Ebony bookshelf - Books for the Holiday Season - children's books - Bibliography

Ebony, Dec, 2002

During Christmases and Kwanzaas past, African-American parents couldn't often find positive images in books for their children. That has changed in a wonderful way. This holiday season offers one of the widest selections of Afrocentric books in recent memory by big names from Nelson Mandela, Christine King Farris, Spike Lee and his wife, Tonya, to rapper/actor L.L. Cool J. Make the yuletide bright with a holiday book for the young person in your life.

MY BROTHER MARTIN: A SISTER REMEMBERS GROWING UP WITH THE REV. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $16.95) by Christine King Farris is a big sister's fond remembrance of the boy King who loved to play practical jokes and of growing up in the segregated South of the 1920s and his decision as a child to change the world. The book is illustrated by Chris Soentpiet.

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NELSON MANDELA'S FAVORITE AFRICAN FOLKTALES (W.W. Norton & Co., $24.95) by Rolihlahla Nelson Mandela is a collection of 32 of some of the oldest African folktales selected by the former South African president. "It is my wish that the voice of the storyteller may never die in Africa, that all children of the world may experience the wonder of books," he says.

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AND THE WINNER IS ... (Scholastic Inc., $13.95) by rapper LL Cool J is one of a series of Rap and Read books that also include a CD. Illustrated by Jib Jab Media, the book explores the themes of good sportsmanship, humility and belief in oneself. The other HipKidHop series title is THINK AGAIN by Doug E. Fresh, illustrated by Joseph Buckingham Jr. (Scholastic Inc., $13.95)

I'M YOUR CHILD, GOD: PRAYERS FOR OUR CHILDREN (Hyperion Books for Children, $19.99) by Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president of the Children's Defense Fund, and illustrated by Bryan Collier, is a collection of prayers embracing issues that children and teens face in an increasingly complicated world.

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IMANI'S MUSIC (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, $17.00) by Sheron Williams, illustrated by Jude Daly, tells the story of a grasshopper named Imani who lived in Africa and loved music. It also tells how he shared his gift with the world through the slaves in the new world.

PLEASE, BABY, PLEASE (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $16.00) by director and producer Spike Lee and his wife, Tonya Lewis Lee, illustrated by Kadir Nelson, is a lighthearted picture book of one day in the life of an energetic toddler. Lewis Lee says she is trying to show the importance of affirmative language in constructively setting limits for children.

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BE BOY BUZZ (Jump at the Sun/Hyperion Books for Children) by bell hooks, illustrations by Chris Raschka, celebrates boyhood with a rhythmic look at a boy's playful day with the undertones of a be-bop jazz riff. It's a poetic salute to little boys.

THE BOOK OF MEAN PEOPLE (Hyperion Books for Children, $16.99) is the second illustrated collaboration by Toni Morrison and her son, Slade Morrison. Illustrated by Pascal LeMaitre. The book offers a humorous look at how children interpret daily events and how they experience meanness and anger in our world. The book is published with an interactive journal for young children written and illustrated by the same team.

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CHAMPION: THE STORY OF MUHAMMAD ALI (Walker & Co., $17.95) by Jim Haskins (illustrations by Eric Velasquez) is a moving tribute to the greatest, Muhammad Ali, from his childhood through his professional career to the physical obstacles he has had to battle in later years.

FOR OLDER READERS AGES 8-12 and UP HERE ARE SOME TITLES OF INTEREST:

A STRONG RIGHT ARM: THE STORY OF MAMIE (PEANUT) JOHNSON (Dial Books for Young Readers, $15.99) by Michelle Y. Green, is the life story of the legendary Negro Leagues pitcher, one of only three women to the play in the Negro Leagues. The book includes an introduction from Johnson showing how courage and a fierce curveball can make a childhood dream come true.

MAIZON AT BLUE HILL and BETWEEN MADISON AND PALMETTO (Penguin Books for Young Readers, $16.99 hardcover; $5.99 paperback) by Jacqueline Woodson are the sequels to her earlier novel, Last Summer with Maizon, and continues the story of best friends whose lives are undergoing change.

DOUBLE DUTCH (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, $16.00) by Sharon M. Draper uses the popular girls' jump rope games as a backdrop to discuss school violence and illiteracy in her newest novel. She is the author of the popular Hazelwood High Trilogy as well as other books for teens.

LOOKING FOR RED (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $16.00) by Angela Johnson is rich in memorable characters and unexpectedly heartening details.

AALIYAH: AN R&B PRINCESS IN WORDS AND PICTURES (Amber Books, $10.95) by Kelly Kenyatta is a compelling biography in memory of the late singer-actress.

ALSO NOTED:

P.G. COUNTY (Doubleday, $24.95) is about the secrets of rich women--except these characters are Black and rich. Author Connie Briscoe introduces the reader to the ladies of Prince George's County, Md., one of the wealthiest African-American enclaves in the USA. This romp of a read combines lush settings, humorous dialogue, and outrageous behavior with a raucous finale. Briscoe is also the author of the bestsellers Sisters & Lovers, Big Girls Don't Cry and A Long Way from Home.