15 Books by Black Authors for Kids to Diversify Your Bookshelf

As we approach Black History Month, now is a great time to refresh your bookshelf and take an audit of the diversity of your library. It is so important for kids to see themselves and others represented in their world. It sends the message that we can create community with everyone, and that everyone in our community is important. Books are a wonderful way to increase visibility of diversity, and these books by Black authors for kids are a great place to start!

Below you’ll find 15 picture books for ages 3 to 8, grouped by theme, each with an age range, a quick summary, and a simple follow-up activity or discussion question. Every book is written by a Black author, and many are illustrated by Black artists too. These aren’t history books. They’re joyful, everyday stories about hair, family, friendship, and big dreams, so you can read them in February and all year long.

Why Diversify Your Bookshelf with Books by Black Authors?

In 1990, Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop wrote an essay called “Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors” that sums up why a diverse bookshelf matters. Bishop described books as windows that let readers look into other people’s worlds, and as sliding glass doors that let them step inside those worlds through imagination. When the light is just right, a window also becomes a mirror, and children see their own lives reflected back. She pointed out that readers often go looking for those mirrors, and that seeing yourself in a book is a form of self-affirmation.

When children have the opportunity to step into various worlds offering diverse perspectives, it enriches their understanding of the real world they live in. Children can better understand their friends, neighbors, family, and themselves, and in turn strengthen their bonds with each other in the classroom. It is so heartwarming to watch children realize they are reading a book about someone similar to themselves, and to see their self-confidence shine.

There’s one more reason to look beyond history books. If the only Black characters on your shelf appear in stories about slavery or civil rights, kids get an incomplete picture. Books about Black kids getting their hair done, waiting for a new baby, or building a rocket ship out of a rocking chair show Black joy and everyday life, and those stories belong on the shelf all year.

15 Picture Books by Black Authors for Kids

Good books by Black authors for kids ages 3 to 8 include joyful, everyday stories like Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry, Saturday by Oge Mora, and The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson. Faith Ringgold’s Tar Beach, a 1992 Caldecott Honor book, follows a girl who imagines flying over Harlem from her rooftop.

Each pick below lists the author and illustrator, a suggested age range, and one easy way to extend the book. [Affiliate links to be added for each title.]

Books About Hair, Self-Love, and Confidence

1. I Am Enough by Grace Byers, illustrated by Keturah A. Bobo

Ages: 3 to 7

This gentle book of affirmations compares kids to things in nature and celebrates kindness, respect, and self-acceptance. The soft watercolor illustrations show children of many backgrounds, which makes it an easy first read for the youngest listeners.

Try this: Have each child finish the sentence “I am…” on a paper star and hang the stars together. It pairs well with an All About Me preschool theme.

2. Skin Again by bell hooks, illustrated by Chris Raschka

Ages: 4 to 7

Celebrated writer bell hooks reminds kids that skin is just one layer of who we are, and that the real story is inside. The bold, loose paintings give older preschoolers plenty to talk about.

Ask: “What is something about you that people can’t see just by looking at you?”

3. All Because You Matter by Tami Charles, illustrated by Bryan Collier

Ages: 4 to 8

This lyrical book tells a Black child, from the very start of their life, that they matter, through first steps, hard days at school, and hard news in the world. Bryan Collier’s collage-and-watercolor art connects the child to family and ancestors.

Try this: Invite families to send in a baby photo and one sentence about what makes their child special, then share them at circle time.

4. Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry, illustrated by Vashti Harrison

Ages: 4 to 8

Zuri loves her hair, and when she needs a special style for a big day, her dad steps up to help. Based on Cherry’s Oscar-winning animated short film, it’s a sweet look at a father and daughter that kids ask to hear again and again.

Try this: Watch the short film after reading and ask kids to spot what’s the same and what’s different.

5. I Am Every Good Thing by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Gordon C. James

Ages: 4 to 8

A confident Black boy proudly lists all the good things he is, from smart and creative to a loyal friend. Gordon C. James’s warm oil paintings show Black boys playing, learning, and dreaming.

Ask: “What good things are you?” Make a class chart of every answer.

Books About Family and Community

6. The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Rafael López

Ages: 5 to 8

From National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Jacqueline Woodson, this story follows children who each feel different from their classmates, until they find the courage to share their stories. It’s a natural fit for the first weeks of school or any time a new friend joins the class.

Ask: “Have you ever felt like nobody else was like you? What helped?”

7. Pecan Pie Baby by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Sophie Blackall

Ages: 4 to 8

Gia is not excited about the new baby on the way, especially since it’s all anyone in the family wants to talk about. Any child who has become a big brother or sister will recognize her feelings.

Try this: Talk about how families change, then draw a picture of everyone in your family. It fits right into a preschool family theme.

8. Saturday, written and illustrated by Oge Mora

Ages: 4 to 8

Ava’s mom works all week, so Saturday is their special day together. When their plans keep going wrong, Ava and her mom learn that the best part was being together all along. Oge Mora’s earlier book, Thank You, Omu!, earned a Caldecott Honor.

