Black All Around

As a mother of two, young African American daughters who live in a racially diverse community, it was delightful to read this book that celebrates the great things about the color black. My daughters resonated with the images of things and people that look and sound like them. Would love to see more of these types of books for this age group.

A young girl explores all the beautiful things that are black, from "the inside of a pocket where surprises hide" to "Momma's cheek." This book is about the color black, but it's also about good self image. The social message it's trying to give is not heavy-handed and the illustrations are fanciful and fun.

This beautifully illustrated book celebrates the color black and, in a world where all things white are placed on a pedestal, has the indirect effect of encouraging African-American children to embrace who they are and how they look. Replaces negative connotations associated with black, e.g. "blackmail", "black market", and focuses on all of the good things in our world that are black. Our children, ages 3 and 5, list this as one of their favorites. Read and enjoy!