African American Books for Preschoolers

A child considers how Grandfather is the perfect person to spend time with because he is never in a hurry.

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.

Relates a child's activities in the heat of a summer day punctuated by a thunderstorm.

Harvey tackles a big job: cleaning his room.

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.

A young girl expresses what she loves about life.

A little boy waits and listens all day for his older sister to come home from school.

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.

Illustrations and rhyming text evoke the rhythms of jazz music.

Inspired by his family experiences and his father's paintings, a young boy creates four poems.

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

From the days she banged her rattle in the crib, Violet has been looking for friends to share her love of music.

Shanna gives five clues that explain how she knows that she is a ballerina.

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

When tiny Hewitt is born into a family of giants, everyone learns that sometimes small is best of all.

Photographs and poetic text celebrate the beauty and diversity of African American children.

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

A little boy, living out his fantasy of driving his own freight train, describes the different cars, what each carries, how they are connected, and more.

Illustrations and rhyming text provide examples of what is soft and hard, warm and cold, wet and dry, long and short, and light and dark and describe how a puppy is all these things at once.

Kevin feels excitement, pride, pleasure, and love as he spends an entire day working and playing with his father.

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

Max comes up with a clever way to help his elephant friend Big Blue, who is afraid of the dark.

A little girl delights her brother with a series of promises about all the wonderful things she'll do to make him happy as they both grow up.