It wasn’t always a given that we could give you a list of the best children’s books featuring boys of color. In mainstream American pop culture, we have been quick to embrace the music and poetry of Black and Latino men. We love our Black and brown actors and comedians. But until very recent history, we have been far, far behind on giving them starring roles in literature, as little boys or as grown men.
That, as you must know if you’re reading this, is a serious problem that we’re still a long way from fixing entirely. But at least now little boys and girls don’t have to resort to reading only books about animals and white kids. They can see themselves in the pages too. These children’s books for boys of color are also for boys and girls of all backgrounds, of course, because we turn to books to expand our worlds as much as to see them reflected.
Some of what we list here, such as Henry’s Freedom Box by Ellen Levine, bring to life true stories of slavery, oppression, and triumph. Children will be totally engrossed as they’re educated about what it’s like to have a family divided by immigration, such as in René Laínez’s From North to South, or to have little money, like in Trombone Shorty’s memoir for children.
We have gathered some of the best children’s books that uplift Black and brown boys, too. Karamo Brown’s I Am Perfectly Designed and Mechal Renee Roe’s Cool Cuts are full of infectious joy and love.
At the same time, the best children’s books don’t always aim to teach children, not so obviously anyway. Matt de la Peña’s award-winning Last Stop on Market Street shows rather than tells about the beauty we can find in everyday lives. Ezra Jack Keats’ beloved classic The Snowy Day gives us little more than a perfect slice of life that we would very much love to save in our pocket to cherish later. We can hear the music of Havana’s streets in the words of Margarita Engle’s All the Way to Havana, and the rhythm of New York’s neighborhoods in Laban Carrick Hill’s When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop.
We also won’t sleep on the illustrators of these children’s books boys and girls love to stare at for hours. From the inimitable work of Jerry Pinkney in God Bless the Child to the depictions of Little Legends from new rising star Vashti Harrison, these books are worthy of filling your bookshelves long past the days when your children outgrow picture books. But then we hope you’ll pass them on to others, too.
Our mission at SheKnows is to empower and inspire women, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
-
‘Henry’s Freedom Box,’ by Ellen Levine
Based on the incredible true story of an enslaved man who mailed himself to freedom, this book depicts one of the scariest aspects of slavery for children: family separation. It’s hard for all of us to stomach, but Kadir Nelson’s lithograph-inspired illustrations bring this necessary story back to life.
-
‘Last Stop on Market Street,’ by Matt de la Peña
With Christian Robinson’s playful illustrations, we follow CJ and his grandmother on a Sunday bus trip to their weekly volunteer shift at a soup kitchen. Along the way, she shows him all the beauty to be had in an urban environment where many forget to look for it.
-
‘The Snowy Day,’ by Ezra Jack Keats
On the rare chance that this isn’t already on your bookshelf, you need to get it ASAP. There has never been a better description of what it’s like to be a child on a snow day than this.
-
‘Gilberto and the Wind,’ by Marie Hall Ets
We’ve all felt like the wind is a creature with its own whims and temper. Little Gilberto believes it’s his playmate.
-
‘I Am Perfectly Designed,’ by Karamo Brown & Jason “Rachel” Brown
The Queer Eye “culture” specialist used to make his eldest child write books for him as extra homework. That task has paid off at last, as the two teamed up with illustrator Anoosha Syed to show kids that all children and all types of families are deserving of love.
-
‘God Bless the Child,’ by Billie Holiday & Arthur Herzog Jr.
Illustrator Jerry Pinkney’s artwork depicts the life of African American families during the Great Migration of the last century, as the words of the mournful Billie Holiday song floats by. There’s no real plot here, but it is a tale of resilience nonetheless.
-
‘Little Legends: Exceptional Men in Black History,’ by Vashti Harrison
Harrison followed up her books on women’s history with this collection of biographies of Black men who changed the world. This includes well-known names like Prince and James Baldwin, and some we should know, like filmmaker Oscar Devereaux Micheaux.
-
‘Niño Wrestles the World,’ by Yuyi Morales
Whether he’s a world-class wrestler conquering monsters in la lucha libre, or he’s a little boy battling his sisters, Niño is a brave, imaginative soul. The sound effects he uses are ones you’re going to want to keep in your vocabulary from now on.
-
‘Baby Says,’ by John Steptoe
Award-winning author Steptoe puts readers right in the moment as a baby gets his big brother to play with him. It’s an “aha!” moment for any older sibling for sure.
-
‘When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop,’ by Laban Carrick Hill
More of hip-hop history needs to be told as “real” history now, considering how much it shapes our world. Illustrator Theodore Taylor III helps bring us back to the Bronx streets of the 1970s, where it all began.
-
‘All the Way to Havana,’ Margarita Engle
If you have a car-loving kid at home, they’ll relish this gorgeous slice of life featuring a boy, his father, and their classic fixer-upper named Cara Cara. The sights and sounds of Cuba fill the pages, illustrated by Mike Curato.
-
‘When Aidan Became a Brother,’ by Kyle Lukoff
When a child is transgender, that’s not the beginning and ending of all there is to say about them. The beauty of this story, illustrated by Kaylani Juanita, is that it’s about another very big moment in Aidan’s life.
-
‘Trombone Shorty,’ by Troy ‘Trombone Shorty’ Andrews
The trombone player and multi-instrumentalist recounts his childhood in the Treme district of New Orleans. Bryan Collier’s illustrations have us practically hearing the music now.
-
‘Full, Full, Full of Love,’ by Trish Cooke
The title sounds like a pretty accurate description of a lot of grandmothers we know. This book, illustrated by Paul Howard, is a pure joy to read, as little Jay Jay gets ready for Sunday dinner with his Grannie.
-
‘From North to South / Del Norte al Sur,’ by René Laínez
It’s a heartbreaking premise: Young José and his father are on their way to visit his mother, who has been deported to Mexico. But from a child’s perspective, this is a story of hope and love, too.
-
‘We Are Brothers,’ by Yves Nadon
We very much want to dive into this story about diving in. Two boys, illustrated by Jean Claverie, go swimming in a lake, where a big brother encourages his little brother to overcome his fear and take a leap.
-
‘Riley Knows He Can,’ by Davina Hamilton
Everyone can relate to the sudden bout of stage fright Riley gets just before the school play. If we all had supporters like his big sister, maybe we’d be stars now.
-
‘Preaching to the Chickens: The Story of Young John Lewis,’ by Jabari Asim
Considering everything Civil Rights activist and Georgia Congressional Representative John Lewis has accomplished in his life, it seems those chickens were pretty good training for him as a boy in Alabama. E.B. Lewis’ illustrations are works of art in their own right, too.
-
‘Cool Cuts,’ by Mechal Renee Roe
This is a celebration of Black boys’ hairstyles, as you might guess. But it’s also nonstop uplifting with every page.
-
Pin it!
Pin these children’s books featuring boys of color.
Leave a Comment