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Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Black Boy by Tony Medina offers a fresh perspective of young men of color by depicting thirteen views of everyday life: young boys dressed in their Sunday best, running to catch a bus, and growing up to be teachers, and much more. Each of Tony Medina’s tanka is matched…

Prominent Black creators lend their voice, their insight, and their talent to an inspiring anthology that celebrates Black culture and Black life. Essays, poems, short stories, and historical excerpts blend with a full-color eight-page insert of spellbinding art to capture the pride, prestige, and jubilation that is being Black in America. In these pages, find…

The lyrics of a Grammy winner’s hit single are joined with stunning pencil and oil illustrations to celebrate the dignity, integrity, and honor of being a father. Author Will Smith Illustrators Floyd Cooper, Jon J. Muth and Kadir Nelson Date 2001 Publisher Scholastic

A collection of traditional and contemporary songs follows the historical journey of African Americans and includes such pieces as “Kumbaya,” “Follow the Drinking Gourd,” and “Freedom’s Coming and It Won’t Be Long.” Editors Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson Illustrator Floyd Cooper Date 1995 Publisher Scholastic

Fluffy clouds, butterflies, furry bunnies, and life from a bug’s-eye view: This stunning sequel to the New York Times bestseller Goodnight Songs celebrates the beauty and wonder of nature all year long. Once again, a treasure trove of Margaret Wise Brown’s newly uncovered verses receives loving treatment from 12 award-winning artists, including Floyd Cooper, Peter…

After Tyler saves Noah from a bully, they become fast friends. Now they want to try out for a sport together. Noah wants to swim. Tyler wants to play basketball. How will the friends choose which sport to play? Author Floyd Cooper Illustrator Randy DuBurke Date N/A Publisher Benchmark Education Company

Florrie’s daddy used to be a stage actor in Harlem before the Depression forced the Lafayette Theater to close, but he gets a chance to act again when Orson Welles reopens the theater to stage an all-black version of Macbeth. Author Amy Littlesugar Illustrator Floyd Cooper Date 1999 Publisher Penguin

Across the great desert the caravan follows the eastern star, in search of the newborn king. And at the rear young Ameer trails sadly behind. What gift, he wonders, can one so poor possibly give? Certainly nothing that might compare with the fine tributes of a merchant, or the gold, frankincense, and myrrh of kings.…

A retelling of a story found on a twelfth century scroll, in which a young girl chooses her own interests and her own life. Living in twelfth-century Japan, Izumi, a young girl who is fascinated by small creatures, especially caterpillars, ignores the rigid conventions of Japanese court life and the wishes of her parents to…

M. LaVora Perry is an actor and commercial model from Cleveland, Ohio. Her novel, Taneesha Never Disparaging, was inspired by her three children who attended a school very similar to Taneesha’s. Author M. LaVora Perry Illustrator Floyd Cooper Date 2008 Publisher Simon&Schuster

Now that Grandpa’s gone, Sarah tries to remember what he used to say about the garden. Like us, he would tell her, a part of it never dies. Everything and everyone goes on and on. But Sarah feels very sad, even though Grandma and all the relatives are with her, sharing stories and hugs. How…

In 1936, the New York Yankees wanted to test a hot prospect named Joe DiMaggio to see if he was ready for the big leagues. They knew just the ballplayer to call—Satchel Paige, the best pitcher anywhere, black or white. For the game, Paige joined a group of amateur African American players, and they faced…

They called him “White Trash” because he wore hand-me-down overalls and lived on the wrong side of the tracks near Shake Rag, but when his mama gets him a second-hand guitar, his life is forever changed. Author Amy Littlesugar Illustrator Floyd Cooper Date 1998 Publisher Penguin

On hot summer nights in New Orleans, a boy named Louis Armstrong would peek under the big swinging doors of Economy Hall and listen to the jazz band. The best night was Friday, when Bunk Johnson would blow his cornet till the roof trembled. At moments like those, Louis could feel his toes tingle. He…

