Black Kid Joy!

Books celebrating the happiness, freedom, and humanity of Black children.

Updated April 21, 2026
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Brown boy joy
Booker, Thomishia
Paper Book
This book is filled with all the things little brown boys love.
Baby young, gifted, and black
Wilson, Jamia
Paper Book
A new board-book edition of the phenomenal Young Gifted and Black aimed at babies and toddlers, bringing together 20 Black icons from the past and present in a celebration of achievement.
Hey black child
Perkins, Useni Eugene
Paper Book
Six-time Coretta Scott King Award winner and four-time Caldecott Honor recipient Bryan Collier brings this classic, inspirational poem to life, written by poet Useni Eugene Perkins. Hey black child, Do you know who you are? Who really...
Future engineer
Alexander, Lori
Paper Book
Flip a switch. Turn a gear. Could Baby be an engineer? Find out in this STEM-themed addition to the Future Baby series!Engineers want to know how things work. And so does Baby!Does Baby have what it takes to become an engineer? That's a positive! Discover all the incredible ways that...
M is for Melanin : a celebration of the black child.
Rose, Tiffany
Paper Book
"Contagiously upbeat, joyful, and positive . . . [C]herish this book." -Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW "A must-have for any library that is in need of books with positive representation for and about black children, as there is no other alphabet book quite like this one...
Spin a soft Black song poems for children
Giovanni, Nikki.
Paper Book
A favorite collection of thirty-five poems for and about black children celebrates the energy and joy of life.
How Sweet the Sound
Alexander, Kwame
Paper Book
Featuring artists ranging from Miles Davis to Kendrick Lamar, dive into this stunningly illustrated celebration of the history of Black music in America by the award-winning author of The Undefeated. Listen to the sound of...
My hair is beautiful
Grant, Shauntay
Paper Book
Natural, knotty, fluffy, frizzy, twisted, tangled, pony, puffed! A celebration of natural hair, from afros to cornrows and everything in between, My Hair is Beautiful is a joyful board book with a powerful message of self-love. Governor General's Award-nominated author...
Show the world!
Dalton, Angela
Paper Book
A celebration of self-expression and the power of using your voice, centering Black children, and exploring the many things they can do, create, and say to make their mark. Look around! Can you see? The many spaces, places, and ways to show the world...
My hair
Cox, Danielle Murrell
Paper Book
A fresh and fun celebration of natural hair for babies and toddlers! My Hair is the perfect introduction to an array of beautiful hairstyles for tiny naturalistas-in-training! Known for her popular...
Hold them close : a love letter to black children
Thompkins-Bigelow, Jamilah
Paper Book
When happy things come to you, hold them close and never let go. From celebrated author of Your Name Is a Song Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, fine artist Patrick Dougher, and photographer Jamel Shabazz, Hold Them Close is a picture book celebration of Black past, present, and future--a...
Black swans
Van der Linde, Laurel
Paper Book
The stories of six daring, groundbreaking Black ballet dancers leap off the pages of this beautifully illustrated nonfiction picture book. Meet Essie Marie Dorsey, who in 1926 opened one of the first ballet schools for Black students; Arthur Mitchell, the first Black dancer with the New York City...
What my daddy loves
Figueroa, Raissa
Paper Book
In her joyous authorial debut, Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Honor winner Raissa Figueroa celebrates the warm love between Black fathers and their children.  Capturing a child's perspective and infused with gentle humor, Raissa Figueroa's tender, insightful look at fathers is...
I am my ancestors' wildest dreams
Moore, Tanisia
Paper Book
YOU are your ancestors' wildest dreams. How will you express YOUR greatness? Perfect for fans of I Am Every Good Thing, Little Legends, and All Because You Matter. "Affirming. . . . A joyful tribute." -- Kirkus Reviews "A vibrant,...
Keep dreaming, black child
Williams, Nyasha
Paper Book
Nautilus Book Award Silver Winner! "Fans of Antiracist Baby (2000) by Ibram X. Kendi, illustrated by Ashley Lukashevsky, and Woke Baby (2018) by Mahogany L. Browne, illustrated by Theodore Taylor III, will enjoy this motivating book." (Kirkus Reviews<...

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