2024 Black History Month: African Americans and the Arts - Kids

Celebrate Black History Month 2024's theme African American and the Arts for kids.

Updated February 24, 2024
Drag items up and down to your preferred order then select the "Save Order" button.
Soul food Sunday
Bingham, Winsome
Paper Book
Beautiful shades of brown : the art of Laura Wheeler Waring
Churnin, Nancy
Paper Book
Growing up in the late 19th century, Laura Wheeler Waring didn't see any artists who looked like her. She didn't see any paintings of people who looked like her, either. As a young woman studying art in Paris, she found inspiration in the works of Matisse and Gaugin to paint the people she knew...
Bunheads
Copeland, Misty
Paper Book
Instant New York Times bestselling series opener inspired by prima ballerina and author Misty Copeland's own early experiences in ballet. From prima ballerina and New York Times bestselling author Misty Copeland comes the story of a young Misty, who discovers her...
Okra stew : a Gullah Geechee family celebration
Daise, Natalie
Paper Book
This rhythmic, joyous picture book from Natalie Daise, the co-star of the hit Nickelodeon show "Gullah Gullah Island," celebrates a special day of father-son cooking, and serves up a love letter to food, family, Gullah Geechee culture, and tradition--and includes the author's own recipe...
The green piano : how little me found music
Flack, Roberta
Paper Book
Legacy : women poets of the Harlem Renaissance
Grimes, Nikki
Paper Book
From Children's Literature Legacy Award-winning author Nikki Grimes comes a feminist-forward new collection of poetry celebrating the little-known women poets of the Harlem Renaissance--paired with full-color, original art from today's most talented female African-American illustrators.
Black artists shaping the world : 14 stories of creativity
Jackson, Sharna
Paper Book
Dedicated to the work ofcontemporary Black artistsfrom around the world, thisbook is an exuberantintroduction to artists fromAfrica and of African descentfor young readers. Written by award-winning Black children's author Sharna Jackson, this engaging book introduces young readers to...
Hip-hop hustle
Maddox, Jake
Paper Book
Chery lives to dance. She has her own hip-hop dance crew and a signature move that's a surefire showstopper. But when her crew is forced to break up, Chery is faced with joining her school's hip-hop dance team. Trouble is, Chery's not like most dance hopefuls who have formal training. She moves to...
Just Jerry : how drawing shaped my life : a memoir
Pinkney, Jerry
Stand-alone player
There was a party for Langston
Reynolds, Jason
Paper Book
A Caldecott Honor Book A Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Jason Reynolds's debut picture book is a snappy, joyous ode to Word King, literary genius, and glass-ceiling smasher Langston Hughes and...
Jake makes a world : Jacob Lawrence, a young artist in Harlem
Rhodes-Pitts, Sharifa
Paper Book
Jacob Lawrence Makes a World follows the creative adventures of the young artist as he finds inspiration in the vibrant colours and characters of his community in Harlem. From his mother's apartment, where he is surrounded by brightly coloured walls with intricate patterns, to the streets full of...
Ellington was not a street
Shange, Ntozake.
Paper Book
Featuring luminous art by illustrator Kadir Nelson, winner of the Coretta Scott King - Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement, this reflective picture book by poet Ntozake Shange looks back at the great Black thinkers and innovators who visited her father's house.
The artivist
Smith, Nikkolas
Paper Book
An inspiring picture book about how children can combine art and activism in their daily lives. "They say I'm an artist. They say I'm an activist." When a young boy realizes the scope of inequities in the wider world, he's seized with the urge to do more. He...
Radiant child : the story of young artist Jean-Michel Basquiat
Steptoe, Javaka
Paper Book
Winner of the Randolph Caldecott Medal and the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award! Jean-Michel Basquiat and his unique, collage-style paintings rocketed to fame in the 1980s as a cultural phenomenon unlike anything the art world had ever seen. But before that, he...
The roots of rap : 16 bars on the 4 pillars of hip-hop
Weatherford, Carole Boston
Paper Book
Explore the roots of rap in this stunning, rhyming, triple-timing picture book! "Carole Boston Weatherford, once again, delivers a resounding testament and reminder, that hip-hop is a flavorful slice of larger cultural cake. And to be hip-hop-to truly be it-we must remember...
Jump at the sun : the true life tale of unstoppable storycatcher Zora Neale Hurston
Williams, Alicia
Paper Book
From the Newbery Honor-winning author of Genesis Begins Again comes a shimmering picture book that shines the light on Zora Neale Hurston, the extraordinary writer and storycatcher extraordinaire who changed the face of American literature. Zora was a girl who hankered for...
Hip-Hop : the beat of America
Williams, Jarrett
Paper Book
MUSICAL REVOLUTION SWEEPS NATION AND BEYOND How did a bunch of young people from the inner city create a genre of music that became a global phenomenon? From its humble origins at house parties in the Bronx, where DJs mixed old records to create new sounds, charismatic MCs let their...
Young, gifted and black
Wilson, Jamia
Paper Book
"...to be revisited again and again...The candy-colored pages and straightforward stories are hard to resist..." -The New York Times "...diverse collection of iconic figures...vibrantly illustrated...beautifully crafted volume..." -Kirkus Reviews, Starred...

Library staff! You can create and contribute to lists. Contact your catalog administrator or log in here.