African American Books for Preschoolers

On Saturdays, Delia and Jesse help Shoebox Sam, who teaches them about charity and love by not only repairing shoes for paying customers, but also giving poor and homeless people the dignity--and footwear--they need.

Illustrated versions of three well-known hymns.

Helped by her father, a young girl prepares a flower garden as a birthday surprise for her mother.

A rhyming description of the kente cloth costumes of the Ashanti and Ewe people of Ghana and a portrayal of the symbolic colors and patterns.

For young Jay Jay, Sunday dinner at Gran's house is full of hugs and kisses, tasty dishes, all kinds of fishes, happy faces, and love.

A musical family with talents for playing a variety of instruments enjoys getting together to celebrate.

A collection of nursery rhymes, both familiar and lesser known, illustrated with photographs in a city setting.

In illustrations and rhyme, this book describes the dancing of Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, one of the most famous tap dancers of all time.

Presents an introduction to jazz music and nine well-known jazz musicians, set to the rhythm of the traditional song, "This Old Man." Includes brief facts about each musician.

After having a fight, two friends spend the day ignoring each other, until the lure of a game of jump rope helps them to forget about being mad.

Seven-year-old Summer Jackson wants to be a grown-up, starting right now.

An African American girl contemplates the many wonderful black things around her, from the inside of a pocket, where surprises hide, to the cozy night where there is no light.

Hughes's spare yet eloquent tribute to his people has been cherished for generations. Now, acclaimed photographer Smith interprets this beloved poem in vivid sepia photographs that capture the glory, the beauty, and the soul of being a black American today.

When Lily Brown paints, she imagines all sorts of fantastic things in the scenes that she sees every day.

Keisha Ann is proud of all the things she can do during her day at school.

One of the best known African-American spirituals is brought to life in this picture book which tells the story of a boy whose inner light shines from the inside out. Includes the song's score.

Lola loves to hear Daddy read a new library book each night, an activity that spurs her imagination and results in inventive play the next day.

Illustrated version of the well-known spiritual. Includes the words and melody.

Mr. Barnes goes on a train trip and enjoys all the sights and sounds of the ride.

From the back of the bus, an African American child watches the arrest of Rosa Parks.

A young girl and her grandmother enjoy a day filled with tea parties, hide-and-seek, stories, and plenty of love.

In church on Mothers' Sunday when all the older ladies dress in white and wear their most beautiful hats, Clara B., sitting in the pew behind her grandmother and admiring her every move, determines to find a way to wear her grandmother's hat.

When Mama's pregnancy draws attention away from Gia, she worries that the special bond they share will disappear forever once the baby is born.