Children’s Books That Celebrate Black Girls’ Confidence
Jaylene Clark Owens is an author, actress, and the poet behind the viral sensation A Black Girl and Her Braids. Her empowering poem is a celebration of beauty, identity, and empowerment, and is the basis for her picture book debut, A Black Girl and Her Braids. Below is a list of Jaylene’s favorite books for Black girls that will leave you inspired!
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Add to BookshelfA Black Girl and Her Braids
by Jaylene Clark Owens
Based on the viral poem, braids of all lengths, looks, parts, and styles are explored and cheered on in this vibrant picture book celebrating the versatility of Black hair. This empowering picture book honors creativity, encourages confidence, and calls for Black girls to proudly show off their braids no matter what! Ages 3 – 7
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$18.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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A Is for Aretha
by Leslie Kwan
I love this board book for the youngest of our Black girls because they get to learn their ABCs while also learning about powerful, revolutionary, history-making Black women who have shaped, and continue to shape, the music industry. Learning about these trailblazers at a young age lets them know they can be trailblazers too! Ages 0 – 3
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$9.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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3
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I’m Growing Great
by Mechal Renee Roe
Mechal showcases a lush visual celebration of Black girls, with various, gorgeous hairstyles, surrounded by flowers, while highlighting the affirmation, “I am growing each day!” I feel calm in my confidence as I read this book because the characters look so peaceful and tranquil amongst the flowers. It’s a reminder that every day I am growing and blooming. Ages 3 – 7
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$16.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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Where There Is Love
by Shauntay Grant
Ain’t nothin’ in this world like a grandma’s love! This book took me back to the absolute joy I would feel at my grandma’s house surrounded by good food and good times. Through the African proverbs weaved throughout the text, Black girls are reminded that it’s okay to make mistakes, patience is key, and life is sweet when surrounded by the love of family! Ages 4 – 6
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$18.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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Just Like Tina
by Ebony Lynn Mudd
Just Like Tina teaches young Black girls to be unapologetically themselves, which I love! It places authenticity over perfectionism, advocates for giving back, speaking up for others, and believing that anything is possible! Ages 4 – 8
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$19.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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Little Black Girl
by Kirby Howell-Baptiste
This is a love letter to Black girls letting them know that the world is their oyster! They can be who they want, what they want, and they have a tribe of women supporting them in their goals. This is empowerment to the max! Ages 4 – 8
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$18.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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For Our Daughters
by Mel Nyoko
This resonated with me because it provides the reader with various ways to beautifully, gently, and poetically “clap back” when the world tries to say you’re too much, that you don’t fit in, or that your features aren’t aesthetically pleasing. It celebrates the uniqueness of our little girls and affirms that the possibilities are endless when it comes to their dreams. Ages 4 – 8
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$18.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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Main Street
by Britt Hawthorne and Tiffany Jewell
“You can’t always believe everything other people say about us!” My heart swelled with pride as I read this book: Pride in the neighborhood in which I was raised (Harlem, NY), and pride in my culture as a Black woman. This story reminds young Black girls that the world will sometimes say negative things about you, and where you live, but you cannot believe them! Ages 7 – 10
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$18.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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9
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My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich
by Ibi Zoboi
This book speaks to the Black girls that like to go to their “imagination location.” Through the mind of Ebony-Grace, or Cadet E-Grace Starfleet, we are reminded that Blackness does not come in a one-size fits all. Sometimes it looks like sci-fi or quirkiness, and that’s okay. Ages 10 and up
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$9.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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10
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Black Girl You Are Atlas
by Renée Watson
There is Black culture running through every poetic line in this collection of poetry. It makes me proud to be a Black girl, proud of where I come from and the many things, people, smells, and sights that make up my Blackness. I love this for teenage Black girls because it is both nostalgic and a poetic harbinger of Black womanhood. Ages 12 and up
Add to BookshelfPaperback
$13.99Buy from Other Retailers:
