Book Finder

A comprehensive look at heroes, heroines, and critical moments from African American history— from the slave trade to the Black Lives Matter movement. In addition to the larger chronological narrative, the book also features short biographies of famous leaders, artists, and athletes. Key issues, events, and concepts are explored succinctly. Filled with vivid illustrations that bring these figures and events to life, plus a removable historical timeline poster.

An ode to self-confidence, respecting others, and kindness from actor and activist Grace Byers, this picture book depicts girls of diverse body shapes and skin tones. “We are all here for a purpose. We are more than enough. We just need to believe it.”

When you meet someone for the first time, they might ask, “Who are your people?” and “Where are you from?” This book depicts children from the African Diaspora, and invites young readers to reflect on who they are and where their ancestors came from. The book opens on a scene of a father sharing with his children the importance of their heritage, their lineage, and how far they have come in overcoming obstacles from the time of their ancestors to the present. 

This civil rights book examines the little-known Tennessee’s Fayette County Tent City Movement in the late 1950s and reveals what is possible when people unite and fight for the right to vote. Powerfully conveyed through interconnected stories and told through the eyes of a child, this book combines poetry, prose, and rich illustrations to shine light on this forgotten history.

The inspiring life and history of George Washington Carver, from a baby born into slavery to celebrated botanist, scientist, and inventor.  When George Washington Carver was just a young child, he had a secret: a garden of his own, and it was in this very place that George’s love of nature sprouted into something so much more — his future. His passion and determination are the seeds to this lasting story about triumph over hardship.

The story of American slavery through the voice of a teacher struggling to help her students understand its harrowing history. From the fireside tales in an African village, through the unspeakable passage across the Atlantic, to the backbreaking work in the fields of the South, this is a story of a people’s struggle and strength, horror and hope. A testament to the resilience of the African American community, this book honors what has been and envisions what is to be.

The story of a groundbreaking artist who chronicled an important era in Harlem and showed the beauty and pride of its people. James Van Der Zee was just a young boy when he saved enough money to buy his first camera. He took photos of his family, classmates, and anyone who would sit still for a portrait. Eventually James opened his own portrait studio in Harlem. He took photographs of legendary figures of the Harlem Renaissan — politicians such as Marcus Garvey, performers including Florence Mills, Bill -Bojangles- Robinson, and Mamie Smith — and ordinary folks in the neighborhood, too. 

The story of Charles Henry Turner, the first Black entomologist — a scientist who studies bugs. Can spiders learn? How do ants find their way home? Can bugs see color? All of these questions buzzed endlessly in Charles Henry Turner’s mind. He was fascinated by plants and animals and bugs. And even when he faced racial prejudice, Turner did not stop wondering. He constantly read, researched, and experimented.  

Learning to soar ‘from the people who came before’ two siblings are told both that their feelings have been experienced by others, and that “nobody can ever cuff/ your brilliant and beautiful mind,” a lesson they pass on in turn. The book reminds children that imagination is a powerful tool in any situation, and López’s warm, colorful art enhances this message. This book is a companion to The Day You Begin (opens in a new window) by the same author/illustrator team.

Ethel Payne always had an ear for stories. Seeking truth, justice, and equality, Ethel followed stories from her school newspaper in Chicago to Japan during World War II. It even led her to the White House briefing room, where she broke barriers as the only black female journalist. Ethel wasn’t afraid to ask the tough questions of presidents, elected officials, or anyone else in charge, earning her the title, “First Lady of the Black Press.”

Discover the inspiring story of Augustus Jackson, an African American entrepreneur who is known as “the father of ice cream.” After working in the White House as a cook, Gus headed back home to Philadelphia, and in 1830, he opened his very own ice cream parlor. He devised a way to keep the ice cream frozen so that it could be shipped and sold to other businesses. Back matter includesan afterword, a list of sources, and an easy-to-follow recipe so readers can make their own delicious ice cream!

