Below you will find a collection of children’s books focused on the subject of Kwanzaa. Any of these books would serve as a great start to explaining Kwanzaa to to the youth to give them a better understanding of the holiday, its symbols and purpose. I put together this list after receiving numerous emails about how to introduce children to this holiday. Hopefully it will assist our Black Art Depot community and all other interested parties in sharing the joys of Kwanzaa with their children, their family and friend’s children and any other young person interested in learning more about this incredible holiday that we call Kwanzaa!

If you have any other book recommendations please feel free to comment below and share it with us!

Kwanzaa Books for Children

Book Cover	Title	Author	Price	Buy Now
	My First Kwanzaa	Karen Katz	$10.17
A simple way to get acquainted with Kwanzaa. This book contains a warm and lively introduction to a very special holiday will help even the youngest children join in! Author and illustrator Karen Katz kicks off a wonderful new series of picture books for the very young with My First Kwanzaa. The series will offer a simple and fun way to get familiar with the traditions of holiday celebrations from different cultures.
	Seven Spools of Thread	Angela Medearis	$6.99
In an African village live seven brothers who make life miserable with their constant fighting. When their father dies, he leaves an unusual will: by sundown, the brothers must make gold out of seven spools of thread or they will be turned out as beggars.
	Kwanzaa	Trudi Trueit	$15.99
Following the well-known and much-loved Rookie Books format, these fun and informative books introduce early elementary-school children to the basic facts about major holidays. Each book explains the development of the holiday and how it is celebrated today, and includes holiday games, traditions, crafts, and foods.
	Together for Kwanzaa	Juwanda Ford	$3.99
Kwanzaa is Kayla’s favorite time of year. But this year, it looks as if a heavy snowstorm will keep her big brother, Khari, from getting home in time for the festivities! Will Khari miss the celebration completely? Or will Kayla and her brother somehow find a way to be together for Kwanzaa? A perfect introduction to Kwanzaa, this book will teach children all about the traditions and practices that make it a special winter holiday.
	Lil’ Rabbits	Donna Washington	$10.39
Li’l Rabbit is not having a very good Kwanzaa. Granna Rabbit is sick, and so his family won’t celebrate his favorite part of Kwanzaa this year: a big feast called Karamu. Li’l Rabbit knows what to do! He’ll find Granna Rabbit a special treat for Karamu so she can celebrate anyway. He looks under a pile of logs, in the field, and in the pond and along the way meets Groundhog, Momma Field Mouse, and the frogs—but he doesn’t find anything for Granna Rabbit. Maybe I’m just too little to help Granna Rabbit celebrate Kwanzaa, Li’l Rabbit thinks. Or maybe he just needs a little help from his family and friends. Inspired by Brer Rabbit, a trickster character from the African-American folklore tradition, the story of Li’l Rabbit captures the true meaning of Kwanzaa—coming together to help others.
	My First Kwanzaa Book	Deborah Chocolate	$6.99
During the last week of December, Kwanzaa is a time to dress up in African clothes and gather together with relatives from all over the country. Grandma brings special things to eat, Grandpa lights the candles, and everyone in the family celebrates their heritage.
	Seven Days of Kwanzaa	Angela Medearis	$13.99
Celebrate the culture, heritage, family, and tradition of Kwanzaa through this beautiful variation of a popular holiday song. On the fifth day of Kwanzaa, my people gave to me Five festive friends! Four spending dollars, Red, green, and black, Two drums-a-drumming, And a promise for unity. Sing in celebration of Kwanzaa with this cheerful holiday rhyme. This creative spin on a familiar Christmas song features rhyming text, and lively artwork from illustrator Jeremy Tugeau.
	The Children’s Book of Kwanzaa	Dolores Johnson	$12.09
Each year on December 26, the African American holiday of Kwanzaa begins. What is the purpose of Kwanzaa? How did it get its start? Dolores Johnson’s easy-to-follow guide gives detailed descriptions of Kwanzaa’s principles and symbols. This comprehensive resource also includes recipes and craft and gift ideas, as well as suggestions to help young readers and their families create their own special Kwanzaa celebration.
	The Sound of Kwanzaa	Dimitrea Tokubo	$14.42
Hear the words, sing the songs, dance to the beat, and shout “Harambee!” as you jump into this joyful celebration of the sounds of Kwanzaa! The sound is Umoja–bringing us together. The sound is Kuumba–the songs of our ancestors. The sound is Kwanzaa! Lively verse and colorful illustrations guide you through the seven principles of this festive holiday. All you have to do is come close, gather round, and discover what Kwanzaa is all about!

