BLACK GIRL, BLACK GIRL

From the creators of Black Boy, Black Boy (2022) comes a similar ode for Black girls.

A youngster sits on her bed, where an adult companion does her hair for the day ahead. The accompanying text strikes an encouraging note: “Dear girl, Black girl, / rise up, it’s time / It’s a new day and a / chance to shine.” The girl’s bed is covered with a multicolored fabric quilt—a nod to the quilting tradition in African American culture—while her walls are decorated with posters of inspiring quotations by famous Black women. The quilt serves as a visual leitmotif as the girl is told to “shape your own history like / these amazing queens.” “Dear girl, / Black girl, / what do you see?” her guardian asks. In rhyming sentences, the authors introduce and summarize the courageous actions of nine contemporary and historical Black women, including Vice President Kamala Harris. Bright digital illustrations of the subjects complement the brief, explanatory text. Refreshingly, the book takes a global perspective. Potentially less familiar people from outside the United States are featured alongside U.S. figures: South African musician Miriam Makeba, Sierra Leonean Creole educational advocate Adelaide Casely-Hayford, and Canadian civil rights activist and businesswoman Viola Desmond. Together, Kamanda, Redmond, and Quartey have created an upbeat reminder of the great potential inherent in Black girls everywhere.

Stirring and informative.