Black History Month Picture Books to Read With Kids

Black History Month Picture Books to Read With Kids

February is Black History Month and when our family does our usual library visit we like to find books to help us celebrate and recognize the events of each season. This month’s library haul included some of our favorite black history month picture books.

Black History Month began in 1926 as “Negro History Week,” created by historian Carter G. Woodson to celebrate the contributions and history of Black Americans. It expanded into Black History Month in 1976 and has since become a meaningful time for families to pause, reflect, and learn together. 

Did you know that Miami has a rich and meaningful black history? Learn more here.

Why Stories Help Children Learn and Remember

One of the most natural ways to introduce children to any topic, including Black history, is through stories. Reading aloud invites kids into history through emotion, imagination, and connection. Research consistently shows that children retain more information when it’s presented in narrative form and stories activate multiple parts of the brain, helping young readers build empathy, memory, and understanding at the same time. That’s why reading picture books are such a powerful tool! They don’t just teach facts, they shape how children see people and the world around them.

Studies in childhood literacy show that reading stories increase a child’s empathy and naturally strengthen the parent-child bond. Picture books help to make complex history approachable for even the littlest learners.

Can you see why I love reading picture books with my kids? By engaging with Black History Month through picture books, kids don’t just memorize facts, they encounter the courage, resilience, and creativity of individuals made in God’s image. 

Teaching Our Children That Every Person Has Value

For our family, reading these books is also deeply connected to our faith. I want my children to grow up with a clear understanding that every single person they encounter is uniquely created in the image of God and therefore is worthy of respect and honor. We use a simple call-and-response refrain in our home that I adapted from Abbey Wedgeworth that helps anchor that truth:

I say: All people are…
They reply: made in God’s image.
I say: Therefore they have…
They answer: worth, dignity, and value.

We say this before we go into a store or visit somewhere where I know there will be lots of opportunities to interact with others. As a homeschooling Mom, it’s also useful when we are reading or learning about individuals or cultures different from our own. When we read Black History Month picture books, we are honoring the stories of people who lived before us and recognizing the image of God reflected in every culture and community. 

Building a Home Library That Reflects God’s Creative Design

I believe it’s important to teach our children about the past so they are equipped to serve others in the future. Exposure to diverse stories builds compassion, curiosity, and humility. As moms, we carry the beautiful responsibility of shaping the libraries in our homes. Our kids should absolutely see themselves reflected in books but they should also encounter people who are different from them, including children of different backgrounds and children with special abilities.

I’m always looking to add books to our shelves that reflect God’s beautiful, creative, and diverse design. Some of our family favorites that celebrate children of all backgrounds and abilities are the Little Hands series by Abbey Wedgeworth.

Recommended Black History Month Picture Books for Kids

Here are some recommendations of picture books to read with your kids to teach them about Black History Month and to learn more about the amazing accomplishments and contributions that have been made to society by outstanding individuals. 

Additional Recommendations

Check out these additional recommendations sorted by age appropriate reading levels. 

Our Editor, Lynda Lantz who is a wealth of knowledge on the subject, has provided these additional recommendations as you seek to learn more and to grow your personal library:

Reading With Purpose

Reading together is one of the simplest and most powerful ways to shape our children’s hearts. When we intentionally choose Black History Month picture books, we aren’t just checking a box for February we’re cultivating empathy, faith, and understanding that will influence how our children see and serve the world for the rest of their lives. Every story we place in their hands is an invitation to grow in wisdom and compassion. And it’s not just for February, include some of these in your next library haul and let us know which ones were your favorites!