By the time they finish high school, black children will have read countless books featuring white heroes and heroines. It's a common experience for young children to color these characters brown, wanting to see themselves as the protagonists of these stories. Yet there are many wonderful books by and about African Americans that portray them in a positive way, to build a child's self-esteem and to spur hopes, dreams, and imagination. Former Essence editor Toussaint has collected poetry, fiction, and nonfiction that reflect a wide range of black experience, show sensitivity to black features in their illustrations, and have a lesson or values to impart. For each age group, Toussaint defines what children like in a book and includes advice about how to choose books.
Entries suggest ways to explore a story further.
Overall, a good purchase for education and children's collections.