My little dark baby,
My little earth-thing,
My little love-one,
What shall I sing
For your lullaby?
— Langston Hughes, Lullaby (For a Black Mother)
Esteemed poet, Langston Hughes, penned poems and books—for children and adults—that covered various subjects that explore Black life. Sunday, May 9th is Mother’s Day, and Hughes “celebrates the love between an African American mother and her baby” in a beautiful picture book illustrated by Sean Qualls. In their review, Publishers Weekly expresses that the book is, “A quiet but welcome introduction to the writer’s work for the very young.” What a lovely gift this will make for anyone looking for books about a mother’s love, poems by Hughes, or calming nighttime reads. Included on our Mother’s Day book list are also books about nanas and grandmas, new and foster moms, mamas who affirm, dream, and do so much more. Happy Mother’s Day!
Dreams for a Daughter
Carole Boston Weatherford | Brian Pinkney | Atheneum BYR | March 9, 2021 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
We Wait for the Sun
Katie McCabe | Dovey Johnson Roundtree | Raissa Figueroa | Roaring Brook Press | February 9, 2021 | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Me & Mama
Cozbi A. Cabrera | Denene Millner Books/Simon & Schuster BYR | PB | August 25, 2020 | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Welcome to the Party
Gabrielle Union | Ashley Evans | Scholastic Inc. | PB | May 5, 2020 | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Just Like a Mama
Alice Faye Duncan | Charnelle Pinkney Barlow | Denene Millner/S&S BYR | PB | January 21, 2020 | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Brown Sugar Babe
Charlotte Watson Sherman | Akem | Boyds Mills | January 7, 2020 | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Who Will You Be?
Andrea Pippins | Schwartz & Wade | PB | April 7, 2020 | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Where Is Mommy? (I Like to Read)
Pat Cummings | Holiday House | November 19, 2019 | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Saturday
Oge Mora | Little, Brown BYR | October 22, 2019 | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
My Mommy Medicine
Edwidge Danticat | Shannon Wright | Roaring Brook Press | February 26, 2019 | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Lullaby (For a Black Mother)
Langston Hughes | Sean Qualls | HMH BYR | March 19, 2013 | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Did I Tell You I Love You Today?
Deloris Jordan | Roslyn M. Jordan | Shane W. Evans | S & S/Paula Wiseman | December 1, 2004 | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Momma, Where Are You From?
Marie Bradby | Chris Soentpiet | Orchard | March 1, 2000 | Amazon | IndieBound
Jonathan and His Mommy
Irene Smalls | Michael Hays | Little Brown & Co | October 1, 1992 | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
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*Edit: Nana and Me was removed because it uses the word Eskimo, a term many deem a pejorative.
