February is Black History Month, and this year, we are thrilled to share some awesome new children’s books about inspirational African American figures, immigration, and diversity. These are great children’s books for Black History month, or any time of year.

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Curls

Written by Ruth Forman and illustrated by Geneva Bowers

This beautiful, brightly colored board book highlights a group of young girls who love their hair. The simple poetic text explores the different hairstyles, and encourages young black girls to love their hair. The soft and gentle illustrations gives a touch of magic to each scene, and highlight the beaming smiles on the faces of the young girls. This is a great book for starting young readers on a path of self love and confidence early on!

Flying High

Written by Michelle Meadows and illustrated by Ebony Glenn

This poetic book introduces readers to the childhood and career of Simone Biles, the Olympic champion and superstar gymnast. The beginning of the book shows the young acrobatic Biles as she flips, tumbles, and climbs over everything. She and her siblings are placed in foster care, and are moved around until the right fit is found. As the story continues, she finds her passion in gymnastics, and she works harder and harder to become a champion. The simple rhyming text is paired with colorful illustrations that highlight the constant motion of the young gymnast, and features the iconic moves and looks that she is known for. This is a great introduction to a strong black athlete whose strength and determination is something to be admired.

Watch Me: A Story of Immigration and Inspiration

Written by Doyin Richards and illustrated by Joe Cepeda

This story of immigration follows a young boy named Joe who immigrates to America from Sierra Leone. His friends and family tried to warn him against it, claiming that he would be teased and he would never fit in. But Joe was determined. He dealt with the strange new foods, and ignored the hurtful things that some people said to him. He pursued his dreams, and at the end we see that he achieved them. The middle of the book encourages the reader to look around them and see others like Joe, who came from elsewhere and are working  hard to achieve their dreams. This is a great introduction to immigration for little ones, with bold and striking illustrations, and a bold and defiant refrain of “Watch Me”.

Related Post: Children’s Books for Black History Month

My Friend

Written by Taye Diggs and illustrated by Shane W. Evans

This rhythmic book written by the actor and illustrated by his real life best friend, tells a story of friendship and kindness. The two characters in the book are best friends and they do everything together. But when one friend sees the other being mean to a classmate, he steps in and teaches his friend that kindness is the way to be. The illustrations are bold and vibrant, with all kinds of patterns, textures, and bright colors drawing the reader’s attention. The rhyming text has an undeniable beat to it, making this a fun one to read aloud.

Stompin’ at the Savoy: How Chick Webb Became the King of Drums

Written by Moira Rose Donohue and illustrated by Laura Freeman

This colorful picture book biography of the jazz drummer Chick Webb shares the childhood and career of the drummer who came to be known as the “King of Drums”. The easy to read text includes tons of loud sounds, highlighted by large, colorful fonts. The accompanying illustrations are full of colorful music notes, and lots of action, bringing the famous drummer’s powerful music right off the page. The back of the book includes more about Chick Webb and the music scene during his lifetime.

Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Immigrant Women Who Changed the World

Written by Elena Favilli

This anthology is the third volume of the Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls series of books. The 100 biographies in this book introduce readers to inspirational women who moved from one country to another, and became trailblazers. While not all of the stories in the book are about black women, there are quite a few of them, including Velma Scantlebury, Timnit Gebru, and Elizabeth Nyamayaro. Their stories highlight the hurdles they were faced with and how their strength and determination helped them to become groundbreakers. This book is a great one to start during Black History month, and even carry over into Women’s History Month.

Related Post: Girl Power Series: Books about Women Who Changed History

Baseball’s Leading Lady

Written by Andrea Williams

This engaging chapter book introduces readers to the life and career of Effa Manley, the only woman inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The book is broken into 3 parts, chronicling the history of black players in baseball, and Effa Manley’s groundbreaking career. Throughout the book, old photographs and scraps of paper are illustrated as taped in, like a scrapbook. The back of the book contains pages of source notes, a bibliography, and tons of resources. This is a well researched introduction to black history in baseball, and an inspirational woman and trailblazer.

Jambo Book Club

This multicultural book club sends participants two children’s books per month featuring a child of color. They are currently offering Black History Month Celebration bundles which can be customized for your family. With quality books ranging from board books to middle grade novels, they offer something for everyone. The Black History Month Celebration box can also include a coloring book, a fun puzzle, and a red, black and green decorative garland. Jambo is also offering Best of Jambo 2020 Book Bundles highlighting some of the books they sent to subscribers last year. These 4 to 6 book bundles include Ages 0-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-9, and 10-13.

What are your favorite children’s books for Black History Month? Share in the comments below!

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