Black History Month is in February. It is the annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing the central role of blacks in U.S. history.
This is a Black History Month booklist in that it has wonderful biographies and other stories that will help you learn more about Black history and have conversations with your kids about the role of Blacks in U.S. history. It isn’t just for Black History Month though. These are truly awesome books that are worthy of a spot on your bookshelves or in your read alouds any time of year.
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A great way to learn about Black History is reading picture book biographies. The picture book market has explored with highly readable, beautiful biographies in the past five years and many of them are of African Americans. Here are some of my favorites:
18 Picture Book Biographies
1.Before she was Harriet
by Lesa Cline-Ransome
pictures by James E. Ransome
Beautifully powerful. I think that’s the best way to describe this story about Harriett Tubman. She has inspired a large number of biographies but this is one of the absolute best I have read. It looks back over Harriett’s life and the many names and roles she played in her remarkable years. The text is brief, but each word was obviously carefully chosen for its beauty and power. It reads like a poem and a history book rolled into one package. Layered upon that are the stunning illustrations. The paintings share her life with rich texture and emotion. A gorgeous and moving book.
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2. Talkin’ About Bessie: The Story of Aviator Elizabeth Coleman
by Nikki Grimes
illustrated by Earl B. Lewis
This is a lyrical story told through multiple perspectives. You learn about Bessie Coleman, the first African American woman in flight, through stories in different voices who knew her. It offers interesting perspectives on Coleman and on the time period.
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3. Radiant Child
by Javaka Steptoe
This tells the linear journey of Jean-Michel Basquiat in present tense. Illustrations are key for capturing the heart of this artist. It is the story about understanding art, Basquiat’s unique style, and his love for his mom.
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4. Henry’s Freedom Box: a true story from the Underground Railroad
by Ellen Levine
illustrated by Kadir Nelson
It is hard to believe that this is a true story but it is. This little boy mails himself to freedom. Beautifully told and brilliantly illustrated by the amazing Kadir Nelson. This is a stirring, powerful story about the Underground Railroad.
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5. Little Melba and Her Big Trombone
Written by Katheryn Russell-Brown
Illustrated by Frank Morrison
The true story of jazz legend Melba Doretta Liston. Melba overcame many obstacles to be the first woman of any race to be a world-class trombone player, composer and arranger. Full of spunk and born to make music, Melba’s story is an inspiration for anyone who just feels in their bones that they are meant to do something. This picture book is told and illustrated with that same spunk and rhythm.
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6. The Doctor With an Eye for Eyes: The Story of Dr Patricia Bath
Written by Julia Finley Mosca
Illustrated by Daniel Rieley
How is it possible that I have not heard of Dr. Patricia Bath until I read this book? Granted I don’t spend a lot of time in the world of eye doctors, but still. She is awesome. Julia Finley Mosca articulates Dr Bath’s laundry list of accomplishments with a poetic, rhyming style that carries you through her life story in a way that is far from the boring, droning resume reading style of so many children’s book biographies. Instead, you are left in awe of an incredible woman and her barrier breaking career inspired by a chemistry set, encouraging parents, and an inquisitive girl.
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7. R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul
by Carole Boston Weatherford
art by Frank Morrison
This oversized picture book captures the Queen of Soul on it’s pages from childhood through old age. The text plays on the spelling out words chorus from Aretha’s hit RESPECT with a word spelled out and a few lines of poetry on each page. It goes in chronological order and primarily follows her impressive career from her early years in gospel to winning R&B awards to singing at Obama’s inauguration. The text is good. Succinct, interesting, clear. However, it is the illustrations that steal the show. The dramatic paintings are huge spreads with bold colors, frame-worthy portraits, and a vibrancy that comes close to capturing Aretha Franklin herself. This is a celebration of one of the all time great singers and women in American history and it is stunning.
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8. Harlem Grown
by Tony Hillery
illustrated by Jessie Hartland
This is a warm book about how one man’s idea transformed his neighborhood in Harlem. It feels less like a biography since it’s just about this idea, but the man that created it is definitely an inspiration. I love the positivity and empowering message of this one.
