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Picture Books to Celebrate Black History Month

Celebrate Black History Month by reading these stories of Black joy, love, and resilience.

Arapahoe Libraries

18 items

  • Join 4-year-old Harlem and her father as they explore their neighborhood and its rich history. Stunning illustrations by award winning illustrator Frank Morrison.
    BookNew York : Random House Studio, [2023] — E DATCHER
  • Sulwe struggles to love her dark skin but a journey in the night sky helps her embrace her unique beauty.
    BookNew York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, [2019] — E NYONG'O
  • After a discouraging day at school, this girl and her mom celebrate the musicality of names from different cultures.
    BookSeattle, WA : The Innovation Press, [2020] — E THOMPKINS-BIGELOW
  • Hold Them Close

    a Love Letter to Black Children

    Thompkins-Bigelow, Jamilah,
    A beautiful story about cherishing the things that are important to you told with captivating mixed media illustrations.
    BookNew York, NY : Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, [2022] — E THOMPKINS-BIGELOW
  • When faced with hardship these characters take lessons from their grandmother and ancestors to "learn to fly".
    BookNew York : Nancy Paulsen Books, [2022] — E WOODSON
  • An homage to the Bronx, this lyrical book celebrates the beauty and art in everyday life when you belong to a community.
    BookNew York : Viking, 2024. — E HARPER
  • When a young girl is given a homework assignment to research her ancestors, the reader is taken on a journey through the history of slavery while giving Black Americans an origin story.
    BookNew York : Kokila, 2021. — E HANNAH-JONES
  • Beautifully illustrated story with nods to the many Black people throughout history who exemplify greatness.
    BookColorado Springs : WaterBrook, 2023. — E CHINAKWE
  • A captivating adaptation of Theresa The S.O.N.G.B.I.R.D's viral poem. The illustrations beautifully showcase events and people who shaped Black history.
    BookNew York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, [2023] — E THERESA THA S.O.N.G.B.I.R.D
  • Chino loves to play with her Mama's sleeping scarf! This is a sweet story about family, culture and the things that bring us together.
    BookNew York : Alfred A. Knopf, 2023. — E ADICHIE
  • Join Quetta, her mother and her grandmother as they go to vote. In this story, we learn about the importance of the right to vote for all people.
    BookNew York : Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, [2024] — E HENDERSON
  • Little Mae dreams of going to space and with her parent's encouragement she knows anything is possible. Based on the true story of Mae Jemison, the first African American woman in space.
    BookNew York, NY : Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, [2018] — E AHMED
  • A lyrical read with a powerful message that Black girls can be anything and do anything.
    BookNew York, NY : Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, [2023] — E FURUKAWA
  • A love letter to black children everywhere with a message of hope and joy.
    BookNew York, NY : Balzer + Bray, 2022. — E RODAAH
  • Jay is growing up so fast and his family is helping him understand what it means to live in a world where racism exists.
    BookNew York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers, [2022] — E WILLIAMS
  • Zuri and her father work together to style Zuri's hair for a special family visit.
    BookNew York : Kokila, [2019] — E CHERRY
  • This inspiring and beautiful picture book celebrates how hair wrapping ties together past and present.
    BookNew York, NY : Quill Tree Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, [2024] — E GRANT
  • A friendship blossoms between two children as they pass drawings across the clothesline between their apartment windows.
    BookNew York, NY : Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, [2024] — E MORRIS