These three board books present inspiring characters and are all lovingly illustrated.
Stitch by Stitch: Elizabeth Hobbs Keckly Sews Her Way to Freedom by Connie Schofield-Morrison (Author) and Elizabeth Zunon (Illustrator)
Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley had a harsh life; born a slave in 1818 on a Virginia plantation, she was working (and being beaten for failing to work properly) since she was a mere four years old. However, her ability with a needle slowly improved her income and she ended her extraordinary journey as a free seamstress dressing Abraham Lincon’s wife.
The lovely collages of the dresses and patchwork displayed here are a wonder to look at, and the fact that this book was inspired by her journals makes it even more appealing. Elizabeth Zunon used oil paint, cut paper, fabric collage, and hand embroidery to bring Lizzy’s dresses to life.
Her beautiful needlework attracted the attention of the wealthiest women in Virginia, and, with money from her patrons, Lizzy was able to move to the North, buy her and her son’s freedom, and, by working tirelessly stitch by stitch, she developed an influential and esteemed career.
Stitch by Stitch: Elizabeth Hobbs Keckly Sews Her Way to Freedom is available on November 09, 2021.
Publisher: Holiday House
Pages: 48 / Hardcover
EAN/UPC: 9780823439638
I am including this book here simply because of its relatable protagonist:
The Reflection in Me by Marc Colagiovanni (Author) and Peter H. Reynolds (Illustrator)
Self-love and appreciation for oneself are usually not things humans are good at. Since many of us were little kids, regarding ourselves in the mirror with appreciation was punished, considered foolish pride, or chided as being narcissistic.
Ironically, we often end up wasting a good chunk of our lives seeking approval from others, looking for a loving gaze.
But what if we could appreciate ourselves and look at ourselves without judgment in the mirror?
“I like being you,” said the reflection in the mirror. “To me, you are perfectly perfect.”
Marc Colagiovanni has crafted something powerful here—with the aid of Peter H. Reynolds’s artwork—and this is truly an exploration of self-acceptance. Maybe this will be your cup of tea, or maybe it won’t, but it will surely not leave you indifferent.
This book is also available as an animated short on YouTube.
The Reflection in Me is available on March 05, 2024.
Publisher: Orchard Books
Pages: 32 / Hardcover
ISBN 9781338810486
Finally, here’s the life of another extraordinary woman:
Go Forth and Tell: The Life of Augusta Baker, Librarian and Master Storyteller by Breanna J. McDaniel (Author) and April Harrison (Illustrator)
This book has powerful illustrations that I could gaze at for hours, but I rather resented the fact that, in order to fit a board book format, the text was so scarce.
Because the life of Augusta Braxton Baker was so extraordinary, and her achievements so many, it felt a little contrived to me.
An avid listener to her grandmother’s stories as a child, and a confident storyteller years later at the 135th Street branch of the New York Public Library in Harlem, she started her journey by noticing that there were hardly any books at the library featuring Black people in respectful, uplifting ways.
In 1953, she was appointed Storytelling Specialist and Assistant Coordinator of Children’s Services. Not long after that, she became Coordinator of Children’s Services in 1961, becoming the first African-American librarian in an administrative position in the New York Public Library (NYPL).
However, when you consider her diligent work championing books, writers, librarians, and teachers with a keen eye for Black stories, educating and inspiring future acclaimed authors like Audre Lorde and James Baldwin, teaching a class that was specifically designed for her at the University of South Carolina to improve all of this, and even helping to create Black History Month… I can’t help but feel that her tale deserves a bigger biography with more details and quotes from the woman herself. (With that in mind, here is a link to more facts about her).
As Mrs. Baker herself put it:
“Children of all ages want to hear stories. Select well, prepare well, and then go forth and just tell.”
Published by Dial Books
Hardcover | Pages: 40
ISBN: 9780593324202