Letter by letter, this picture book celebrates a story that spans continents and centuries, triumph and heartbreak, creativity and joy. It’s a story of big ideas — P is for Power, S is for Science and Soul. Of significant moments — G is for Great Migration. Of iconic figure — H is for Zora Neale Hurston, X is for Malcom X. 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 Herc.

Written in the voice of Mother Africa, who speaks to her children — human beings — this picture book expresses the love between mother and child as it celebrates humanity’s common roots. Told in beautifully evocative free verse, with dreamlike watercolors that sharpen as they move closer to contemporary life. Includes back matter with nonfiction information about human evolution and about the migration of Homo sapiens from Africa around the globe. 

This autobiographical picture book by the Grammy Award-winning singer Roberta Flack recounts her childhood in a home surrounded by music and love: it all started with a beat-up piano that her father found in a junkyard, repaired, and painted green. Growing up in a Blue Ridge mountain town, little Roberta didn’t have fancy clothes or expensive toys … but she did have music. 

You’ve heard the names Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott King, but what about the many other women who were crucial to the Civil Rights Movement? Told through twelve short biographies, this book celebrates just some of the many Black women — each of whom has been largely underrepresented until now — who were instrumental to the nation’s fight for civil rights and the contributions they made in driving the movement forward.

A picture book biography about the barber shop of woodcarver Elijah Pierce, recipient of the highest folk art honor in the United States. “Creeeeak!” goes the screen door to self-taught artist Elijah Pierce’s barbershop art studio. A young boy walks in for an ordinary haircut and walks out having discovered a lifetime of art. Mr. Pierce’s wood carvings are in every corner of the small studio. There are animals, scenes from his life, and those detailing the socio-political world around him. Based on the true story of Elijah Pierce and his community barber shop in Columbus, Ohio, this picture book includes informative backmatter about his life. 

Before there was Elvis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and Johnny Cash, there was Sister Rosetta Tharpe. The godmother of rock & roll started as a little girl from Arkansas with music in her air, in her hair, in her bones, wiggling her toes. With a big guitar in hand and a big voice in her soul, she grew into a rock & roll trailblazer in a time when women were rarely seen rocking out. Includes a timeline of Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s life, author’s note, and a list of sources.

Maya Angelou was the first Black poet and the first woman to recite poetry at a Presidential Inauguration. Her life is introduced in free verse and realistic collage to evoke the poet and her work. A timeline and notes from the award-winning author and illustrator conclude this memorable portrait. 

Emmett Till was only 14 years old when he was murdered in 1955 in the South. His mother demanded her son be sent home to Chicago. “It was the braver thing that changed everything.”  Mamie became an activist for social justice that helped launch the Civil Rights Movement. Lyrical text and expressive cut-paper illustrations convey the haunting story made accessible to sophisticated younger readers.

Where is the black cat? The cat starts and ends under the wobbly table as the reader follows the cat from the specific to the truly universal. Uncluttered, simple illustrations provide visual information to the expanding scenes. A brilliant way to initiate discussions about our place in the world.

Handsome, animated illustrations combine with straightforward language to tell the story of the great-great-granddaughter of the Mongolian warlord, Genghis Khan, who trained and succeeded as a warrior. Backmatter reveals how her story was pieced together from various sources and legend.

Illustration and words paint a portrait of the natural world and a child’s connection to it, until “There is a poem/In the cradle of my Soul/Rocking me.” It continues until the narrator writes, telling her own story.

Badger and Bear are separated by the salty, wet sea. Being apart is hard, until Badger looks more closely and sees all the beauty — and all the connections to Bear — around her. Delicately textured watercolors add depth to the unusual look at friends separated by time and distance.

Marcel Duchamp was full of surprises. In fact, some would consider him irreverent or even a crackpot. Through collage illustrations and informal text scattered on full pages, readers and budding artists are asked to consider what makes art.  Slightly irreverent and quite delightful.