The first week of February is recognized as Children’s Authors and Illustrators Week. As a children’s book author, I get excited about the opportunity to share and celebrate with others. But I am also remindedthat my journey as a children’s book author came with the charge of providing anopportunity for Black children to see themselves reflected in the literature they read. As a mom of a 7-year-old daughter and 3-year-old-boy, positive imagery is a necessity in our world. In honor of both Black History Month and Children’s Authors and Illustrators Week, I thought it’d be cool to highlight some of the Black children’s authors and illustrators that are on our home bookshelf.
Authors
Rosalind Bennett – A beloved church-school teacher, Bennett launched It’s GiGi’s World Books with an energetic rhyme to explain creation in God Made It.
C. Cherie Hardy – Author of a number of children’s titles, Hardy runs Avant-Garde Books and provides community access to titles for children of color. A personal favorite in our house is The Orange Zebra.
Felicia Lee – Lee is an advocate that travels sharing the message of diversity in literacy. We’ve found courage in her book I Can Be.
Patrice McLaurin – McLaurin’s Have You Thanked an Inventor Series has opened conversations around the world. Her recent release Have You Thanked a Kidventor Today? has inspired us to think about the contributions we can make to the world through our creativity.
Diamond McNulty – Chef Diamond is capturing the hearts of young readers with business tips and nutrition knowledge. We have been captivated by learning our alphabet with him in Chef Diamond Goes Grocery Shopping.
G.A. Sealy – Sealy’s made a much needed impact with highlighting STEM and positive male influence through his work. We keep a copy of How Do Plants Grow? to encourage our scientific exploration.
Crystal Swain-Bates – Swain-Bates may look familiar for her partnerships with Amazon. Her book Big Hair, Don’t Care gave us the freedom to let our hair blow in the wind with no worries!
Illustrators
Jonathan Barnhill – Barnhill is a vibrant sketch and street artist. He emerged as an illustrator with his work on our Zachary Goes to School.
R. Gregory Christie – Christie is an award-winning illustrator who has shared his work on informative children’s works. We found joy and visions of ourselves dancing in Jazz Baby.
Aaron Davis – Davis brings a fresh energy to illustration. His work on Super Jacob helps us tap
into our inner super hero.
Double Duty
There are a couple of ladies we have to give a nod to. They are true bada** women who write and illustrate their own work! And we don’t use that description on just anybody!
Vanessa Brantley Newton – Brantley-Newton is an award-winning illustrator. She creates for others but also builds for herself in titles like Let Freedom Sing.
MeChal Roe – Renfroe blows us away with vibrant illustrations in her Happy Hair and Cool Cuts books. We’ve gotten a couple of the styles we’ve seen.
These are just a few of the many authors and illustrators that have become a part of our lives. I could truly go on with the number of Black children’s authors and illustrators, but I won’t. 😊 Instead, I’d love to hear from you about the ones you love too! Share in the comments below.