Visit our: Kwanzaa Gifts and Collectibles

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3. 7 Facts About Dr. Maulana Karenga, Founder of Kwanzaa

Sister Citizen: Shame, Stereotypes, and
Black Women in America
Melissa V. Harris-Perry

Sister Citizen explores how African American women understand themselves as citizens and what they expect from political organizing. Harris-Perry shows that the shared struggle to preserve an authentic self and secure recognition as a citizen links together black women in America, from the anonymous survivors of Hurricane Katrina to the current First Lady of the United States.

Jezebel’s sexual lasciviousness, Mammy’s devotion, and Sapphire’s outspoken anger—these are among the most persistent stereotypes that black women encounter in contemporary American life. Hurtful and dishonest, such representations force African American women to navigate a virtual crooked room that shames them and shapes their experiences as citizens. Many respond by assuming a mantle of strength that may convince others, and even themselves, that they do not need help. But as a result, the unique political issues of black women are often ignored and marginalized.

In this groundbreaking book, Melissa V. Harris-Perry uses multiple methods to understand more deeply black women’s political and emotional responses to negative race and gender images.

About the Author

Melissa V. Harris-Perry is a professor of Political Science at Tulane University. There she also serves as the Founding Director of the Anna Julia Cooper Project on Gender, Race and Politics in the South. In addition, Dr. Harris-Perry also works as a columnist for The Nation magazine, contributes as guest blogger for The Nation and is a regular contributor to various MSNBC shows.

In 2005, Dr. Harris-Perry won the W.E.B. DuBois Book award from the National Conference of Black Political Scientists and won a book award from the American Political Science Association for her first book which was entitled: Barbershops, Bibles, and BET: Everyday Talk and Black Political Thought.

On a personal note, Melissa V. Harris-Perry was born in Seattle and raised in Virginia. She is the daughter of William M. Harris Sr. who served as the dean of Afro-American affairs at the University of Virginia. Melissa is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

Learn More About: Melissa V. Harris Perry

Melissa V. Harris-Perry Speaks About Her Book

Available Now: Purchase Your Copy of the Book Today!

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Heart & Soul: The Story of America
and African Americans
Kadir Nelson

Kadir Nelson at a
We Are The Ship Interview

This book represents a tremendous achievement for the award winning author and illustrator Kadir Nelson. It tells a story of hope, courage and inspiration. Told by the voice of a African American female elder who speaks in a calm, collected and patient tone that displays the quiet power that it took to survive. It also features the stunning artwork and portraits of famous African Americans such as Joe Louis, Frederick Douglass and many others in a manner that has earned Kadir Nelson respect and admiration worldwide. His images show the strength and integrity many of his subjects are known for.

The book takes the reader on a journey from slavery all the way up to the election of our 44th President and 1st African American President, Barack Obama. It Contains 108 pages of inspirational words and amazing artwork. Publisher’s Weekly’s review summed up best with the following words:

This inspiring book demonstrates that in gaining their freedom and equal rights, African Americans helped our country achieve its promise of liberty and justice—the true heart and soul of our nation.

