LITTLE BLACK LIVES MATTER

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.