Juneteenth is coming up, a holiday to celebrate the emancipation of the last of enslaved Americans in Galveston, Texas, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued. For families leaning into the celebratory nature of this holiday, we’ve got some book recs for you that uplift joy and positive experiences for Black children.
These six picture books depict Black characters in loving families and communities, feeling confident in all parts of who they are. Read these stories to build positive, healthy identities and help Black children feel gobs of self-love. Find the entire Black Joy Book Set on our website!
In this book, a young girl named Zuri embraces her natural hair texture that kinks, coils and curls every which way. Zuri knows her hair is beautiful, but it has a mind of its own! Mama is not home, so it’s up to Daddy to give his daughter an extra-special hairstyle. Tender and empowering, Hair Love is an ode to loving your natural hair—and a celebration of daddies and daughters everywhere.
This book highlights the importance of a trip to the barbershop for a Black/African American boy. Visiting the barbershop means being cared for and tended to by community members who help to contribute to developing a healthy sense of self. Being treated like royalty and getting a fresh haircut makes the narrator feel smarter, more visible, and ready for the world.
This book is about a girl overjoyed by her physical and cultural heritage and highlights the beauty of her kinky hair, wide nose, and incredible joy. As you read, think about what you love about yourself and what brings you joy.
After going to the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater with his mother, Langston falls in love with ballet dancing. He decides to practice hard, so one day he can be a dancer like the ones he saw. Not everyone thinks boys should do ballet, but that doesn’t stop him. Langston finds Ms. Marie’s Dance Studio and his place as a ballet dancer.
This book celebrates the inventor of the Super Soaker, Lonnie Johnson, the maker behind one of the world’s favorite toys. The Super Soaker is one of the top twenty toys of all time, and it was invented entirely by accident! Lonnie’s passion for problem-solving was at the core of his career as an engineer and his work with NASA, but it is his invention of the Super Soaker water gun that has made his most memorable splash with kids and adults.
The confident Black narrator of this book is proud of everything that makes him who he is. He’s got big plans, and no doubt he’ll see them through–as he’s creative, adventurous, smart, funny, and a good friend. Sometimes he falls, but he always gets back up. And other times he’s afraid because he’s so often misunderstood and called what he is not. So let’s remember to slow down and really look and listen when somebody tells you—and shows you—who they are. There are superheroes in our midst!