Order Your Copy Today

View our: Kadir Nelson Art Gallery

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Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention
Manning Marable

This is the long awaited biography by Manning Marable, which was over fifteen years in the making, has finally been released to the public. Featuring never before known information about the legendary activist that was acquired by the author’s interviews with Malcolm X’s security team and inner circle, over 4,000 pages of information secured from the US Government due to the Freedom of Information Act, diaries and letters. This biography is easily the most researched book on Malcolm X bar none and sheds new insight on his assasination, relationship with his wife, meetings with organizations as diverse as the Klu Klux Klan to the PLO, and other factors that led to his departure from the Nation of Islam.

It’s unfortunate that Manning Marable died shortly before the release of his opus and seminal work. However, I’m grateful that the book was finished during his lifetime for us all to read and learn from.

Author: Manning Marable

Manning Marable Interviews and Discussions of His Book

Purchase Your Copy of the Book Today!

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“Mama Miti: Wangari Maathai and the Trees of Kenya” by Donna Jo Napoli and illustrated by Kadir Nelson is our featured book of the week due to the works of art created by Mr. Nelson for the children’s book and its ethnic theme.  Below you will find a summary of the books contents, sample images from the book and much, much more.

Book Summary

Wangari is from Mount Kenya.  She grew up there learning about the land and the people that inhabited it.  Since she was a child, Wangari always had a love for trees.  There were so strong and beautiful and they always made her smile.

Wangari began planting trees to strengthen her spirit and soul.  She also encouraged  the women who came to her for help to do the same.  Wangari changed her country by planting tree after tree until the countryside was filled with trees and Kenya was strong.

This book is inspired by Wangari Maathai, the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize recipient.  It will educate, touch and and inspire all who read it.  It’s author is Donna Jo Napoli and the book is illustrated by Kadir Nelson.  His incredible collage illustrations brighten the book and honor the land and the woman who saved it.

One woman. One seed.
One hope for the future.

Thayu nyumba — Peace, my people.

Buy The Book Now!

Images from the Book

[[Show as slideshow]]

The Creators of the Work

Kadir Nelson – Illustrator

Donna Jo Napoli – Author

About Wangari Maathai

[[Show as slideshow]]

 Wangari Muta Maathai is a Kenyan environmental and political activist. She was educated in the United States at Mount St. Scholastica College and the University of Pittsburgh, as well as the University of Nairobi in Kenya. In the 1970s, Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement, an environmental non-governmental organization focused on the planting of trees, environmental conservation, and women’s rights. In 2004 she became the first African woman, and the first environmentalist, to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for “her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace.” She is of Kikuyu ethnicity.

Buy The Book Now!

Other Books Illustrated by Kadir Nelson

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I know Columbus day has passed us by but I couldn’t help but post a link to this classic work by the late Dr. Ivan Van Sertima.  This will be our featured book for this week and is one I think all people should read.  A summary of the book’s contents is below for all who are not familiar with its contents.

Summary

A celebrated classic, They Came Before Columbus, deals with a number of contacts — both planned and accidental, between Africans and Americans in different historical periods. Evidence for a physical/cultural presence of Africans in Early America is methodically examined.

Dr. Van Sertima reveals to us a compelling, dramatic and superbly detailed documentation of the presence and legacy of black Africans in ancient America.

With his considerable scholarship, Van Sertima examines the facts of navigation and shipbuilding, the sources of latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates, the scores of cultural analogies found nowhere else except in America and Africa, African languages and the transportation of plants, cloth and animals from Africa to the Americas.  And from the diaries, letters and journals of the explorers themselves; from Carbon-14 dated sculptures found in the Americas; from the Arabic documents, charts, maps from the recorded tales of the griots to the Kings of Mali; from dated skeletons found as recently as 1975, the author builds his pyramid of evidence.

In addition to a scholar’s fastidiousness, Van Sertima has the skill of a novelist, and with it recreates some of the most powerful scenes history has to offer:  the launching of the great ships of Mali in 1310 (200 master boats and 200 supply boats); the sea expedition of the Mandingo king himself in 1311, and many others, equally as vivid.

