African Heritage Month

February is African Heritage month, and a great time to celebrate diverse books! For your reading pleasure, I’ve put together a booklist HERE. 

Here are a few books you really should NOT miss:

Radiant Child won the Caldecott Medal this year. The book is well named, as it is absolutely radiant. The art sings, jumps, and prances about as the book tells the story of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Young artists will be inspired by the story of this vibrant young man.

One of my favourites of this year was Freedom in Congo Square, which I wrote about in this blog post. It got some Caldecott love as well, winning a silver medal.

Looking for something a little closer to home? Try Up Home, by Shauntay Grant, a story about the memories of beautiful summer visits to North Preston.

Get inspired by Misty Copeland, ballerina, in Firebird. The illustrations leap off the page and grab the reader, and the story of this young ballerina will make you want to dance.

If soccer (or poetry) is more your thing, try Kwame Alexander’s Booked, the lyrical, jaunty story of a boy who loves soccer, but is forced to read the dictionary by his father.

My booklist has a whole whack of great books – learn some history, get to know a new character, or just find a good book to read as you celebrate the rich culture of African Heritage Month!