Black Girl, Black Girl

August 1, 2024

PreS-Gr 2-Told in verse, this book celebrates notable Black women throughout history. A Black girl sits with a quilt in her lap while her mother does the girl's hair for the day. The wall of the girl's room is covered in inspirational quotes from Maya Angelou and Michelle Obama. Referencing the quilt, and the brilliant Black women featured on it, the mother also gives her daughter words of encouragement. The quilt transforms into a path that the mother and daughter take where they encounter many of the women sewn into its fabric. From Kamala Harris to Miriam Makeba, aka Mama Africa, each woman is a source of inspiration and a reminder that anything can be accomplished. Readers may be familiar with some of the women and their accomplishments and there will be others that they'll be introduced to for the first time. Digitally illustrated drawings, which have a painted texture, showcase Black women of varying skin tones and body types. There's more information about each woman in the back matter. VERDICT This beautiful celebration of Black women and girls is a perfect addition to every collection.-Myiesha Speight

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 13, 2024
Preschool-Grade 2 In this title from the team behind Black Boy, Black Boy (2022), a mother empowers her daughter while they build a quilt together by introducing her to influential Black women throughout history. The emotive rhyming text sets out to inspire, pairing beautifully with vibrant collage-like art from Quartey. While the book features familiar faces like Olympic athlete Wilma Rudolph and Vice President Kamala Harris, it also reminds readers of the achievements of pioneers like civil rights activist Claudette Colvin and singer-songwriter/actress Miriam Makeba. The back matter includes a guide that details these trailblazers' impact on global history. With these famous faces cheering on the main characters even as the daughter learns about them from her mother, the book serves as a love letter to Black daughters and mothers--a welcome reminder to cherish history and roots and to remember that Black girls are capable of achieving their greatest dreams.

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October 15, 2024
From the creators ofBlack Boy, Black Boy (2022) comes a similar ode for Black girls. A youngster sits on her bed, where an adult companion does her hair for the day ahead. The accompanying text strikes an encouraging note: "Dear girl, Black girl, / rise up, it's time / It's a new day and a / chance to shine." The girl's bed is covered with a multicolored fabric quilt--a nod to the quilting tradition in African American culture--while her walls are decorated with posters of inspiring quotations by famous Black women. The quilt serves as a visual leitmotif as the girl is told to "shape your own history like / these amazing queens." "Dear girl, / Black girl, / what do you see?" her guardian asks. In rhyming sentences, the authors introduce and summarize the courageous actions of nine contemporary and historical Black women, including Vice President Kamala Harris. Bright digital illustrations of the subjects complement the brief, explanatory text. Refreshingly, the book takes a global perspective. Potentially less familiar people from outside the United States are featured alongside U.S. figures: South African musician Miriam Makeba, Sierra Leonean Creole educational advocate Adelaide Casely-Hayford, and Canadian civil rights activist and businesswoman Viola Desmond. Together, Kamanda, Redmond, and Quartey have created an upbeat reminder of the great potential inherent in Black girls everywhere. Stirring and informative. (biographical notes about the people mentioned)(Picture book. 5-7)

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