Horn Book Herald: February 2025

(3) 4-6 Black Lives series. Illustrated by David Wilkerson. Readers are introduced to five Black women and four men who have made great achievements in STEM in this nonfiction comic-format series starter. In addition to including accessible biographies that span several eras and fields, the book is designed to teach kids about occupations such as civil engineer, paleontologist, and marine biologist. Each biography ends with a timeline and related facts. Source notes (including an explanation of some invented dialogue “based on facts and original sources”) are appended. Final art unseen.

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(3) K-3 Illustrated by Lonnie Ollivierre. This inspiring picture-book biography sheds light on Maurice Stokes, a 1950s NBA star whose promising career was tragically cut short by a severe head injury. Combining engaging storytelling with digital illustrations in a palette of neutral colors, the story highlights his incredible talent, inspiring resilience, and the deep bond between Stokes and his teammate Jack Twyman. Back matter fleshes out Stokes’s life and includes source notes and a selected bibliography.

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Bea Jackson. This autobiographical picture book recounts the powerful story of Claudette Colvin, who, at age fifteen, refused to give up her bus seat, challenging segregation nine months before Rosa Parks. The text vividly captures her personal journey and the broader civil rights movement. Historically authentic illustrations in a vintage color palette depict both Colvin’s bravery and the emotional toll of her actions. A note by co-author Hoose is included. (For older readers, check out Hoose's 2009 title, Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice, a National Book Award winner and Newbery Honor Book.)

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Sophie Bass. Lou, a girl born from a wish on the leaves of a magical callaloo plant, is kidnapped by a wicked man. He forces her to do manual labor and cuts her magical hair short, though it always grows back “thicker and longer than before.” When a wise woman visits and braids Lou’s hair, she also gives Lou an escape route. Intricate, brilliant gouache illustrations bring this inventive story to life; an author’s note explains that the story is inspired by Rapunzel and tales of enslaved people’s use of cornrow braid patterns as maps to freedom.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Kerns

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Amanda Quartey. Anti-Black racism limited Althea Gibson’s professional tennis career in the United States, and antisemitism held back Angela Buxton in the UK. The two befriended each other during a tournament in Asia, and they eventually became doubles partners, winning Wimbledon and what is now known as the French Open in 1956. Dubbin uses child-friendly language to explain the discrimination both women faced. Cartoon-like illustrations accompany the straightforward prose. An author’s note and photographs of the women are appended.

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(3) YA Adapted by Yohuru Williams. Also adapted by Michael G. Long. This biography of Martin Luther King Jr., adapted from the book of the same name for adult readers, focuses almost exclusively on his leadership of the fight for civil rights. It provides a thorough and sobering view into the political and social unrest that drove the movement as well as a complex portrait of a man who was considered controversial in his time. Black-and-white photos are included; appended resources include “Extra Facts,” discussion questions, a timeline, and an index.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Kerns

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Cozbi A. Cabrera. “Brown girl, brown girl, / what did you see? // A world that sees my skin / before it sees me.” Honoré’s powerful, poetic text stands up to that world by celebrating Black and Brown girlhood and encouraging readers to fight, hope, and “speak what [is] true.” Cabrera’s painterly acrylic illustrations match the text’s pride in its subject, featuring vibrant images of girls playing, laughing, and finding strength in community. One especially arresting image is a wall mural of influential Black and Brown women, including Amanda Gorman, Toni Morrison, Kamala Harris, and Ketanji Brown Jackson. An author’s note provides context.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Supriya Kelkar. From the time she was very small, attending marches and protests with her parents, Kamala Harris “learned to raise her hand,” protecting people from bullies, speaking out against injustice, and advocating for the rights and protections of children, families, and vulnerable populations. Using the titular refrain, Mirchandani paints a broad portrait of Harris’s life and accomplishments (“Kamala raised her hand and became the first Black American, first woman, and first South Asian American vice president in American history”), culminating in her historic 2024 run for president. Kelkar’s evocative, textured digitally compiled mixed-media collages include creative use of red, white, and blue and of lotus (the meaning of kamala) motifs. Heartfelt author and illustrator’s notes provide personal connections.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Veronica Miller Jamison. This biography about a lesser-known African American figure follows Montague’s inspiring path from her 1940s Arkansas childhood to her groundbreaking work with the U.S. Navy, emphasizing the countless race- and gender-based obstacles placed in her way. With determination and vision, Montague eventually became the first person to create a computer program that could “calculate every part of a [navy] ship’s design.” Jamison’s engaging illustrations enhance Swanson’s clear-eyed text about this STEM trailblazer. Back matter includes more about Montague’s life, an author’s note, and sources.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 Words by JaNay Brown-Wood. “Brown girl, / you were born to take that stage.” Wallace-McMillian's stunning photography, primarily of Black ballerinas, is paired with empowering poetry by Brown-Wood in this celebration of dancers of color in ballet, an art form that remains primarily white. The photographs include a nice mix of experienced dancers en pointe and those just starting out. The dancers appear to range in age from toddlers to tweens. Various skin tones are represented, and one dancer uses a wheelchair.

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(3) K-3 Illustrated by Ekua Holmes. A crowning moment for Black representation in beauty contests sets the stage for this tribute to the glory and versatility of Black hair. "But we don't need pageants to declare our reigns," the narrator says, weaving rhyming couplets evoking the Black Is Beautiful movement. This vibrant picture book affirms Black hair as liberation, identity, art, and kinship, with bold mixed-media illustrations of Afro-descended women and girls. It transcends cosmetic celebrations of Afrocentric beauty, honoring Black roots.

Reviewer: Summer Edward