Amazon’s Best Black Joy Books
Brown Boy Joy by Dr. Thomishia Booker - This wonderful book is about a boy who gives himself positive affirmations and carries himself proudly throughout his day to day life activities. He knows he is loved and he is confident. The book is very poetic and the lines are written in rhyme. There is no real story to the boy and not many details about his life are given. However, it is a nicely written short book of affirmations that would be sweet to read in the morning as a way to start the day with positive thoughts.
Chocolate Me! by Taye Diggs - This book is about a boy who gets bullied by classmates. They make fun of his skin color, his hair, and his facial features. The boy goes home and cries and questions everything about himself. He questions his skin, his hair, and his facial features. His mother lets him know he is a precious and perfect creation that is like no other. She teaches him to love himself and all of his features. As his confidence grows, so does his outlook and perception of himself. This book is also written in rhyme.
Little Legends: Exceptional Men in Black History, by Vashti Harrison - This book and its illustrations are so lovely. It recounts the story of Black heroes and legends such as Langston Hughes, Aaron Douglas, Bass Reeves and more. The best part of this book is that it tells the stories of exceptional Black men that most people do not know about.
Joy! Joy! Joy! The Anthem for Black Girls, by Nzinga Christina-Reid - This book recounts all the joy a Black girl feels about her culture, race, and heritage. It is a powerful message about how a young Black queen should see herself as she navigates life and is told from the lens of a bold and beautiful young Black female.
Black is a Rainbow Color, by Angela Joy - In this story, a young Black female notes how the color black is not a color of the rainbow. She goes through several colors and how she sees them, as well as what she thinks of, when she thinks of the colors of the rainbow as compared to the color black. She compares the color black to many things we wouldn’t normally think of, such as one line in which she states, “Black is the color of a movement in pain.” A beautiful line that encapsulates what being Black represents for her, and shows her love for herself in a very non-conventional way.
This is definitely not a comprehensive list of Black joy books, but if you are looking to curate a library of items for your little one these are a wonderful set to begin your library collection with.
I hope these book reviews have brought you some joy! Stay awhile, peruse and poke around the rest of my site and sign up for a free lesson!
With lots of Love for your little one’s learning, Lexx