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10 Best Books for Black Kids Self-Esteem
Black children are joyful, kind, bright, inquisitive, aspirational, and intellectual. The list of adjectives is very long, but as a Black mother, I’ll just say that they are amazing. However, there is a complete imbalance in how the world portrays how amazing they are, particularly when it comes to Black representation in children’s literature.
Children of colour require positive images that affirm them in addition to seeing themselves reflected in books on Black history. Books that encourage self-love, confidence, and self-awareness further prepare children to be strong in recognising their worth as they traverse the world, even while they are not unaware of how the world perceives their blackness. Children of colour have limitless potential when they believe in themselves and know what they are capable of.
We hope these books will be everything your children will need to elevate them and lift their spirits.
1. ‘I Am: Empowering Coloring Book For Black Girls’ by Aaliyah Wilson
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For Black and Brown girls, this motivating activity book promotes self-worth and self-assurance. In addition to praising their strength and intelligence, it exhorts them to appreciate the beauty of their natural hair. One reader wrote, “Even flipping through the pages leaves a person feeling good. Single-sided pages for colouring; pages are removable if desired. Bonus activity pages (double-sided) in the back!”
The 107-page I Am colouring book features 14 enjoyable activities like mazes and connect-the-dots in addition to five additional worksheets for boosting self-esteem. The book’s positive affirmations for young girls to keep onto and appreciate about it are among its most important features.
2. ‘Your Name is a Song’ written by Jamilah Thomkins-Bigelow, illustrated by Luisa Uribe
Our culture values names that stand out and are inventive while also evoking memories of the past. However, many young children don’t believe they cheerfully enjoy their given name, particularly when they arrive at school and non-Black teachers turn away or stutter repeatedly when calling names.
In the book Your Name Is A Song, readers witness a day in the life of a young girl attending school. She had vowed never to return, but on their lyrical walk around the city, her mother taught her more about “the melody of African, Asian, Black-American, Latinx, and Middle Eastern names.”
This review reads, “Every educator should share this book, especially at the beginning of the school year. It’s a wonderful message about the importance of our names and that every name should be pronounced proudly and sand like a song!”
3. ‘I Am Smart, I Am Blessed, I Can Do Anything’ written by Alissa Holder & Zulekha Holder-Young, illustrated by Nneka Myers
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I Am Smart, I Am Blessed, I Can Do Anything is 32 pages of sheer inspiration, and the vibrant colours make it difficult to take your eyes off of it. Ayaan, the main character, is a young Black child who begins each day questioning his capabilities and self-worth. But the support from everyone who loves him encourages him to recognise the possibility of a brand-new day and have confidence in himself. It not only encourages self-love but also demonstrates the ties that bind our neighbourhood.
A review reads, “This is truly a unique and important book for young children. I love that it shows diversity as well as developing self-esteem and self-confidence. It even helps to lift up adult readers on difficult days.”
4. ‘Girls Like Me’ written by Valerie Thompkins, illustrated by Abira Das
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“I’ve heard moms say their little girls didn’t love their curly hair. They didn’t see role models that looked like them as lawyers and engineers and in a lot of STEM roles. They’ve gone to bookstores and couldn’t find books with brown girls on the cover. So I wanted to create a book that not only encourages girls to explore careers, but to do so with their naturally curly hair,” says Valerie Thompkins, author of Girls Like Me.
Black girls are empowered by the representation in her book to believe they can achieve their goals and that having natural hair doesn’t prevent them from doing so.
5.’I Am Every Good Thing’ written by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Gordon C. Jones
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For boys between the ages of 3 and 7, I Am Every Good Thing is ideal. The self-love, ambition, and pride of a young Black child who understands his potential and loves every aspect of himself drip from these pages.
He says, “I am a nonstop ball of energy. Powerful and full of light. I am a go-getter. A difference maker. A leader.”
When people label him with hurtful remarks that don’t fit his character and strength, he manages to get through the difficult moments. Readers will be compelled to exercise their own power of self-love as a result of how each graphic engulfs the pages.
6. ‘The Day I Learned To Love Myself’ by Sonya Durant
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After years of feeling inferior, because she didn’t have as much as other people and didn’t look like them, little Sasha finally learns to love everything that makes her unique. With the help of books like this, Black children become more comfortable identifying with a common activity like reading.
Sasha discovers how amazing every aspect of her appearance is in the book The Day I Learned To Love Myself. Everything about her was beautiful, from her powerful hair to her large lips.
7. ‘Girls Can Dream’ written by Jasmine Owens, illustrated by Morenike Olusanya
The possibilities are endless! Females Can Dream is trying to get that over to young Black girls. Each letter in the alphabet is represented by a different profession in this book, which also exhorts readers to pursue their dreams. This is fantastic since, besides possibilities like astronaut, doctor, and lawyer, many kids have no idea what else they can be. It thus celebrates variety in addition to bridging all those divides.
One customer praises their purchase, “This is a beautiful book! I absolutely love the illustrations of various African American women in different career fields from A-Z! Some of the careers described in the book I wasn’t even aware of, so this book is also very educating!”
8. ‘I Need You To Know: The ABCs of Black Girl Magic’ written by Lora McClain-Muhammad, illustrated by Asla Lewis-Ross
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In addition to being a Black mother, author Lora McClain-Muhammad is also a grandma. Because small Black girls need to be reminded of their excellence and beauty, the birth of her first grandchild served as the inspiration for the “I Need You To Know” series. In her interactive colouring book I Need You To Know:
The ABCs of Black Girl Magic, McClain-Muhammad made that constant reminder and representation visible to all girls.
“I created this colouring book so Black and Brown girls can see beautiful and positive images that look like them! Every page has encouraging words to intrigue young minds!”
9. ‘What Will I Be?’ by Jayla Joseph
Another degree of loving yourself is realising that you are capable of having a great, bright future and that you have what it takes. What Will I Be? places a strong emphasis on the crucial idea that kids should appreciate themselves.
Written by a parent, “The illustrations are adorable and my boys could see themselves in the characters. It was also a great chance for me to tell them more about the different careers. this book pointed out a lot of professional careers that go beyond just the regular civil service jobs that little kids hear about.”
The author also stresses the importance of non-Black readers having this book because “differences should be celebrated from a young age.”
10. ‘My Brown Skin’ written by Thomishia Booker, illustrated by Jessica Gibson
Black parents converse very differently from non-Black parents in terms of topics of conversation. Even though they don’t see enough representation of themselves in popular culture and in standards of beauty, we must teach our children that their skin is lovely.
In the book My Brown Skin, the main character is even urged to mention his favourite things that are the same hue. This book is a terrific approach to start the conversation about teaching your child to embrace the skin that God expertly created them with. This “Hey Carter!” television show was developed by Dr Thomaishia Booker to empower and affirm Black kids.
A review says, “My son loved to see a character that resembles him. It helps to reinforce what we are teaching him to be sure with the skin he’s in!”
Do you feel like you need to know more about parenting? Read our selection of the best parenting books.
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