On the Fourth of July, the United States will celebrate its 250th birthday. We've already reviewed a fun picture book perfect for little ones getting ready for the festivities and have many more piled up and waiting for a roundup. However today we are going to share a book that isn't just for this big birthday but is a piece of history many people do not think about, forget or do not want to think about. And to me this is a book that should be included in everyone's celebration as it is important to remember the people who helped build our great country but often do not get the credit for their work. There are many groups that can be included but today's book focuses on Black people. The book is Black Hands: Builders of Our Nation by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.
About the Book:
Commemorate the innumerable ways the African American community has shaped the foundation of the United States in this stunning, poetic picture book from the Caldecott Honor-winning team behind Freedom in Congo Square.Black hands molded clay, chiseled marble,
rendered portraits, and painted vistas.
Black hands penned literary testaments
that have stood the test of time.
Since the United States won independence in 1776, African Americans have contributed greatly to the nation’s culture, politics, economy, and landscape. Black Hands celebrates the countless contributions of African Americans—from building the White House, birthing jazz, and landing a man on the moon to pushing for social justice. Black excellence, however, has too often been overlooked.
Black Hands reunites Newbery Honor winner Carole Boston Weatherford and Coretta Scott King award-winning illustrator R. Gregory Christie to chronicle the remarkable progress of African Americans, even in the face of adversity.
From Me:
This book shares with the reader the history from slave ships to more modern times including people like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Katherine Johnson and Mae Jemison. It shares a look at the history of how Black people have helped shape our country and often were not given the proper credit or any credit. There were artists who were slaves who had their work taken from them with no credit. There were Black soldiers who fought in every American war. It also shares things like the music genres that came from Black culture. There is so much packed into this book, yet the words are simple for children to understand, and the illustrations have recognizable faces from history. At the end of the book there is an explanation of the various historical references so readers can learn a bit more about the history and have a starting point to research even more!
I love how this book mentions so many Black people by name and by what they did in our country. There is Harriet Tubman and people like Ann Cole Lowe who are referenced. This story reminds the reader that the United States was not just built by white men. It has a rich history of helping hands some forced including the Black hands that built the White House and Capitol. I think this book is perfect to remember the United States is a country of diversity and remember all the people who made it what it is today. This book is perfect for any elementary classroom. It is perfect for celebrating the country as well as Black History Month. It is also a fun book for story time at home or in public. I hope it brings discussions about how one race (and gender) is not responsible for the birth of our country.
