Black Artists: Painting, Poetry, Pottery and more!
Title: Life Doesn't Frighten Me
By: Maya Angelou; illustrated by Jean-Michel Basquiat
Published: 1993
Maya Angelou's poetic celebration of the courage within each person is matched by the daring vision of artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. In this introduction to poetry and contemporary art, brief biographies of Angelou and Basquiat accompany the text and artwork. Age Range: 5-9 years
Call Number: x811 Angel.M
Title: Radiant Child: the Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat
By: Javaka Steptoe
Published: 2016
Winner of the Randolph Caldecott Medal and the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award! Jean-Michel Basquiat and his unique, collage-style paintings rocketed to fame in the 1980s as a cultural phenomenon unlike anything the art world had ever seen. But before that, he was a little boy who saw art everywhere: in poetry books and museums, in games and in the words that we speak, and in the pulsing energy of New York City. Age Range: 5-9 years
Call Number: x Biog Basqu.J Stept.
Title: My Hair is a Garden
By: Cozbi A Cabrera
Published: 2018
After a day of being taunted by classmates about her unruly hair, Mackenzie can't take any more. On her way home from school, she seeks the guidance of her wise and comforting neighbor, Miss Tillie. Using the beautiful garden in her backyard as a metaphor, Miss Tillie shows Mackenzie that maintaining healthy hair is not a chore nor is it something to fear. Cosbi A. Cabrera is a contemporary fabric artist as well as a painter and book illustrator. Age Range: 4-7 years
Call Number: J Picture Cabre.C
Title: Me and Mama
By: Cozbi A. Cabrera
Published: 2020
On a rainy day when the house smells like cinnamon and Papa and Luca are still asleep, when the clouds are wearing shadows and the wind paints the window with beads of water, I want to be everywhere Mama is. 2021 Caldecott and Coretta Scott King Honor Book! Age Range: 3-6 years
Call Number: J Picture Cabre.C
Title: Beauty, Her Basket
By: Sandra Belton, illustrated by Cozbi A Cabrera
Published: 2004
While visiting her grandmother in the Sea Islands, a young girl hears about her African heritage and learns to weave a sea grass basket. Age Range: 4-8 years
Call Number: J Picture Belto.S
Title: Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave
By: Laban Carrick Hill, illustrated by Bryan Collier
Published: 2010
Dave was an extraordinary artist, poet, and potter who lived in South Carolina in the 1800s. He combined his superb artistry with deeply observant poetry, carved onto his pots. National Book Award Finalist Laban Carrick Hill and artist Bryan Collier tell Dave's remarkable story, one rich in history, hope, and long-lasting beauty. Illustrator Bryan Collier won the Coretta Scott King Award and Caldecott Medal in 2011 for his artwork in the book. Age Range: 4-8 years
Call Number: x Biog Dave Hill.L
Title: You Matter
By: Christian Robinson
Published: 2020
This is a sensitive and impactful picture book about seeing the world from different points of view by Caldecott and Coretta Scott King Honoree Christian Robinson.
Age Range: 4-8 years
Call Number: J Picture Robin.C
Title: Harlem’s Little Blackbird
By: Renee Watson
Published: 2012
Florence Mills knew early on that she loved to sing; people really responded to her sweet, bird-like voice. Her dancing and singing catapulted her all the way to the stages of 1920s Broadway where she inspired songs and even entire plays! Yet with all this success, she knew firsthand how bigotry shaped her world. When she was offered the role of a lifetime from Ziegfeld himself, she chose to support all-black musicals instead. Illustrated by Christian Robinson. Age Range: 6-12 years
Call Number: x Biog Mills.F Watso.R
Title: Josephine: the Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker
By: Patricia Hruby Powell, illustrated by Christian Robinson
Published: 2014
This is an extraordinary portrait of the passionate performer and civil rights advocate, Josephine Baker. Born in St. Louis, she performed on the grandest stages in the world. Josephine's powerful story of struggle and triumph is an inspiration and a spectacle, just like the legend herself. Sibert Medal Nominee (2015), Coretta Scott King Book Award, Illustrator Honor (2015) Age Range: 6-12 years
Call Number: x Biog Baker.J Powel.P
Title: The Lion and the Mouse
By: Jerry Pinkney
Published: 2009
In award-winning artist Jerry Pinkney's wordless adaptation of one of Aesop's most beloved fables, an unlikely pair learn that no act of kindness is ever wasted. With vivid depictions of the landscape of the African Serengeti and expressively-drawn characters, Pinkney makes this a truly special retelling, and his stunning pictures speak volumes.Age Range: 3-8 years
Call Number: x800 Pinkn.J
Title: Jerry Pinkney
By: Lisa M.B. Simons
Published: 2017
Explore the life and award winning career of writer and poet Jerry Pinkney. Age Range: 4-7 years
Call Number: x Biog Pinkn.J Simon.L
Title: The Ring Bearer
By: Floyd Cooper
Published: 2017
Jackson's mom is getting married, and Jackson is nervous about his role and his new family. Age Range: 3-6 years
Call Number: J Picture Coope.F
Title: On Mardi Gras Day
By: Fatima Shaik, illustrated by Floyd Cooper
Published: 1999
Two children participating in the traditional Mardi Gras celebration see such sights as the Zulu and Rex parades, enjoying the songs, bright costumes, and gigantic floats. Age Range: 5-9 years
Call Number: J Picture Shaik.F
Title: Ma Dear's Aprions
By: Patricia McKissack, illustrated by Floyd Cooper
Published: 1997
Newbery Honor author Patricia McKissack and Coretta Scott King Award–winning illustrator Floyd Cooper lovingly recreate a slice of turn-of-the-century Southern life for a single black mother and her son in this sweet picture book. Age Range: 5-9 years
Call Number: J Picture McKis.P
Title: Coming Home: from the Life of Langston Hughes
By: Floyd Cooper
Published: 1994
Young Langston Hughes was a dreamer. When he heard the clackety-clack of train wheels, he dreamed about the places it had been. As he wrote, he discovered where his home really was -- in the words and rhythms of his poetry that reached people all over the world. The beloved Langston Hughes comes to life in a book for poets, dreamers, and anyone who has ever thought of what home means to them. Age Range: 6-10 years
Call Number: x Biog Hughe.L Coope.F
Title: Lubaya’s Quiet Roar
By: Marilyn Nelson, Illustrated by Philemona Williamson
Published: 2020
A quiet girl makes a powerful impression through her artwork in this lyrical story of introversion and peaceful protest--a stirring picture book from Newbery Honor winner Marilyn Nelson and contemporary fine artist Philemona Williamson.
Age Range: 3-6 years
Call Number: J Picture Nelso.M