16 Picture Books Featuring Black Characters

Today I’m sharing 16 picture books featuring Black characters by Black authors. There are dozens of wonderful books featuring black characters written by white authors and there’s nothing wrong with those titles. But, right now, it’s important to bring awareness to Black creators. Be sure to include these books as part of your personal library or borrow them from the library!

16 Picture Books Featuring Black Characters

1. Baby Goes to Market by Atinuke
2. Going Down Home With Daddy by Kelly Starling Lyons
3. Grandma’s Purse by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
4. Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry, illustrated by Vashti Harrison
5. I Am Enough by Grace Byers, illustrated by Keturah A. Bobo
6. I Got the Rhythm by Connie Schofield-Morrison, illustrated Frank Morrison
7. I, Too, Am America by Langston Hughes, illustrated by Bryan Collier
8. The King of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
9. Max and the Tag-Along Moon by Floyd Cooper
10. Mommy’s Khimar by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, illustrated by Ebony Glenn
11. The Proudest Blue by Ibtihaj Muhammad and S.K. Ali, illustrated by Hatem Aly
12. Saturday by Oge Mora
13. Sulwe by Lupita Nyong’o, illustrated by Vashti Harrison
14. Thunder Rose by Jerdine Nolen, illustrated by Kadir Nelson
15. The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander, illustrated by Kadir Nelson
16. Violet’s Music by Angela Johnson, illustrated by Laura Huliska-Beith

And if you’re looking for even more great books, I have a number of lists I created featuring Black characters, creators, and biographies:

• Activists
• Picture Books
• Chapter Books and Middle Grade
• Nonfiction & Biographies
• Young Adult

Also check out, the list of Black authors for kids on Book Riot.