Ask: “What is your favorite thing to do with someone you love?”

9. Please, Baby, Please by Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee, illustrated by Kadir Nelson

Ages: 1 to 4

A busy toddler gets into everything while patient parents keep asking, “please, baby, please.” It’s available as a board book, so it’s the best pick on this list for toddlers and young threes.

Try this: Act it out! Kids take turns being the “baby” while the class plays the parents.

10. Black Cat, written and illustrated by Christopher Myers

Ages: 4 to 8

A black cat wanders the streets of a big city, taking in the sights and sounds of the neighborhood. Myers’s rhythmic text and photo collage art earned a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor.

Try this: Take a neighborhood walk and make a class book about what you see.

Books About Dreams and Imagination

11. My Rainy Day Rocket Ship by Markette Sheppard, illustrated by Charly Palmer

Ages: 4 to 8

Stuck inside on a rainy day, a child turns a rocking chair and a few household items into a rocket ship headed for space, with a little help from Mom, Dad, and the family dog. The rhyming text makes it a fun read-aloud.

Try this: Set out boxes, blankets, and kitchen tools and let kids build their own rocket in dramatic play.

12. Mae Among the Stars by Roda Ahmed, illustrated by Stasia Burrington

Ages: 4 to 8

This story shows young Mae Jemison dreaming of going to space, with parents who tell her she can be anything she imagines. Mae grew up to become the first African American woman in space.

Ask: “What do you dream of doing when you grow up?” Write each child’s answer on a paper rocket.

13. Parker Looks Up: An Extraordinary Moment by Parker Curry and Jessica Curry, illustrated by Brittany Jackson

Ages: 4 to 8

Based on a real moment that went viral, young Parker visits the National Portrait Gallery with her family and stops in awe in front of Amy Sherald’s portrait of Michelle Obama. It’s a lovely way to talk about art and seeing yourself in someone you admire.

Try this: Set up a self-portrait station with mirrors and let kids paint themselves.

14. Firebird by Misty Copeland, illustrated by Christopher Myers

Ages: 5 to 8

Misty Copeland, who became the first African American woman named principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre, encourages a young girl who doubts she could ever dance like her. Christopher Myers’s illustrations won the 2015 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award.

Try this: Play some classical music and let kids move like birds.

15. Tar Beach, written and illustrated by Faith Ringgold

Ages: 4 to 8

Cassie spends summer nights on the rooftop of her Harlem apartment building and dreams of flying over the city. Based on Ringgold’s own story quilt, it was a 1992 Caldecott Honor book and won the Coretta Scott King Award for illustration.

Try this: Make a class paper quilt where each child draws a place they would fly to.

How to Use These Books in the Preschool Classroom

Read them aloud more than once. Preschoolers notice new details every time. On the first read, just enjoy the story. On the second, pause on the pictures and ask what kids notice.

Make a February book basket. Put these books in a basket in your reading corner so kids can revisit them on their own. If you’re teaching kids how to pick out books independently, this is a great basket to practice with.

Pair books with centers. Put My Rainy Day Rocket Ship in dramatic play, Tar Beach at the art table, and Hair Love near a mirror and a basket of brushes and hair accessories for pretend play. You can also fit these books into your February preschool themes.

Send one home. Let each child take a book home for a night in a book bag with a short note asking families to read it together and share one thing their child said.

Keep them out after February. Rotate a few of these titles into every season so Black characters show up in your classroom all year, not just one month.

Quick Bookshelf Audit for Teachers

Pull 20 books off your classroom shelf at random and ask yourself:

• Who is on the cover? Count how many covers show Black children or families.
• Who wrote and illustrated it? Check the author and illustrator. Are Black creators telling their own stories?
• Where do Black characters show up? If they only appear in history or struggle stories, add books about everyday life, play, and imagination.
• Are Black characters the main character or the sidekick? Look for books where they lead the story.
• Would every child in my class find a mirror here? Think about the families you serve, then about the world beyond your classroom.

For more titles that represent many cultures, see these multicultural books for early childhood classrooms.

More Black History Month Resources

When you’re ready to teach about the people and events of Black history, these resources pair well with the books above:

• Picture books for Black History Month with 20 history and biography titles, including The Story of Ruby Bridges and Henry’s Freedom Box
• Free printable Black History Month posters for your classroom walls
• Black History Month puzzles featuring historical figures
• A Martin Luther King Jr. printable booklet for early readers

Free Printable Book Reading Log

Keep track of every book your class or family reads with this free printable “Diversify Your Bookshelf” reading log. Kids can color in a space for each book and draw their favorite part.

Books by Black Authors for Kids FAQs

Which of these books by Black authors is your class’s favorite? Try a few this February, keep them on the shelf all year, and share your favorite titles in the comments so other teachers and parents can add them to their bookshelves too!

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