3–8

Alexis De Veaux

Sudan suffers from the general ridicule of his strange-looking hair, until he comes to accept and enjoy its enchantment.

Ages 3–8

Emily Arnold McCully

A fictionalized account of Bill "Doc" Key, a former slave who became a veterinarian, trained his horse, Jim Key, to recognize letters and numbers and to perform in skits around the country, and moved the nation toward a belief in treating ...

Ages 3–8

Kristy Dempsey

In a lyrical tale as beautiful as a dance en pointe, Kristy Dempsey and Floyd Cooper tell the story of one little ballerina who was inspired by Janet Collins to make her own dreams come true.

Ages 3–8

Patricia McKissack

Messy Bessey's Closet by Patricia McKissack — a thoughtfully chosen inclusive book for young readers.

Ages 3–8

Cathryn Falwell

"On a rainy summer day, three children and their grandpa pick vegetables in his garden and then cook and share a delicious meal of his famous Rainbow Stew. Includes recipe"--

Ages 3–8

Margaret H. Mason

An African American man tells his grandson about a time when, despite all the wonderful things his hands could do, they could not touch bread at the Wonder Bread factory. Based on stories of bakery union workers; includes historical note.