Culturally Relevant Books that Encourage Love of Self Make Me Happy :-)

Rafael López Children's Books: My Name is CELIA-ME LLAMO CELIA

Thanks to Busboys & Poets, I came across this gem. The illustrations are GORGEOUS!  I wished more than anything I had some little brown baby to give this book to. But come to think of it, I think I might just go and get it for myself. It reminds me of all the beautiful books illustrated with brown people of all shades that I was given throughout my childhood. Of course, I had "Goodnight Moon," "Where the Wild Things Are," etc. But I also had "Hakim & Grenita," "Shake it to the One that You Love the Best," "Colors All Around Me." What y'all know about them books?

Colors Around Me, by Vivian Church with illustrations by Sherman Beck. Perhaps more than any other, THIS book really shaped my view of all of my multi-hued brethren and sistren and ALL of the vivid hues my people come in. Each child in the classroom is a different shade of brown: red brown, yellow brown, brown, brown, cinnamon. But don't take my word for it, please buy this book and give it to a child you love, and show them how beautiful you think they are no matter whether they're yellow like a sugar cookie or dark and sweet like a chocolate bar. ;-)

Although the image shows a CD, the original copy of this book was accompanied by a cassette tape. (I probably got my copy sometime between 1988 and 1990) and I think Cheri and Bill might have had to buy another or dub the tape because I'm sure just like Quincy Jones' "Back on the Block" I'm sure I WORE that thing out! The tape had a collection of all sorts of handjives, folk songs and all around great tunes.  Illustrations by my favorite artist and artistic inspiration, the late, Varnette P. Honeywood

One of my favorite books from my childhood by Fred Crump, Jr. Shout out to Yusef Harris and Alkebulan African Booksellers from the days when it was at Lyles Plaza on West Broadway in Louisville :-)

What were your favorite books from your childhood? Did your parents insist on giving you book illustrated with people who looked like you? Did they read to you?