1. Rain Feetby Angela Johnson, illustrated by Rhonda Mitchell —
Kyle and Owen loved this book and often still talk about it when they are puddle jumping (which is often!)
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2. I Make Musicby Eloise Greenfield, illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist —
This is one of the ‘Black Butterfly Board Books’ from Black Butterfly Children’s Books; any in this series could easily make it onto this list!
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3. More More More Said the Baby: 3 Love Stories
words and illustrations by Vera B. Williams —
See the ‘2nd Story’ entitled Little Pumpkin. Little Pumpkin is an adorable black toddler and his grandma is white!
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4. Shake Shake Shake
words and illustrations by Andrea and Brian Pinkney —
K & O’s absolute favorite book for a very long stretch of their early babyhood!
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5. Everywhere Babies
by Susan Meyers, illustrated by Marla Frazee —
H & B’s absolute favorite book for a long stretch of K & O’s babyhood! This book is outstanding because of the multiple forms of diversity it’s illustrations portray. The illustrations include not only racial diversity, but portray men as care givers, older people as care givers, gay and lesbian mommies and daddies, breast feeding and bottle feeding, twins (even a set of black twins!!!), etc.
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6. Good Night Baby
7. Baby Dance
8. a tie: Whistle for Willie and The Snowy Day
9. Bear on a Bike
10. A Mother for Choco
3. More More More Said the Baby: 3 Love Storieswords and illustrations by Vera B. Williams —
See the ‘2nd Story’ entitled Little Pumpkin. Little Pumpkin is an adorable black toddler and his grandma is white!
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4. Shake Shake Shakewords and illustrations by Andrea and Brian Pinkney —
K & O’s absolute favorite book for a very long stretch of their early babyhood!
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5. Everywhere Babiesby Susan Meyers, illustrated by Marla Frazee —
H & B’s absolute favorite book for a long stretch of K & O’s babyhood! This book is outstanding because of the multiple forms of diversity it’s illustrations portray. The illustrations include not only racial diversity, but portray men as care givers, older people as care givers, gay and lesbian mommies and daddies, breast feeding and bottle feeding, twins (even a set of black twins!!!), etc.
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6. Good Night Babyby Cheryl Willis Hudson, illustrated by George Ford —
K & O still know the rhyming words of this book by heart.
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7. Baby Danceby Ann Taylor, illustrated by Marjorie van Heerden —
Totally totally awesome illustrations (the dad appears to have dreds or twists), and… importantly… a book that explicitly portrays black men/dads as loving and involved care-givers.
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8. a tie: Whistle for Willie and The Snowy Daywords and illustrations by Ezra Jack Keats —
Both of these classic Ezra Jack Keats books books are available as board books!
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9. Bear on a Bikeby Stella Blackstone, illustrated by Debbie Harter —
This book is still alive and active on our bookshelf. It continues to be a favorite of K & O even today at age three. Best part: the boy in the book is not only black but appears to have dreadlocks or twists/knots!!! P.S. This book is also awesome for families who like to travel! đŸ˜‰
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10. A Mother for Chocowords and illustrations by Keiko Kasza —
This classic adoption story book is available as a board book! The illustrations don’t specifically portray blackness, but it is an astoundingly great book ~ a Must Have ~ for any inter-racial adoptive family!!!
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Note: This Top Ten List is limited to Board Books (i.e., those little durable books made specifically for babies/toddlers). Awhile ago I did a Top Ten List of our favorite regular books for young black kids (click here). Since that post several blog readers have asked me for a list of our favorite Board Books (thus this Top Ten Board Book post!)