It is the marriage of these twin crafts–the artist’s and the scholar’s–in the book that makes it possible for us to see clearly the unmistakable face and handprint of black Africans in Pre-Columbian America, and their overwhelming impact on the civilization they found here.

- Random House, NYC

Book Reviews

For those who interested in reading a more in depth review of the book, please read Femi Akomolafe’s review: They Came Before Columbus Book Review

Learn More About Dr. Sertima

For those who are interested in learning more about Dr. Ivan Van Sertima I would encourage you to visit some of the links below:

Dr. Ivan Van Sertima (Wikipedia)

A Tribute to Dr. Ivan Van Sertima

Dr. Ivan Van Sertima (Journal of African Civilizations)

I have also included a video of Dr. Sertima lecturing on this subject below!

Videos

Lecture: Afrikan Presence In Early America

[googlevideo]http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3924842503305971166&ei=Ts7ZSvPdCKOmrAKAk9nPCg&q=ivan+van+sertima&client=firefox-a#[/googlevideo]

Additional Reading Materials

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This video is a trailer for the book “Change Has Come” by Kadir Nelson.  It is a book that commemorates the achievement of our 44th President.  The book features illustrations by Kadir Nelson, an award winning African American artist and illustrator based in San Diego, California and the words of Barack Obama.

Official Product Description

The black and white images throughout are personal reflections, uniquely felt and rendered by award winning artist Kadir Nelson. They are accompanied by the uplifting words of Barack Obama and commemorate the movement and the moment that have changed our history. It’s a celebration of the power of inspiration. It’s a celebration of how far we have come and how determined we are to look ahead. It’s a celebration of pride, hope and joy personally felt and publically shared. Most of all it’s a celebration of the 44th president – a new president and a new chapter in the American story.

Purchase the Book at: Amazon.com

Additional Video

Hear Kadir Nelson Speak About The Book

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Purchase the book at: Amazon.com

This book looks very interesting.  I personally plan on reading it this summer.  We always hear about African American in the south, east and western areas of the United States of America but history teaches us very little about the prominent African Americans in the Great Plains states.  We don’t make up a large percentage of the population in those states but like they say, it’s the quality not the quantity that matters.

Let me know what you think about this book.  Both your initial impressions and, if you decide to read it, what you think about the book  afterwards.  A description of the book from the publisher/author is below:

Book Description

Throughout South Dakota’s history, African Americans have been vastly outnumbered by their white and American Indian neighbors. Underreported as well, they have been misrepresented by historians, journalists, even census-takers. However, from the first African Americans to visits the Northern Great Plains as fur traders in the early 1800s to twentieth-century voting-rights advocates or professionals recruited after World War II, African Americans have pioneered here. They have participated in the state’s successes and failures and contributed to its rich history.

In Forgotten Lives, Betti VanEpps-Taylor teases these South Dakotans’ stories out of newspaper accounts, census records, early social histories, and oral histories. Her insights into the lives and communities of this small but vital minority span two centuries and focus on the well known as well as the local. Prominent figures such as York, who accompanied Lewis and Clark on their expedition, and Oscar Micheaux, the acclaimed filmmaker, fit neatly into the timeline, alongside less-famous laborers, river men, soldiers, seamstresses, business owners, miners, lawyers, homesteaders, midwives, doctors, and town leaders. Their stories offer much to twenty-first-century Americans still struggling to come to grips with their racial history.

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Alan and Aaron Hicks were recently featured on WTTW in Chicago.  In this video you can learn more about the two phenomenal twin artists, their history, and their techniques and strategies when creating art.  You can also learn more about their new childrens book: Noah’s Ark which was created with their long time collaborator Robert Richardson.

Check out the video for yourself and learn more about Alan Hicks and Aaron Hicks and Twin Hicks Art!

Purchase the Twin Hicks new book online today!

We also have a lot of art by Alan and Aaron Hicks featured throughout our site.  View some of their art in our Black Bibilical Heroes Art Collection.

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