Last month I reviewed the first of our co-winners for the GLLI Translated YA Book Prize. This month we turn to the second winner of the prize, Here the Whole Time. Written by Vitor Martins, this book gives us another look into the lives of LGBTQ young people in Brazil. Also translated by Larissa Helena, … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Here the Whole Time
The Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA) thanks the Global Literature in Libraries Initiative for the opportunity to showcase titles that celebrate Blackness. It’s important to promote literature about Black people and written by Black people all year long. BCALA serves as an advocate for the development, promotion, and improvement of library services … Continue reading #BlackIsBeautiful: Celebrating the Beauty of Blackness with BCALA
Black Is Beautiful In the late 1950s and throughout the 1960s, Barbadian-heritage Kwame Brathwaite used his photography to popularize the political slogan “Black Is Beautiful.” This monograph―the first ever dedicated to Brathwaite’s remarkable career―tells the story of a key, but under-recognized, figure of the second Harlem Renaissance.Inspired by the writings of activist and black nationalist … Continue reading #Black Is Beautiful: Past and Present
Sapeurs: Ladies and Gentlemen of the Congo British photographer Tariq Zaidi presents a fashion subculture of Kinshasa & Brazzaville: La Sape, Société des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Élégantes ("Society of Ambiance-Makers and Elegant People"). Its followers are known as »Sapeurs« (»Sapeuses« for women). Most have ordinary day jobs as taxi-drivers, tailors and gardeners, but as soon as … Continue reading #BlackIsBeautiful: Sapeurs, Sapeuses, and Dandies
African American Faces of the Civil War: An Album African American Faces of the Civi War: An Album by Ronald S. Codington Published by John Hopkins University Press, 2012 ISBN: 978-1421406251 Fighting for Freedom: photographs from the National Museum of African American History and Culture This is a fascinating and informative photo collection of seldom-seen … Continue reading #BlackIsBeautiful Celebrating the Physical Beauty of Black People
“Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder” Clichéd but true, this month’s theme emphasizing the physical beauty of Black people underlines this saying. What better way to pay homage to the diverse beauty of Black people than through photography? This lovely coffee table book beautifully illuminates Black beauty as viewed through the camera lens … Continue reading #BlackIsBeautiful Glory: Magical Visions of Black Beauty
Cornrows Written by Camille Yarbrough Illustrated by Carole Byard Published by G.P. Putnam’s Sons ISBN-10 : 0698114361ISBN-13 : 978-0698114364 In this heartwarming picture book, a hairstyling session prompts a discussion between a young girl and her great-grandmother about the history of cornrows. The elder tells her entranced great-granddaughter about the endurance of the hairstyle from its origins … Continue reading #BlackIsBeautiful: Black Hair is Beautiful
Fostering a sense of self-worth and tenacity in children is a critical aspect of their development. The following list is for those who wish to reinforce the importance of self worth in Black children, encourage them to see themselves as individuals, and to view their features, hair and complexion as elements of beauty and pride … Continue reading #BlackIsBeautiful: Brown Is Too!
Brown Sugar Babies Text and photography by Charles R. Smith, Jr. Little, Brown Books For Young Readers ISBN-10 : 0786806222ISBN-13 : 978-0786806225 Previously released in hardcover form and now available as a board book, Smith’s book of poems and photographs spotlight giggly, playful Black babies in all shades of brown. The text likens each child to a … Continue reading #BlackIsBeautiful: Brown Sugar Babies
The Black Crayon Written by Andrew Vassall Illustrated by Unc Jon Published by First Edition Design Publishing ISBN-10 : 1506906958ISBN-13 : 978-1506906959 This unusual picture book is told from the perspective of a black crayon, who feels unloved as each of the other crayons are used except him. As he watches children make drawings with his … Continue reading #BlackIsBeautiful: The Black Crayon
Global Literature in Libraries Initiative 