Encouraged by the song, He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands expresses how the Lord has the Earth “in His hands” and each person as well. The book reminds us of nature’s beauty with its references to oceans, mountains and clouds. With simple straightforward writing and eye-catching paintings, this book is perfect for young readers as they will be able to follow along. The pictures also provide synergy and will help emergent readers. Children will enjoy this book as they can sing along with it.

This deeply religious book reflects on Harriet Tubman’s struggles to freedom and the various visions and messages she receives from God. After she escapes the South, with the help of abolitionists in the way, God reveals to her that she is to become a leader of the Underground Railroad. Not only does Harriet help her own family escape the slavery in the South, but she also helps many others become free like her, risking her own life to do so.
Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom creates a parallel between Harriet and Moses (who led his people from slavery in Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land). It shows the great difficulties slaves went through to gain the freedom they deserved, and how a brave soul like Harriet Tubman, can make a difference in others’ lives. The book contains beautiful illustrations that portray the mood and emotions of the characters, as well as concepts of slavery, abolitionists, and religion. The pictures aren't bright and cheery as may be expected of a children's book, but rather dark and ominous accurately portraying the mood and experiences of this time. The detailed emotions on the characters' faces offer to tell a story of their own. It is appropriate for children of ages eight or older; some concepts and ideas might need to be explained to younger children.

Please, Baby, Please by Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee is a simple picture storybook depicting everyday scenes from life with a baby in the house. From the moment the baby wakes up in the middle of the night to throwing cereal to drawing on the walls and making a mess in the bathroom, this book follows Baby all day. Yet, despite all of the frustration, at the end of the book, Baby gets tucked in with a loving goodnight kiss. The storyline is very simple and appropriate for toddlers, who may see themselves in the charming illustrations. While the text is extremely minimal, the pictures are so focused and detailed on this baby’s daily progress that it adds much to what the text may not explicitly say.

Ellington Was Not a Street is Ntozake Shange’s recollection of her childhood. In it, she remembers all of the influential African American men who gathered at her house to meet with her father. Combined with Kadir Nelson’s beautiful paintings, this book is a touching tribute to all who worked to ensure freedom and equality for African Americans. The text is difficult to understand, until one realizes that it is a poem written by Ntozake Shange set to imagery. The sophisticated language and biographical references make it much more appropriate for middle to high school classrooms, but the beautiful paintings add a great touch of realism and humanity to this historical poem.

This story is written in the format of a poem, each line has a steady rhythm and beat and could actually be read as a rap. It hooks the reader from the beginning by effectively depicting the all-encompassing love a parent feels for his newborn baby. The story moves the reader through the parenting experience as the child grows up, and even through a divorce. It’s a good representation of how divorce doesn’t have to be such a life altering experience, and that there can still be love throughout the whole family even if the marriage between the parents may not have worked out. It’s a great book that shows the bond between a father and son in what could possibly be considered a more “manly” form of poetry—rap, therefore introducing little boys to the world of poetry without the stereotypical resistance of that being too “girly”.

This is the story of a young girl who overcomes adversity in the form of teasing and discrimination for her height and big feet. She wants to be a star ballet dancer but she’s too tall to dance in line with the girls or be lifted by any boys, so she’s confined to dancing in the wings. When the opportunity to audition for an elite summer dance festival in Washington, D.C. is presented, Sassy almost doesn’t audition for it because she doesn’t think there’s any chance she would get in with her height and big feet. In the end she decides to audition and is picked for a solo, she finally sees her dreams realized and accepts her height and big feet, not as something to hold her back, but as something to make her unique, and interesting.
While this book may have a lot of text on each page, the story line is simple enough to be used for anywhere between second and fifth grade classrooms. Children in this age group can relate to these characters because the dialogue is very realistic sounding and most children will be able to relate to being teased at some point. The beautiful illustrations also add a very real life feel to the book, aiding in the connection children will be able to make. This book presents a very important message in a story kids will not mind reading.