My Three Favorite Books for Children of Color are:
Corduroy by Don Freeman is a classic book I read when I was very young. It is a touching story about acceptance. Corduroy is a bear who lives in a department store. Corduroy is discovered in the toy section by a little girl named Lisa. Of course, I just loved the book because Lisa was brown just like me. As a kid, I found a little stuffed bear wearing overalls just like the main character of the story. I still have that bear to this day.
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats is the story about Peter, a young black boy, and his adventures in the city on a snowy day. I grew up in suburban Connecticut. The Snowy Day made me imagine going to my grandmother’s house in Brooklyn, New York when it snowed. Playing in the snow in the city seemed like it would be so much fun. I particularly liked the mixed media illustrations in this book. Keats himself spoke of how much he enjoyed creating them.
Happy to be Nappy by Bell Hooks- Happy to be Nappy is a fun, rhyming book about natural hair. I just love the lyrical poetry style and the whimsical illustrations. The first line just makes me smile “Girl pie hair smells sweet and clean…” I read this book to my daughters growing up because I wanted them to be proud of their hair.
For new book titles for children of color, check out the Black Kid Lit Award Winners and the Coretta Scott King Awards.