Young Gifted and Black: Meet 52 Black Heroes from Past and Present

By Author / Illustrator

Jamia Wilson, Andrea Pippins

Genre

Representation & Inclusion

Age range(s)

Publisher

Wide Eyed Editions

ISBN

9781786030887

Format

Hardback

Published

01-02-2018

Synopsis

"...to be revisited again and again...The candy-colored pages and straightforward stories are hard to resist..." -The New York Times. "Gorgeously illustrated...vibrant and comprehensive...will be brought down from the bookshelf again and again" - Evening Standard. "Glorious celebration of 52 black heroes...big and bold...this is what young people of all races need to see." -The Independent. "An essential book for inspiring even the tiniest children to face the world with boldness and self-belief." - The Observer.

Meet 52 icons of colour from the past and present in this celebration of inspirational achievement - a collection of stories about changemakers to encourage, inspire and empower the next generation of changemakers. Jamia Wilson has carefully curated this range of black icons and the book is stylishly brought together by Andrea Pippins' colourful and celebratory illustrations.

Written in the spirit of Nina Simone's song, "To Be Young, Gifted, and Black," this vibrant book is a perfect introduction to both historic and present-day icons and heroes. Meet figureheads, leaders and pioneers such as Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela and Rosa Parks, as well as cultural trailblazers and athletes like Stevie Wonder, Oprah Winfrey and Serena Williams.

All children deserve to see themselves represented positively in the books they read. Highlighting the talent and contributions of black leaders and changemakers from around the world, readers of all backgrounds will be empowered to discover what they too can achieve. Strong, courageous, talented and diverse, these extraordinary men and women's achievements will inspire a new generation to chase their dream... whatever it may be.

The 52 icons include: Mary Seacole, Matthew Henson, Ava Duvernay, Bessie Coleman, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Cathy Freeman, George Washington Carver, Malorie Blackman, Harriet Tubman, Mo Farah, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Jesse Owens, Beyonce Knowles, Solange Knowles, Katherine Johnson, Josephine Baker, Kofi Annan, Langston Hughes, Toni Morrison, Brian Lara, Madam C.J. Walker, Yannick Noah, Maurice Ashley, Alexandre Duma, Martin Luther King, Jr., Maya Angelou, Nina Simone, Simone Biles, Stevie Wonder, Esperanza Spalding, Sidney Poitier, Oprah Winfrey, Pele, Nelson Mandela, Louis Armstrong, Rosa Parks, Naomi Campbell, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Muhammad Ali, Shirley Chisholm, Steve McQueen, Zadie Smith, Usain Bolt, Wangari Maathai, Mae Jemison, W.E.B. Du Bois, Nicola Adams, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, and Misty Copeland.

If you like this book, check out Step Into Your Power and Big Ideas for Young Thinkers, by the same author-illustrator team.

Download Extract

Reviews

There's so much to commend this book. Teachers: why not cite some of these figures in music, geography, history, science, IT and art lessons instead of, or alongside, the usual white figures? Matthew Henson and Catherine Johnson, say, as well as Columbus and Armstrong? Why not also use the book as a prompt when choosing class reads so that children discover the writing of black authors like Malorie Blackman or Alexandre Dumas?

I loved the vibrant illustrations, the clear presentation of each biography on a single page with quotations in bold italics, and the inclusion of a photographic 'Hall of Fame' in page order. There's also a useful short glossary at the end.

Author and illustrator have produced a book which deserves to stand out on shelves of any school library (primary and secondary) and to be read widely and often. And not just by black people. If it is, some of the prejudice and under-representation experienced in the past may become less prevalent, paving the way for today's children to achieve great things, for they will have seen that their gifts are needed.

64 pages / Reviewed by Jane Rew, school librarian

Suggested Reading Age 9+

The author and illustrator of Young, Gifted and Black welcome the reader to the book by making the purpose behind the book very clear. 'All children deserve to see themselves represented positively in stories' is their message and this book is intended to be the starting point on a journey to discover the many unsung heroes that exist. It successfully achieves this and introduces everyone to a wealth of figures from the 1800s to the present day whose stories are truly inspirational. Concise biographies offer essential information about each of the men and women, including birth (and death) dates, locations, a summary of their achievements and for most, a quotation. The book offers an enticing mix of familiar and less well-known 'change-makers' with a wide range of talents. Vivid colours and patterns surround the illustration of each figure, crowning them and almost giving them wings as they leap from the page. Full of energy, they complement the text perfectly. A 'Hall of Fame' at the end of the book shows photographs of the 52 people, acting as an index to where to find them. This is an excellent, inspirational book for everyone. 64 pages / Ages 7+ / Reviewed by Sue Wilsher, teacher.