Little Black Lives Matter

October 10, 2022
In an unevenly executed board book, spoken word artist and social justice advocate Dill highlights quotations from 15 Black luminaries, all of whom “lived little Black lives, my child,/ before they made us so proud.” Including bolded phrases from James Baldwin, Marsha P. Johnson, Martin Luther King Jr., Audre Lorde, and Rosa Parks, among other historical figures, each spread lightly contextualizes the individuals’ most well-known accomplishments in variously metered rhyme: “Many wise people all across the world/ know Malcolm X’s strife./ “It is time for you and me to stand up for ourselves!”/ Before he led a great resistance/ he too led a little Black life.” Charles’s naïf-style portraits frequently depict connections between the adult figures and their childhoods, as in an image of Wilma Rudolph running alongside a shadow of herself as a child. Ages 3–6.

October 15, 2022
An ode to Black children, affirming their worth and teaching them about those who walked the path of greatness ahead of them. A narrator cautions a young Black child seated in front of a wall of television screens to turn away from the displayed images of protest and violence, warning that the news can make them "feel numb" while also explaining that change is possible and that "little Black lives matter." The narrator notes that there have been others like readers who lived "little Black lives" before growing up to effect change and shape history in momentous ways. The words and actions of 15 remarkable Black figures are subsequently presented, including those who are commonly found in children's history books, such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, and others who are not, such as gay liberation activist Marsha P. Johnson, whose vibrant likeness is featured on the book's cover, and Fred Hampton, chairman of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party. The rhyming text used throughout works well for reading aloud; however, some vocabulary seems advanced for the targeted age range, and the frequent refrains of "little Black life" and "little Black lives" risks trivializing more than empowering. Straightforward illustrations complement the text. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A broad introduction to important figures in the ongoing struggle for Black liberation in the United States. (Informational picture book. 6-9)

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January 27, 2023

K-Gr 2-In this celebration of Black life and achievement, the narrator invites a young Black child to "turn away" from the constant barrage of brutality and oppression in the news and to "remember the hopeful words of Sam Cooke, "A Change is Gonna Come." The narrator goes on to remind readers that Black lives matter, and that many Black children have grown up to fight for the world as it should be; the spotlight moves to 15 changemakers and revolutionaries, often in vibrant spreads. Included among them are some who routinely appear in books for children (such as Rosa Parks and Harriet Tubman) as well as lesser-featured icons such as Audre Lorde, James Baldwin, Marsha P. Johnson, and Fred Hampton. A rhyming quatrain introduces each person, though the lines are oddly broken in the middle with a quotation. Some odes are more effective-and more rhythmically pleasing-than others, and the phrase "little Black life" repeats in each one. While this refrain seeks to connect young readers with the young people these historical figures once were, the repetition of the word "little" at times feels diminishing. The book closes on an empowering note, however, encouraging readers to remember that "the greatest life you can lead belongs to you" and that "you matter here." VERDICT An affirming title to inspire young readers and to expand the traditional canon of Black biography for children.-Lauren Strohecker

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