Jamia Wilson

The subtitle of this book is “Meet 52 Black Heroes From Past and Present,” with author Jamia Wilson and illustrator Andrea Pippins introducing us (or reacquainting us) with 52 visionary leaders from black history. In the opening “Welcome” to the book, they write:

“Our lives matter. This book is a love letter to our ancestors and to the next generation of black changemakers, in the spirit of the song ‘To Be Young, Gifted and Black.”

They also point out that “the books we read show more and the media we consume deeply influence our understanding of who we are and what we can be - if you can’t see it you can’t be it. They also impact how we understand each other.”

They want to help kids imagine what is possible for them:

“We hope that you’re just as encouraged by the artists, activists, doers, makers, healers, and dreamers who bravely paved the way for us to have a brighter future.”

The range of personalities covered by this book is terrific, as are the write-ups and illustrations. Coverage is not restricted to Americans. You will get to know George Washington Carver from Missouri as well as Mo Farah, born in Somalia and now a British citizen (even knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2017!).

The short bios, in no particular order, often feature quotes from the person being profiled, and begin with the person’s childhood and what obstacles had to be overcome. Stevie Wonder, for instance, was blind. Even though he was a musical prodigy, his lack of vision created significant barriers. Nicola Adams, Britain’s most decorated boxer, passed her childhood being frequently sick with asthma and allergies. Misty Copeland, the first African-American ballerina to be appointed as a principal dancer for the American Ballet Theatre, moved often in her childhood and went to bed hungry many nights, sleeping on motel floors.

Many of those featured in the book might be unknown to younger readers. Maurice Ashley was the first African-American chess grandmaster. Musical prodigy Esperanza Spalding is a grammy award-winning jazz bassist and singer. Shirley Chishom was the first African-American congresswoman in the U.S. I love the quote they included by Chisholm: “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.”

Readers will also be happy to find out more about contemporary heroic individuals, such as Ava Duvernay, Serena and Venus Williams, and Simone Biles.

Andrea Pippins provides colorful and entertaining illustrations. On her website she writes that she “produces artwork with a mission to create what she wants to see and a vision to empower women and girls of color and people in underserved communities with visual tools to own and tell their own stories.”

Like the two books she authored herself, I Love My Hair, and Becoming Me, this book showcases the illustrator’s skill with making text, doodles, and character portraits joyful and engaging.

At the end of the book there is a very clever pictorial index, and even a small glossary, the choice of words for which I found quite impressive.

Evaluation: This book is excellent, and a great choice for children of every color. The theme is inspiration and empowerment rather than race per se. I love that there are 52 black heroes instead of the usual 28 for “Black History Month” and I love the diverse mix. The illustrations are the icing on the cake. show less

Jamia Wilson has written a passionate and wide-ranging overview of feminism. She provides an inclusive perspective on the subject and blends her own story with the stories and views of feminist activists through the ages including today’s generations. Her informative and challenging text is supported by Aurelia Durand’s colorful illustrations. Chapters address the relationship of feminism to identity, justice, education, money, power, health, wellness, relationships, media, activism, show more innovation, and more. Though written for young people, this is a book for adults as well. show less

I loved the format of this which featured two pages for each of the 52 Black people included — the first, a description of what their passion is/what brings them joy and the second, a related nonfiction piece. There’s an entry for each week of the year, themed with points on the calendar such as International Dog Day, Classical Music Month, and Mindfulness Day. The expansive variety of backgrounds and professions represented was great. With engaging illustrations and accessible writing show more geared toward younger readers, this book was a joy to read! I could see this being used in a classroom setting to not only promote reading Black voices but also as a template for students to write/create about their own passions. show less

Includes Beyonce and Solange! Yes! Unlike similar books that focus on African-Americans in history, this is an in international collection of mini-biographies that mixes historical and contemporary. It's a joy to read and look at. The illustrations are bold and exciting.

I like that there are small photos of each person in the back, inviting the reader to choose someone at random to learn about. Maybe I'm missing something, but it seems like the people are all in random order -- I couldn't show more figure out if there was any logic to it. I think it's puzzling when you first start reading it, because it seems like it might be chronological by birth, but it's not. I think maybe the photographs should have been in the front of the book like a table of contents.

I had never heard of Malorie Blackman, a renowned British children's author, and now look forward to reading her books! show less