Black Children’s Books Week is almost upon us. The event is planned to coincide with Black History Month.
Although Black Children’s Book Week is relatively new, it is making a splash! In this article, we look at this great initiative to support Black authors and to increase the readership of children’s books with Black characters.
What is Black Children’s Book Week?
Black Children’s Book Week was launched by the founders of Black Baby Books. It is a global celebration of our children and the people who ensure that they are represented in books and other children’s media.
This year, Black Children’s Book Week will run from 26th February to 4th March, 2023 and is jammed packed with activities and celebrations promoting books and authors that represent our children.
See the full list of events here.
Why is Black Children’s Book Week Necessary?
Why is Black Children’s Book Week necessary? The simple answer is that we need more children’s books and authors that represent the beauty, complexity and layers of the experiences of Black children and their families.
Recent data has shown a significant decrease in children’s books with Black characters as the boost from Black Lives Matter fades.
The research conducted by Wordsrated.com showed that children’s books with Black characters on best-seller lists decreased by 23% in 2021. However, in 2020 during the height of the Black Lives Matter movement and after the murder of George Floyd, there were more Black characters in children’s books representing 28% while white characters were 25% and non-human characters were 16.8%.
The decline in children’s books with Black characters is also linked to a decline in the number of Black children’s book authors on the best-sellers list. The data show a 31% decrease in best-seller children’s books by Black authors.
While these numbers are worrying for representation and diversity in children’s literature, the research notes that children’s books with Black male characters and written by Black male authors are significantly underrepresented as there are 56% more Black female characters in children’s books than Black male characters. Additionally, there are 1.8 books by black female authors for every book by a black male author.
Make Reading Fun with Black Children’s Book Week
Reading has so many developmental benefits for your children. However, more than that, reading is fun, and your kids can get into the habit of becoming life-long readers if you know how to make it fun.
Do you want to know how to make reading fun for your kids?
Watch the video below on how to make reading fun for your kids.
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12 Black Children’s Books Recommendations for Your Kids
There is no better way to get ready for and celebrate Black Children’s Book Week than by adding these children’s books to your child’s collection.
Here are some of my recommendations for children’s books that you can get for your children now.
