Author: friendsoffloyd

Four Navajo creation myths chronicle the exploits, antics, and adventures of Coyote the Trickster as he abducts the Water Monster’s babies and starts the Great Flood, tries to steal corn from the horned toad, and attempts to exchange his fur for that of a spotted fawn. Author Gerald Hausman Illustrator Floyd Cooper Date 1995 Publisher…

Tells the stories of various African Americans who made contributions to the settling of the American West, including Bill Pickett, Mary Fields, Lieutenant Henry O. Flipper, Alvin Coffey, Biddy Mason, and Jim Beckwourth. Author Robert H. Miller Illustrator Floyd Cooper Date 1998 Publisher Silver Burdett

Christmas is coming! And all Chita can dream about is choosing her very own Christmas tree. “Mama!” Chita calls. “Mama! Is today the day?” “Yes,” says Mama. “Papa is almost ready.” And so Chita and her father set out in the buggy into the deep, snowy woods to find Chita’s very own Christmas tree. And…

Jennifer barely has time to get to know the stray dog she has taken in before it runs off, only to be discovered many miles away on a golf course. The lovable blue heeler is taken in by two boys who name her Caddie and grow to love her as one of the family. Soon…

Joseph’s grandpa could do almost anything with his hands. He could play the piano, throw a curveball, and tie a triple bowline knot in three seconds flat. But in the 1950s and 60s, he could not bake bread at the Wonder Bread factory. Factory bosses said white people would not want to eat bread touched…

Ira Aldridge dreamed of being on stage, performing the great works of William Shakespeare. He spent every chance he got at the local theaters, memorizing each actor’s lines for all of the great plays. Ira knew he could be a famous performer if given the chance. But in the early 1800s, only white actors were…

Today many children dream of playing professional  baseball. Perhaps you are one of them. If you have  good athletic skills and you work hard, your dream  may be realized. But this wasn’t always true for  athletes in the first part of this century. More  was required. A player had to be white. Black  players–no matter how well they could hit, catch,…

Mama’s getting married, and Jackson has an important job to do! A story about love, weddings, and the special joy that is a blended family. Jackson’s mama is getting married, and he gets to be the ring bearer. But Jackson is worried . . . What if he trips? Or walks too slowly? Or drops the rings? And…

Ryan and Ben were intrigued when Mr. Kramer, their middle school science teacher, told them that time travel was possible. That evening they stood in front of a 150 year-old mirror, and their lives were forever changed. Can two boys from the 21st century survive in the turbulent years just before the civil war? Can…

Black is dazzling and distinctive, like toasted wheat berry bread; snowberries in the fall; rich, red cranberries; and the bronzed last leaves of summer. In this lyrical and luminous poetry collection, Coretta Scott King honorees Joyce Carol Thomas and Floyd Cooper celebrate these many shades of Black beautifully. Author Joyce Carol Thomas Illustrator Floyd Cooper…

James Herman Banning always dreamed of touching the sky. But how could a farm boy from Oklahoma find a plane? And how would he learn to fly it? None of the other pilots looked like him. Despite the challenges and prejudices that stood in his way, James knew he belonged above the clouds. In a…

Lily and Wendy have been best friends since they became stepsisters. But with their feuding parents planning to spend the summer apart, what will become of their family—and their friendship? Little do they know that a mysterious boy has been watching them from the oak tree outside their window. A boy who intends to take…

An inspiring picture book sports biography about two of the greatest female tennis players of all-time! Venus and Serena Williams: Best friends. Sisters. Champions. Everyone knows the names Venus & Serena Williams. They’ve become synonymous with championships, hard work, and with shaking up the tennis world. This inspirational true story, written by award-winning sports journalist,…

Ruth was so excited to take a trip in her family’s new car! In the early 1950s, few African Americans could afford to buy cars, so this would be an adventure. But she soon found out that Black travelers weren’t treated very well in some towns. Many hotels and gas stations refused service to Black…

Here is a story of Alice Coachman, the first African-American woman to win an Olympic gold medal. When Alice Coachman was a girl, most White people wouldn’t even shake her hand. Yet when the King of England placed an Olympic medal around her neck in 1948, he extended his hand to Alice in congratulations. Standing…

