As we've said before in this blog, it's important that children see themselves in the books they read. If you are the parent, caregiver, or teacher of black children at this moment in time, you know that they matter: they are important, they are beloved, they are every good thing.

While we can (and should) say the same of all children, in this blog post and in this moment we are focusing on black children. Black children deserve books that affirm and respect who they are and whose they are. Books can show a child that they matter, that their stories matter, and that there is both #blackboyjoy and #blackgirlmagic in how they look, how they play, and how they express themselves. 

So here are some picture books that focus on black boys and girls not as historical figures (we have another blog post for that if you are interested), but as children who do the kinds of things all kids do. 

Like spend a day at the beach.

Start their first day of Kindergarten.

Visit the library.

Practice their high dive at the pool.

Or take a walk in their neighborhood. 

There are books ideal for the babies so loved by their parents.

And there are also...

...books that unabashedly celebrate black children and their ancestors: their courage, their ingenuity, their beauty, and their spirit.

And even more!