Seventeen stories about the experiences of young people of African descent around the world, by such authors as Toni Cade Bambara, John Henrik Clarke, Njabulo Ndebele, and Barbara Burford. Author Tonya Bolden Illustrator Floyd Cooper Date 1994 Publisher Hyperion

A collection of poetry by fourteen distinguished African-American poets features the work of Langston Hughes, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Eloise Greenfield, among others. Author Wade Hudson Illustrator Floyd Cooper Date 1993 Publisher Scholastic

Promising that he will show her how to gain the affection of her new stepmother, Almaz’s grandfather tells her to bring him a handful of hair from the tail of a lion, in a folktale set in Ethiopia. Author Jane Kurtz Illustrator Floyd Cooper Date 1995 Publisher Simon&Schuster

When Papa tells a story about a brave soldier with a secret message, Chita happily joins in the telling, enjoying the time with her father in a celebration of family and the tradition of the tall tale. Author Elizabeth Fitzgerald Howard Illustrator Floyd Cooper Date 1995 Publisher Simon&Schuster

Fifty Oklahoma City children, ranging in age from three to 14, offer their memories of and feelings about the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, whose 169 fatalities included 19 children and the parents of 100 others. Authors Nancy Lamb and The Children of Oklahoma City Illustrator Floyd Cooper Date 1996 Publisher HarperCollins…

Two African-American children participating in the traditional New Orleans Mardi Gras celebration see such sights as the Zulu and Rex parades, enjoying the songs, bright costumes, and gigantic floats. By the author of The Jazz of Our Street. Author Fatima Shaik Illustrator Floyd Cooper Date 1998 Publisher Penguin

Describes the life of the civil rights worker who is honored on Martin Luther King Day. Author Jacqueline Woodson Illustrator Floyd Cooper Date 1990 Publisher Silver Burdett Press

A girl who is afraid to go to sleep asks for the familiar story of Charlotte, her handmade stuffed elephant. It is the mother’s own story, and though it is late, she tells it to her daughter. When she was five, her grandmother made her an elephant out of sewing box scraps and she named…

A portrait of endangered rainforest animals of South America describes their struggles to survive and find suitable habitats as they journey from the pineapple fields and cattle ranches that were once their home. Author Virginia Hamilton Illustrator Floyd Cooper Date 1994 Publisher Scholastic

Imani learns about Kwanzaa, the African American harvest festival, from her grandmother, and makes friends with a girl who has never been to Kwanzaa before. Author Denise Burden-Patmon Illustrator Floyd Cooper Date 1993 Publisher Simon&Schuster

Fourth-grader Jamal got in trouble with the principal for fighting with another boy over the backseat of the school bus. When Grandpa Joe finds out, he sits Jamal down to tell him about a time when black boys could only sit at the back of the bus and how Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King…

Poems for each month of the year celebrate the themes of family love, individuality, and Afro-American identity. Author Joyce Carol Thomas Illustrator Floyd Cooper Date 1995 Publisher HarperCollins Publishers

Having recently moved to a new apartment in the city, Zakiya is afraid of the sounds she hears in the evenings, until her sister, Jamila, comforts her with her grandmother’s African tales, which seem to transform the noises of the city into the sounds of Africa. Author Virginia L. Kroll Illustrator Floyd Cooper Date 1998…

Grimes and Cooper return with another story told through poems about Danitra Brown and Zuri Jackson. This time, the friends exchange letters all summer long while Danitra is visiting relatives. Zuri starts out feeling angry and disappointed that Danitra is leaving her behind and doesn’t seem to care, but eventually both girls make new friends…

“Daddy, Daddy, be there”. So begins each compelling verse in this warm appeal to fathers everywhere. Children want to share with their daddies–sandwiches, jokes, music, and dreams. No moment is too great or too small. Teachers change, friends move, grandparents die, but even during the hardest times, children ask “Daddy, be there” Author Candy Dawson…

“Cumbayah” is an enduring campfire song for children and a source of inspiration for adults. Though its roots are in the African-American tradition, it speaks to people of many different cultures, ages, and religious. With power and grace, Floyd Cooper depicts scenes from everyday life that emphasize how people all over the world are united…