Story Time - Black Women and Men That Made History
I haven't wrote a blog post about books for a long time but today seems to be a great day to start and share again my love of kids literature.
What I particularly love about books is how they can bring you to question yourself and teach you how to understand and respect other cultures. I also love the discussion with my son arising from our readings. I think it's our work as parents to open our kids eyes on the world around them so we make it a better place for everyone.
Today is MLKD (Martin Luther King Day), Day of service in the United States. It's a day to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King's work and legacy and a great day to expand your personal library so you can learn more about black women and men that made history or about their history.
I've gathered for you some of my favorite books, I hope you'll love them too!
"Bold Women in Black History" by Vashti Harrison
Featuring 40 trailblazing black women in the world's history, this book educates and inspires as it relates true stories of women who broke boundaries and exceeded all expectations.
Where to buy: Indiebound
"The 1619 Project: Born on the Water" by Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renée Watson, Illustrated by Nikkolas Smith
A young student receives a family tree assignment in school, but she can only trace back three generations. Grandma gathers the whole family, and the student learns that 400 years ago, in 1619, their ancestors were stolen and brought to America by white slave traders. But before that, they had a home, a land, a language. She learns how the people said to be born on the water survived.
With powerful verse and striking illustrations by Nikkolas Smith, Born on the Water provides a pathway for readers of all ages to reflect on the origins of American identity.
"Black Women in Science" by Kimberly Brown Pellum, PhD
Throughout history, Black women have blazed trails across the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Black Women in Science brings something special to black history books for kids, celebrating incredible Black women in STEM who have used their brains, bravery, and ambition to beat the odds. Through the triumphs of these amazing women, you’ll find remarkable role models.
"Hidden Figures - The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race" by Margot Lee Shetterly and illustrated by Laura Freeman
Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden were good at math…really good.
They participated in some of NASA's greatest successes, like providing the calculations for America's first journeys into space. And they did so during a time when being black and a woman limited what they could do. But they worked hard. They persisted. And they used their genius minds to change the world.
In this beautifully illustrated picture book edition, we explore the story of four female African American mathematicians at NASA, known as "colored computers," and how they overcame gender and racial barriers to succeed in a highly challenging STEM-based career.
I also love the collection "Little people, big dreams". We have many of their books at home. They are available in french under the name "De petit à grand".
Happy reading and happy talking with your littles ones! Also, I would love if you could share in comments your favorite books!