Talking Black History, Three Ways

There are lots of ways to approach a focus like Black History Month, depending on the child’s age, what you want them to take away from talking about it, and where you want to shine a spotlight.

There are lots of wonderful picture book biographies of important figures who made a difference in the path toward civil rights, for example, and wonderful advanced picture books about the underground railroad, both stories and profiles of people like Harriet Tubman, for example. There are books about places and times in history that were important. there are books of songs and spirituals and jazz, and the history of music that find its roots in Africa one way or another. Books of poetry and stories by authors of colour, some beautiful, important writing. There are serious non-fiction books, wonderful novels, picture books for young children that celebrate the varying shades and textures of hair and skin to be found among people who are too often painted with the same brush. There are folk tales. Folk tales from the American south,. told among slaves, folk tales from some Caribbean countries, folk tales from the many different cultures of Africa.

So many, many different ways to start talking about the history of the black people in the world and on our continent. There are many, many book lists to be found, including this one by The New York Public Library. But I would like to give you a few new examples of wonderful books that talk about slavery, about triumph, and about roots.

Never Forgotten
Patricia C. McKissack
Schwartz & Wade Books
ISBN: 978 0 375 84384 6

This book goes right to the heart of one of the most painful chapters of black history – slavery, and the deep human cost. This book is told in a series of poems, and is definitely a book to share and talk about with an older child, though it is so sophisticated and has such deep impact, it would almost be better placed in the hands of a teen or even an adult.

It tells the story of a child taken, the search for the child, and the child’s journey to manhood in a land far from home. Powerfully written, McKissack has imbued this story with a mythic quality in its language and rhythms.

It would be a strong book for that alone, but what makes this absolutely breathtakingly incredible is the gorgeous, rich illustrations by Leo & Diane Dillon, who have clearly put their hearts into this project with results that leave me nearly speechless, and oddly humbled. That Candlewick has brought its usual high standards of book design and printing to it is perfect, for it certainly deserves nothing less, it is so impressive a piece of work.  I know that sounds like overstatement, yet I find myself quieted and struck every time I hold it and open it, and think it is important to convey that – this is most certainly not a book to be taken lightly.

enry Aaron’s Dream
by Matt Tavares
Candlewick Press
ISBN: 978 0 7636 3224 3

Introducing a much lighter and more hopeful time for African-Americans, Henry “Hank” Aaron batted his way into baseball history just when a few barriers were just starting to be knocked down and strides towards civil rights were on the horizon.

Henry Aaron wanted more than anything to be a major league ball player growing up – but until he was 13, there were only white players to be found. He played his heart out anyhow, on the ‘coloured” field in town, and when Jackie Robinson became the first black ball layer, Henry became more determined than ever. He worked his way up through talent and perseverance and luck, the way sports stars do, and one day, it was his turn. There were hard times, and people who didn’t want him playing, but recalled his idol and inspiration, Jackie, who had paved the way, and kept going, living his dream.

It’s a powerful thing, to see someone reach a goal so dear, and this story is not exception. The illustrations are perfect, not photorealistic, but beautifully lit and adding just enough cartoonishness to appeal to a younger audience. At first glance, the book looks to be in verse because of the design of the text, but reads like a story. It’s a great story, and an uplifting look at one of the people who brought pride and belief that they could to black people in America.

How the Leopard Got His Claws
by Chinua Achebe with John Iroaganachi
by Candlewick Press
ISBN: 978 0 7636 4805 3

Any time you are talking about a people, I suggest folk tales. Now in this case, we are talking about many peoples, so a selection of different tales would be a great way to go, but many of them of African origins are what we refer to as “pourquoi” tales, or stories of the origins of things, and this is a fine example of that.

Written by a man Booker Prize winner and one of Nigeria’s finest writers, this tale tells of how the animals went from living in harmony to fighting and eating each other, and how dog came to help men hunt his fellow animals. There are lessons here about anger and revenge, about inclusion and greed, but it is also a good, well-told tale.

The illustrations are wonderful, richly coloured and with just enough menace to carry across the story without making the more violent parts gory or overly scary. This is a fine example of the kind of story that can give even younger children a taste of a culture and a sense of its roots, while being a fine read even if you are not planning to focus on Africa and her descendents.