Join us in celebrating Black History Month with books for young children! "Reading and discussing carefully selected picture books is one way to address matters of race(ism) and discrimination." -Dr. Brian L. Wright, author of The Brilliance of Black Boys: Cultivating School Success in the Early Grades, with contributions by Shelly L. Counsell Our Book Recommendations![]() Black is a Rainbow Color by Angela Joy We recently discovered this picture book illustrated by Coretta Scott King Award winner Ekua Holmes. In the author’s note, Joy explains the challenge of teaching black history after her preschooler commented, “But Mama, we’re not black, we’re brown.” She took that as a challenge to teach that “Black is not just a color, but a culture, too.” The book backmatter includes a playlist, poems and historical context of the book's references to significant people and events. "I think it is a beautiful introduction of black history that can spark developmentally appropriate conversations." - ECS team member Marjorie Wild ![]() Little People, Big Dreams is a biography series for kids. It includes some board books and a website that offers “extras” like teachers’ guides, bookmarks and costume kits! Learn about the lives of heroes in sports, arts, music, activism, past and present. ![]() Follow Your Dreams Little One and Dream Big Little One, both by Vashti Harrison, are part of the Little Leaders books. Books as Teacher Resources The Coretta Scott King Book Award winners are books that have been honored because they express the African American experience through literature and art. Although these books are for older children, they may be great teacher resources. There's a listing of the award winners that you may find useful at harpercollins.com. Additional ResourcesThe Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture website has an Early Childhood Education page. It includes interactive activity books for young children. Dr. Brian L. Wright's article in the NAEYC journal Teaching Young Children has 2 more book recommendations as well as a helpful discussion for early childhood classroom teachers. The NAEYC website also has a blog post on Black history and early childhood education with eight resources to explore. All of us at ECS are celebrating Black History Month! We honor the contributions and the culture of African Americans, this month and always. We are constantly seeking to gain a deeper understanding, by actively learning the history and seeking the viewpoints of Black people. Comment if you would like to help enlighten us further! References & ResourcesNAEYC. (2022, February 3). Black history and early childhood education: Eight resources to explore for Black history month. https://www.naeyc.org/resources/blog/resources-explore-black-history
Wright, B. L. (2020). Now read this! Books that promote race, identity, agency, and voice. Teaching Young Children 14(1). NAEYC. https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/tyc/oct2020/now-read-this
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AuthorI'm Diane Goyette, a Child Development Specialist, Trainer, Consultant and Keynote Speaker. I'm excited to share my blog! Archives
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