Every evening, old as she is, Miz Berlin walks down the long block, past Mary Louise’s house, talking to herself. One day Mary Louise catches up to Miz Berlin and walks with her. She is spellbound by the stories the old woman tells: block-long stories and two-day stories about how she caught crawdaddies the day…

 A powerful story about racial tensions It’s the middle of the Great Depression, but James William still enjoys his life in rural Mississippi. But his happiness starts to unravel when he discovers the fire that burned down the local preacher’s house wasn’t an accident, but a hate crime. When his friend LeRoy tells him about…

Here is the story of Miss Prudence Crandall and her black students, who endured the cruelty of prejudice and hateful actions for the sake of their education. Miss Crandall faced legal proceedings for opening her school of African American women. But her young students knew that Miss Crandall had committed no crime. They knew that…

This spirited collection of beautifully illustrated poems introduces young readers to Danitra Brown, the most splendiferous girl in town, and her best friend, Zuri Jackson. This story of girl friendship and support resonates today more than ever. Perfect for sharing with early grade individuals and groups, including for units on poetry and empathy, kindness, and…

From his childhood in the South African countryside, to his election as the first black president in South Africa’s history, Nelson Mandela’s extraordinary life is a story of courage, persistence, hope, and belief. Author Floyd Cooper Illustrator Floyd Cooper Date 1996 Publisher Penguin

Little David Earl always knows what day of the week it is. He can tell by the clean, snappy-fresh apron Ma Dear is wearing, a different color for every day. Monday means washing, with Ma Dear scrubbing at her tub in a blue apron. Tuesday is ironing, in a sunshine yellow apron that brightens Ma’s…

What was Michael Jordan like as a boy? You might be surprised that the greatest professional basketball player ever wasn’t even the best player in his own family! Michael Jordan was once just an ordinary little boy growing up in a North Carolina suburb, trying to keep up with his older brother Larry. Michael was…

The inspiring biography of Ira Aldridge, a Black actor who overcame racism to become one of the greatest Shakespearean actors of the nineteenth century. Ira Aldridge dreamed of being on stage one day and performing the great works of William Shakespeare. He spent every chance he had at the local theaters, memorizing each actor’s lines.…

Lemons as big as oranges, the cool Pacific Ocean, mountains that rise up beyond the outstretched bay—California beckons as one girl makes her way west on a journey filled with excitement, hope, and the promise of a place where people from all paths come together and music fills the air. This is the true story…

In the late 1880s, signs went up all around America: land was free in the Oklahoma territory. And it was free to everyone: Whites, Blacks, men and women alike. All one needed to stake a claim was hope and courage, strength and perseverance. Thousands of pioneers, many of them African-Americans newly freed from being enslaved,…

Tamika loves everything about her grandpa, especially his expressive face. But one day, when Tamika watches Grandpa rehearsing for a play, she sees a different face, one she has never seen before. Author Eloise Greenfield Illustrator Floyd Cooper Date 1988 Publisher Penguin

Miss Ida’s porch is a place where adults recall their past and where the youngsters love to listen in. On one perfect night, tales are told about two great African American performers: Duke Ellington, who stayed at Mrs. Lomax’​s house when he was shut out of whites-only hotels, and Marian Anderson, whose two historic concerts…

In 1964’s Freedom Summer, one girl sees that nothing—not hatred, not fear, not anything else—can stand in the way of her learning about the world. Jolie has a lot to be scared about since the new Freedom School teacher, Annie, came to town. Bricks thrown through windows in the dead of night, notes filled with…

Frederick Douglass was born into slavery in the South, taught himself to read, and grew up to become an icon. He was a leader of the abolitionist movement, a celebrated writer, an esteemed speaker, and a social reformer, proving that “once you learn to read, you will be forever free.” The story of one of…

Young Langston Hughes was a dreamer. He dreamed about heroes like Booker T. Washington, who was black just like him. When he heard the clackety-clack of train wheels, he dreamed about the places it had been. But most of all, he dreamed about having a happy home. And so, one day, he began turning those…