Pamela Paul, editor of the Sunday New York Times Book Review and author of How to Raise a Reader, recently wrote an op-ed extolling the virtues of children’s picture books. Her worthwhile article focuses mainly on the unique storytelling power of combining visual feasts with succinct text, of their role in developing literacy both verbal and visual, and that “Picture books are also one of the literary world’s great pleasures.”
All of which is true! But I’d like to focus on some picture books which have been published recently, most within the past year, or two at the most, which also offer multicultural empowerment and inspiration.
(NOTE: The book links in this post are to my online bookstore The Literate Lizard, which I have carried on after the owner of the brick-and-mortar store I managed for three years decided to close last September. If you don’t already have a favorite independent bookstore and would like to throw a little business my way, that would be greatly appreciated!)
Let’s start out with two recent books that feature the inspiring stories of Aretha Franklin and Rita Moreno. Neither A Voice Named Aretha by Katheryn Russell-Brown, illustrated by Laura Freeman nor A Girl Named Rosita: The Story of Rita Moreno: Actor, Singer, Dancer, Trailblazer! By Anika Aldamuy Denise, Illustrated by Leo Espinosa shy away from the challenges both women of color faced in their careers or from the activism they practiced.
Parents probably already know the stories of those two great singers, but there are plenty of picture books from which you are likely to learn as much as the kids, given that they rescue the stories of lesser-known figures.
We Wait for the Sun, by Katie McCabe, Illustrated by Raissa Figueroa, tells a charming story of a little girl’s nighttime outing with her grandmother to pick blackberries in the woods. The little girl is frightened by the dark forest, but gains courage, first from her strong, caring grandmother, and then from other other berry-picking women who join them. It’s a charming story on its own, but it is also adapted from the autobiography of civil rights activist/lawyer Dovey Roundtree Johnson, who receives author credits for this book although she passed away several years ago at age 104. (Johnson’s autobiography Mighty Justice, was written with the author of this children’s book; there is also a young readers edition of Mighty Justice for middle readers.)
In a similar vein is Lift as You Climb: The Story of Ella Baker Patricia Hubry Powell, Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie, exploring the life of a woman whose long career in the civil rights movement encompassed the NAACP, Martin Luther King’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and much more.
Shirley Chisholm, first black woman elected to the New York State Assembly, U.S. Congress, and to run for president under a major party also gets the picture book spotlight in She Was the First!: The Trailblazing Life of Shirley Chisholm by Katheryn Russel-Brown, Illustrated by Eric Velasquez.
Three books dig even deeper to rescue the forgotten stories of inspiring people of color in music, literature and sports: Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for President Lincoln by Margarita Engle, illustrated by Rafael Lopez, tells the story of a daughter of Venezuelan immigrants; Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré by Anika Aldamuy Denise, illustrated by Paola Escobar, is about New York City’s first Puerto Rican librarian, who championed bilingual literature; and Fauja Singh Keeps Going: The True Story of the Oldest Person to Ever Run a Marathon by Simran Jeet Singh, Illustrated by Baljinder Kaur, about a Sikh man who ran in marathons up to age 100.
Picture books are increasingly featuring different ethnicities, races and nationalities. G My Name Is Girl: A Song of Celebration from Argentina to Zambia, by Dawn Masi, features girls from around the globe, while Latinitas: Celebrating 40 Big Dreamers, by Juliet Menendez, focuses on that community. Like the Moon Loves the Sky, by Hena Khan and Illustrated by Saffa Khan, focuses on Muslim children, as does The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family, by Olympic medalist and activist Ibtihaj Muhammed, illustrated by Hatem Aly.
Eyes That Kiss in the Corners, by Joanna Ho, Illustrated by Dung Ho, and Laxmi’s Mooch, by Shelly Anand, illustrated by Nabi H. Ali, focus on Asians and South Asians, respectively. Both books also convey a body-positive message. Two examples of books that portray the everyday lives of children around the world are I Want to Ride the Tap Tap, by Danielle Joseph, illustrated by Olivier Ganthier, is set in Haiti, and From My Window by Otavio Junior, Illustrated by Vanina Starkoff, in which the featured window is in a favela in Rio de Janeiro.
There have been a number of picture books featuring Native Americans, including the one pictured above, the Caldecott Award winner We Are Water Protectors, by Carole Lindstom, illustrated by Michaela Goade, with an environmental activist theme. Others include Fry Bread, by Kevin Noble Maillard, Illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal; and First Laugh – Welcome Baby, by Rose Ann Tahe, Nancy Bo Flood, Jonathan Nelson. Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids, edited by Cynthia L. Smith, features interlocking stories by 16 Native American authors.
It’s never too young to learn the history that got us to where we are today, and to be inspired to keep fighting. These history books go way beyond the Washington chopping down a cherry tree or Paul Revere’s midnight ride tales of my long-ago childhood. Finish the Fight!: The Brave and Revolutionary Women Who Fought for the Right to Vote, by Veronica Chambers and the Staff of The New York Times, goes beyond the usual suffragettes, including the stories of Native American, Black, Latinx and Asian activists. An Equal Shot: How the Law Title IX Changed America by Helaine Becker, Illustrated by Dow Phumiruk, tells the story of the women who fought for gender equality.
The Teachers March!: How Selma's Teachers Changed History by Sandra Neil Wallace & Rick Wallace, illustrated by Charly Palmer, tells the story of a civil rights march by schoolteachers in Selma that happened six weeks before the better-known Bloody Sunday march. Farmers Unite!: Planting a Protest for Fair Prices by Lindsay Metcalf features the agricultural protests of 1979, when thousands of farmers and their tractors descended on Washington DC. And Send a Girl!: The True Story of How Women Joined the FDNY, by Jessica Rinker and illustrated by Meg Hunt, tells how Brenda Berkman took the New York City Fire Department to court and became one of the first group of women firefighters in the city in 1982.
After all that history and inspiration, the kids will be ready to make their own mark, and there are plenty of books to help them do just that. Examples in the environmental realm include Climate Action: What Happened and What We Can Do by Seymour Simon; The Last Straw: Kids vs. Plastics by Susan Hood, illustrated by Christiane Engel; and Earth Squad: 50 People Who Are Saving the Planet by Alexandra Zissu, illustrated by Nhung Lê. Even the Post Office gets the spotlight in The Lost Package by Richard Ho, illustrated by Jessica Lanan.
Don’t worry. It’s not all heavy lifting, a pre-school college prep of picture books. There are plenty of charming stories and wacky adventures to be enjoyed, dozens of fabulous examples being published every year. But the examples here show how picture books are increasingly striving to instill multicultural understanding and pride, and to teach the history of how we have all worked together to improve the world. I’d love to hear about your own favorites!