by WB Intern Kate Dowdy
In celebration of Black History Month, we’re recommending 5 stellar picture books written by black authors. These stories are ones of courage, family, justice, and friendship; perfect for any young reader finding their place in the world.
Bunheads by Misty Copeland, Setor Fiadzigbey (Illustrator) is a beautiful story about a young ballerina named Misty. The author, Misty Copeland, bases it on her own ballet experience, writing as the first African American woman to be principal dancer at the American Ballet Theater. In the book, the young Misty takes her first ballet class and falls in love with the stories dancing can tell. When Misty takes to the stage in a statement of not only her passion for dancing, but her passion for her friends, we knew this was a must read.
Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry, Vashti Harrison (Illustrator) can be found in both a bookstore and under the list of Oscar Short Film Winners. This book is perfect to read along with the animated short, or by itself. Both versions portray the touching story of a father styling his daughter’s hair for the first time. The father’s dedication to his daughter’s hair despite his struggles shows how love comes in the form of “braids, puffs, and twists.”
Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford, Kadir Nelson (Illustrator) begins with the line that has now entered the public consciousness: “On a summer night, Harriet gazes at the sky and talks with God.” This library staple is a powerful book about how one woman’s faith and strength leads her to escape from slavery. At the end of Tubman’s harrowing journey, she turns right around to help hundreds more enslaved find freedom. Harriet Tubman’s story is captured beautifully here in both the written word and Nelson’s painted shadows and light.
The Writing Barn is lucky to be offering a webinar by Carole Boston Weatherford on March 4: “The Art of Nonfiction: Writing Outside the Box.” There’s still time to register!
Nell Plants a Tree by Anne Wynter, Daniel Miyares (Illustrator) spirals upwards in its scale just like a pecan tree. What starts with a secret, buried seed, planted by the young girl Nell, eventually grows huge with the care and time she puts into it. The tree’s growth follows Nell’s own as the book explores her family over the decades to come. This breathtaking picture book teaches us about the rich history living around us, always.
The Freeman Field Photograph by Bryan Patrick Avery, Jerome T. White (Illustrator) is based on the true events of the 1945 Freeman Field mutiny, a crucial stepping stone for the desegregation of the US armed forces. In the story, one of the arrested soldier’s daughter, Sidney, feels the acute injustice of the arrest and misses her father. Wanting to at least see a picture of him, she sets out to find his photograph, and proves the worth of making a difference, no matter how small the difference may be.
Do you have a favorite? Share it with us on social media!
About the Author
Kate Dowdy is a senior at St. Edward’s University studying Writing and Rhetoric. She’s also an Austin native you can find at any bookstore in the area. Her favorite genres are sci-fi and romance, especially if they’re combined. As she works towards publishing her first book, Kate hopes to dig into the connections that make a disconnected world worth living in.