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9. Flying High: The Story of Gymnastics Champion Simone Biles
by Michelle Meadows
illustrated by Ebony Glenn
Rhymical and bouncy, this feels a lot like watching a Simone Biles floor routine. For gymnastics fans, this picture book biography of Simone Biles this will be a delight. It tells her story from childhood up until the Olympic Games with bright illustrations. It is a story of sacrifice and fortitude about a world champion.
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10. The Power of Her Pen
by Lesa Cline-Ransome
illustrated by John Parra
If you haven’t heard of Ethel L. Payne before I wouldn’t be surprised but I’m so glad Cline-Ransome shared her story with the world. This journalist was a lady who was unafraid of asking hard questions that no one else was asking. Her career was groundbreaking and inspiring.
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11. Josephine
by Patricia Hruby Powell
illustrated by Christian Robinson
This is the story of Josephine Baker told in poems divided into acts. The words are as vibrant as a dance. The illustrations are bright and active. For a picture book this is long. You could also read this as a chapter book, but the poems are not quite as dense as you might expect from the thickness of the book. I’d recommend this for older elementary schoolers. A wonderful biography that captures the essence of Josephine Baker and her dazzling life.
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12. Sisters: Venus and Serena Williams
by Jeannette Winter
A picture book biography about tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams. It focuses on their relationship from childhood learning to play tennis through becoming tennis pros. Theirs is an impressive story of hard work and determination to rise above circumstance, doubts and racism to become the best at what they do.
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13. Lift as You Climb: The Story of Ella Baker
by Patricia Hruby Powell
illustrated by R. Gregory Chrisite
This is the story of Ella Baker, a civil rights activist. Inspiring and beautiful, this tells the story of a strong and focused woman. This one is best for first graders and up, but it is well paced, poetic, and inspiring. Ella worked hard to register voters and convince Black Americans that it would help them have a voice and it is her determination that shines through more than anything else.
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14. Jump at the Sun: The True Life Tale of Unstoppable Storycatcher Zora Neale Hurston
by Alicia D Williams
illustrated by Jacqueline Alcantara
Zora Neale Hurston was a girl who loved stories who grew up to be a storyteller. From her early years in Florida on, wherever Zora went she found stories and shared stories. She wrote down the stories she found on her journeys. Stories from Haiti, Jamaica and other places that weren’t commonly written down at that time. This book captures a life full of adventure and color and curiosity.
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15. Playing to Win: How Althea Gibson Broke Barriers and Changed Tennis Forever
by Karen Deans
illustrated by Elbrite Brown
You’ve heard of Serena and Venus Williams, but have you heard of Althea Gibson? Born to sharecroppers in the 1920s, this impressive woman became the first African American to win Wimbledon and was the number one women’s tennis player. This is a story of overcoming obstacles and doubts to persist and become great.
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16. Resist! Peaceful Acts That Changed Our World
by Diane Stanley
This book gave me chills. Such an incredible collection of stories and people. Most people will have heard of most of these people and events. From Rosa Parks to Mohandas Gandhi, The Greensboro Lunch Counter Sit-In to Greta Thunberg’s school strike for the climate. Interspersed are other less known stories of courage and protest. These are not all Black History stories, but many are included. I think what really makes this book powerful though is that it brings these acts all together. When you hear about the occasional brave person standing up for something it’s inspiring, but still feels rare and perhaps not like something you can do. When you see the small ways that ordinary people stood up for what they believed in all bound into one book the effect is impressive.
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17. There was a Party for Langston
by Jason Reynolds
art by Jerome Pumphrey & Jarrett Pumphrey
This is a celebration of Langston Hughes inspired by a library celebration in his honor. Reynolds’ perfectly chosen words capture the man and the inspiration he sprouted.
18. Fighting with Love: The Legacy of John Lewis
by Lesa Cline-Ransome
illustrated by James E. Ransome
Beautiful ode to the legacy of a remarkable Civil Rights leader.
Books for All Ages that Share Black Stories
Below I am also including more books for all ages. From board books through Young Adult, this is just a sample of some great books that share black stories.
1. Curls
written by Ruth Forman
illustrated by Geneva Bowers
Bright, cheerful rhyming board book all about glorious curly hair. Simple pairs of words on each page and glowing illustrations on each page. Perfect for little ones. 1+
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2. Me and Mama
by Cozbi A. Cabrera
I think this one wins for most adorable cover. This picture book is about the relationship between a little girl and her Mama. It’s all ordinary moments as they spend their day together; getting ready, eating breakfast, stomping in puddles. It is gentle and full of warmth. 2+
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3. Saturday
by Oge Mora
Ava and her mom spend a day together on the one day a week her mom has off from work. It’s a picture book about every day things, dealing with disappointments, and the relationship between a mom and kid. The simple, repetitive sentences lend themselves to reading aloud or making this accessible for a new reader. 2+
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4. Watch Me
by Doyin Richards
illustrated by Joe Cepeda
This could maybe have been listed above because it is based on the life of the author’s father who immigrated to America from Africa. Rather than telling his father’s story though, to me it felt like telling about the immigration experience. It is a beautiful book that encourages you to look around and see the people in your world and think about what they’ve gone through. 5+
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5. Jabari Tries
by Gala Cornwall
JABARI JUMPS was the first Jabari story and it captured hearts everywhere with the simple, ordinary every day moment of conquering fears. In this one Jabari wants to build a flying machine and it isn’t working. This has a fun STEM premise with plenty of persevering and “growth mindset” themes running through it. 4+
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6. Sing a Song: How Lift Every Voice and Sing Inspired Generations
by Kelly Starling Lyons
illustrated by Keith Mallett
“Lift Every Voice and Sing” has become a well known song. I learned it in Elementary School during Black History Month. The song has a rich history and I love how this picture book shares the song across three generations. The illustrations and text are perfectly paired. A great read aloud for early elementary schoolers.
7. A History of Me
by Adrea Theodore
illustrations by Erin K. Robinson
What a piece of art. The story is so well told. Heart thumping from the page blended with history and generations. Stunning, layered artwork. A girl shares what it is like to be the only black kid in her class when they’re learning about the history of slavery and the civil rights and how what we teach about black history impacts black children today. Graceful, powerful and beautiful.
8. Do You Know Them?
by Shana Keller
illustrated by Laura Freeman
After the Civil War, Blacks who had been separated by enslavement tried to locate their family after slavery was abolished by placing ads in a special newspaper. This is based on these stories and actual ads about lost loved ones. It is a powerful story about the determination to reconnect and about the power of literacy. The story is well written and weaves in actual ads from newspapers. The artwork is rich and adds an extra layer of heart to an already heart-filled story. A must read glimpse at a pivotal time in history and in the lives of so many families.
9. Mia Mayhem
by Kara West
illustrated by Leeza Hernandez
This is an early chapter book series about Mia Macarooni an eight year old who finds out she’s a superhero. Mia is a spunky hero and these books are a lot of fun. 5+
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10. Desmond Cole Ghost Patrol series
by Andres Miedoso
illustrated by Victor Rivas
This is an early chapter book series of mysteries. This is about Desmond who hunts for ghosts and monsters with his best friend Andres. They’re friendship stories with a simple mystery built in. 6+
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11. A Place Inside of Me
by Zetta Elliot
illustrated by Noa Denmon
This is a powerful poem full of emotion and heart. It depicts the range of emotions from fear and anger to pride and peace that a Black child experiences. These feels are often deep and raw and while unarguably real and true, they are occasionally described in a way that I would personally hesitate to share with younger children. That being said, for an older elementary child who need to feel heard and understood or to give a better perspective on the complex narrative of a Black child’s experience, this affirming and vibrant book is a great place to start. The illustrations are stunning and capture the color and emotion and context of the poem perfectly. The poetic words are delicious to read aloud and ache with raw emotion. A beautiful and unique picture book. 7+
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12. Meet Cute Project
by Rhiannon Richardson
This is not deep and moving like a lot of the books on this list, but it is full of heart. It has a sweet, classic rom-com movie feel to it, but set in high school. How do you meet someone special? What if you are required to have a date at your sister’s wedding? In this case, you’d get a funny, awkward, and ultimately a warm story of family, friendship, and even love. 14+
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13. Long Way Down
by Jason Reynolds
art by Danica Novgorodoff
This is the graphic novel version of Jason Reynolds’ award winning book LONG WAY DOWN. If you haven’t already read this one, pick it up in some version. It’s a quick read, but an incredibly powerful one. This is YA though and I would caution you to save it for older kids. 14+
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