Baby Steps to Understanding was inspired by my beautiful daughter, who's bi-racial (her birth father is Black, her birth mother is white). It wasn't until I adopted her that I realized how vastly underrepresented Black and bi-racial people are in modern literature. I want my baby to grow up loving books, I want her to find characters with whom she can identify, I want to see girls who look like her on book covers. To encourage myself and others to search out and celebrate the literature that does exist, I created this feature. Every time you see this button on a review at Bloggin' 'bout Books, you can be assured that the book being reviewed is:
(A) Written by an author who is Black (not necessarily African-American) or bi-racial; (B) Illustrated by an author who is Black or bi-racial; (C) Features a main character who is Black or bi-racial; or (D) Concerns a person, event or subject relevant to Black history, culture and/or heritage.
This post will serve as an index for all my reviews of "Baby Steps" books. It's a work in progress, so please be patient with me. Eventually, it will be all organized and updated!
Abramson, Jill (author): Obama: The Historic Journey (review)
Brown, Linda Beatrice (author): Black Angels (review)
Collier, Brian (illustrator): Martin's Big Words (review)
Collier, Kristi (author): Jericho Walls (review)
Collison, Michele N-K (author): It's All Good Hair (review)
Jaye, Lola (author). Being Lara. (review)
Johnson, Angela (author): Heaven (review); The First Part Last (review)
Jones, Edward P. (author): The Known World (review)
Lester, Julius (author): Day of Tears (review)
Lewis, E.B. (illustrator): I Love My Hair! (review)
Lilly, Deborah R. (author): Wavy, Curly, Kinky (review)
Locke, Attica (author): Black Water Rising (review); The Cutting Season (review)
Myers, Walter Dean (author): Lockdown (review)
Nelson, Kadir (author/illustrator): Moses (review)
Perkins-Valdez, Dolen (author): Wench (review)
Rappaport, Doreen (author): Martin's Big Words (review)
Rhodes, Jewell Parker (author): Ninth Ward (review)
Rinaldi, Ann (author). Numbering All the Bones (review)
Smith, Sherri L. (author): Flygirl (review)
Stockett, Katherine (author): The Help (review)
Tarpley, Natasha Anastasia (author): I Love My Hair! (review)
Walker, Brian F. (author): Black Boy, White School (review)
Wilkins, Ebony Joy (author): Sell-Out (review)
Williams-Garcia, Rita (author): One Crazy Summer (review)
Woodson, Jacqueline (author): Feathers (review); Hush (review); If You Come Softly (review)
Wright, Bil (author): When the Black Girl Sings (review)
