15 One Moore Book Recommended Children’s Books by Authors of Color
1. Imani’s Moon
Written by: Janay Brown-Wood
Illustrated by: Hazel Mitchell
Summary: Imani is a young Maasi girl with a loving mother and a desire to do something great. When she decides she wants to touch the moon, she works hard to reach her goal, even in the face of teasing from the naysayers around her.
Available for purchase here: https://amzn.to/2GPSqFf
2. Grandma’s Tiny House
Written by: JaNay Brown-Wood
Illustrated by: Priscilla Burris
Summary: This sweet, rhyming counting book introduces young readers to numbers one through fifteen as Grandma’s family and friends fill her tiny house on Brown Street. Neighbors, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and grandkids crowd into the house and pile it high with treats for a family feast.
But when the walls begin to bulge and nobody has space enough to eat, one clever grandchild knows exactly what to do. Where there’s a will there’s a way when families grow and come together.
Available for purchase here: https://amzn.to/2GPSTY1
3. A Different Pond
Written by: Bao Phi
Illustrated by: Thi Bui
Summary: As a young boy, Bao and his father awoke early, hours before his father's long workday began, to fish on the shores of a small pond in Minneapolis. Unlike many other anglers, Bao and his father fished for food, not recreation. A successful catch meant a fed family. Between hope-filled casts, Bao's father told him about a different pond in their homeland of Vietnam.
Available for purchase here: https://amzn.to/2SPqwjS
4. The First Rule of Punk
Written by: Celia Perez
Summary: There are no shortcuts to surviving your first day at a new school—you can’t fix it with duct tape like you would your Chuck Taylors. On Day One, twelve-year-old Malú (María Luisa, if you want to annoy her) inadvertently upsets Posada Middle School’s queen bee, violates the school’s dress code with her punk rock look, and disappoints her college-professor mom in the process. Her dad, who now lives a thousand miles away, says things will get better as long as she remembers the first rule of punk: be yourself.
Available for purchase here: https://amzn.to/2Iqkguh
5. I Got the Rhythm
Written by: Connie Schofield-Morrison
Illustrated by: Frank Morrison
Summary: On a simple trip to the park, the joy of music overtakes a mother and daughter. The little girl hears a rhythm coming from the world around her- from butterflies, to street performers, to ice cream sellers everything is musical! She sniffs, snaps, and shakes her way into the heart of the beat, finally busting out in an impromptu dance, which all the kids join in on!
Available for purchase here: https://amzn.to/2T2PwmX
6. I Love My Haircut
Written by: Natasha Tarpley
Illustrated by: E. B. Lewis
Summary: A young boy named Miles makes his first trip to the barbershop with his father--but he's afraid that the haircut will hurt! With the support of his dad, the barber, and the other men in the barbershop, Miles bravely sits through his first haircut. In the end, Miles's father even decides to receive the same haircut as Miles! Now in board book format, here is a much-needed story about a milestone moment for toddlers, featuring African American characters and a loving father-son relationship that is perfect for Father's Day and all year round.
Available for purchase here: https://amzn.to/2V8Hcja
7. Last Stop on Market Street
Written by: Matt De La Pena
Illustrated by: Christian Robinson
Summary: Every Sunday after church, CJ and his grandma ride the bus across town. But today, CJ wonders why they don't own a car like his friend Colby. Why doesn’t he have an iPod like the boys on the bus? How come they always have to get off in the dirty part of town? Each question is met with an encouraging answer from grandma, who helps him see the beauty—and fun—in their routine and the world around them.
Available for purchase here: https://amzn.to/2ShcySY
8. This is It
Written & Illustrated by: Daria People-Riley
Summary: When a young dancer is nervous about her upcoming auditions, her shadow springs to life and leads her on a joyous exploration of their city. Soon enough, the young girl finds confidence in her skills, her body, and her ability to shine.
Available for purchase here: https://amzn.to/2ttJGN6
9. Crown - An Ode to the Fresh Cut
Written by: Derrick Barnes
Illustrated by: Gordon C. James
Summary: The barbershop is where the magic happens. Boys go in as lumps of clay and, with princely robes draped around their shoulders, a dab of cool shaving cream on their foreheads, and a slow, steady cut, they become royalty. That crisp yet subtle line makes boys sharper, more visible, more aware of every great thing that could happen to them when they look good: lesser grades turn into As; girls take notice; even a mother’s hug gets a little tighter. Everyone notices. A fresh cut makes boys fly.
Available for purchase here: https://amzn.to/2IymqYW
10. Early Sunday Morning
Written by: Denene Millner
Illustrated by: Vanessa Brantley-Newton
Summary: Love and family. These are the things that a little girl finds most special about Sunday mornings. Early Sunday Morning follows June, Mommy, Daddy, and brother Troy through their weekend routine as June prepares for a special performance leading the children’s choir at church on Sunday morning.
Available for purchase here: https://amzn.to/2T3vpoQ
11. You Can Do It
Written by: Tony Dungy
Illustrated by: Amy June Bates
Summary: Tony Dungy's little brother, Linden, is a third grader who is having a bad day at school. Linden is the youngest of the Dungy family and the least motivated because he hasn't found "it." In a family where everyone seems to have found their special talent, all Linden knows is that he wants to make people happy.
With encouragement from his parents, a helping hand from his older brother Tony, and inspiration from God, Linden learns that if he dreams big and has faith, he can do anything!
Available for purchase here: https://amzn.to/2tym0XP
12. I am a Big Sister Now
Written by: Katerina J. Hudson
Summary: Emma couldn't have been more excited to meet her baby brother. She wanted to hold him as soon as she saw him! Together they share exciting and sentimental moments, that are very important for cute little siblings.
Available for purchase here: https://amzn.to/2tym21T
13. Mixed Me
Written by: Taye Diggs
Illustrated by: Shane W. Evans
Summary: Mike has awesome hair. He has LOTS of energy! His parents love him. And Mike is a PERFECT blend of the two of them. Still, Mike has to answer LOTS of questions about being mixed. And he does, with LOTS of energy and joy in this charming story about a day in the life of a mixed-race child.
Available for purchase here: https://amzn.to/2V83mSI
14. Preaching to the Chicken
Written by: Jabari Asim
Illustrated by: E. B. Lewis
Summary: John wants to be a preacher when he grows up so he preaches to his flock, and they listen, content under his watchful care, riveted by the rhythm of his voice.
Available for purchase here: https://amzn.to/2NepmbD
15. Before There Was Mozart
Written by: Lesa Cline-Ransome
Illustrated by: James E. Ransome
Summary: The musical superstar of 18th-century France was Joseph Boulogne—a black man. This inspiring story tells how Joseph, the only child of a black slave and her white master, becomes "the most accomplished man in Europe." After traveling from his native West Indies to study music in Paris, young Joseph is taunted about his skin color. Despite his classmates' cruel words, he continues to devote himself to his violin, eventually becoming conductor of a whole orchestra. Joseph begins composing his own operas, which everyone acknowledges to be magnifique. But will he ever reach his dream of performing for the king and queen of France?
Available for purchase here: https://amzn.to/2SL04ry
