"A generation which ignores history has no past - and no future."- Robert Heinlein

 Black history month is an opportunity to highlight those heroes and spaces of time that made a difference, not just for African-Americans, but for everyone. History should always encompass the stories of all of a nation's citizens. It is these stories that make the complete history of a nation. There are so many moments in Black History that we can't begin to capture all of it. 

We have selected a few books for the kids that celebrate moments in Black History. These are all RainbowMe Approved, and when you select them, you will have a direct link to order any of these amazing books. Enjoy!

1. Njinga of Ndongo and Matamba

Njinga of Ndongo and Matamba is the true story of a girl who had a difficult birth but went on to become the Queen of two ancient African kingdoms.

Revered for her wisdom, courage, and strength, Njinga became a dominant political figure in Angola in the 1600s. This richly illustrated children’s book tells her story and the challenges she faced from the day she was born. Njinga must overcome the jealousy of her brother, the loss of her father, and the encroachment of the Portuguese at the dawn of a time of great trial for the African continent.

2. Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-Ins

There were signs all throughout town telling eight-year-old Connie where she could and could not go. But when Connie sees four young men take a stand for equal rights at a Woolworth’s lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina, she realizes that things may soon change. This event sparks a movement throughout her town and region. And while Connie is too young to march or give a speech, she helps her brother and sister make signs for the cause. Changes are coming to Connie’s town, but Connie just wants to sit at the lunch counter and eat a banana split like everyone else.

3. Africa's Little Kings and Queens, by Kunda Kids

Africa’s Little Kings & Queens is a collection of four beautifully illustrated rhyming picture books inspired by ancient Africa’s most influential leaders. Perfect for introducing the next generation of young leaders, thinkers, and game-changers to Africa’s great history. Suitable reading for ages 3 - 8 years-old.

4. The 1619 Project: Born on the Water

The 1619 Project’s lyrical picture book in verse chronicles the consequences of slavery and the history of Black resistance in the United States, thoughtfully rendered by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones and Newbery honor-winning author Renée Watson.
A young student receives a family tree assignment in school, but she can only trace back three generations. Grandma gathers the whole family, and the student learns that 400 years ago, in 1619, their ancestors were stolen and brought to America by white slave traders.
But before that, they had a home, a land, a language. She learns how the people said to be born on the water survived.

5. Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story From the Underground Railroad

A stirring, dramatic story of a slave who mails himself to freedom by a Jane Addams Peace Award-winning author and a Coretta Scott King Award-winning artist.

Henry Brown doesn't know how old he is. Nobody keeps records of slaves' birthdays. All the time he dreams about freedom, but that dream seems farther away than ever when he is torn from his family and put to work in a warehouse. Henry grows up and marries, but he is again devastated when his family is sold at the slave market. Then one day, as he lifts a crate at the warehouse, he knows exactly what he must do: He will mail himself to the North. After an arduous journey in the crate, Henry finally has a birthday -- his first day of freedom.

6. Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History

An important book for all ages, Little Leaders educates and inspires as it relates true stories of forty trailblazing black women in American history. Illuminating text paired with irresistible illustrations bring to life both iconic and lesser-known female figures of Black history such as abolitionist Sojourner Truth, pilot Bessie Coleman, chemist Alice Ball, politician Shirley Chisholm, mathematician Katherine Johnson, poet Maya Angelou, and filmmaker Julie Dash.

7.  Have You Thanked an Inventor Today?

Have You Thanked an Inventor Today? is a journey into the often forgotten contributions of African-American inventors, that contributed to the American landscape. It chronicles the school day of a little boy, highlighting different inventions that he uses throughout the day, all of which were invented by African-Americans.  The book comes complete with brief biographies about each inventor as well as fun activities to promote and encourage reading comprehension.  "Have You Thanked an Inventor Today?" was selected by Microsoft as a book that inspires STEM and also received a 5 Star Rating from Reader's Favorite!

8. Mae Among the Stars

A great classroom and bedtime read-aloud, Mae Among the Stars is the perfect book for young readers who have big dreams and even bigger hearts.

When Little Mae was a child, she dreamed of dancing in space. She imagined herself surrounded by billions of stars, floating, gliding, and discovering.

She wanted to be an astronaut.

Her mom told her, "If you believe it, and work hard for it, anything is possible.”

Little Mae’s curiosity, intelligence, and determination, matched with her parents' encouraging words, paved the way for her incredible success at NASA as the first African American woman to travel in space.

This book will inspire other young girls to reach for the stars, to aspire for the impossible, and to persist with childlike imagination. 

9. Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope

Ever since Barack Obama was young, Hope has lived inside him. From the beaches of Hawaii to the streets of Chicago, from the jungles of Indonesia to the plains of Kenya, he has held on to Hope. Even as a boy, Barack knew he wasn’t quite like anybody else, but through his journeys he found the ability to listen to Hope and become what he was meant to be: a bridge to bring people together.

10. Superheroes Are Everywhere

Before Kamala Harris was elected to the vice presidency, she was a little girl who loved superheroes. And when she looked around, she was amazed to find them everywhere! In her family, among her friends, even down the street--there were superheroes wherever she looked. And those superheroes showed her that all you need to do to be a superhero is to be the best that you can be.

In this empowering and joyful picture book that speaks directly to kids, Kamala Harris takes readers through her life and shows them that the power to make the world a better place is inside all of us. And with fun and engaging art by Mechal Renee Roe, as well as a guide to being a superhero at the end, this book is sure to have kids taking up the superhero mantle (cape and mask optional).