February is a short month, but it's full of important dates and celebrations. With our February Reading Challenge, we celebrate some of those important dates by showing our love of Black history and Black culture through honoring Black History Month. Several of the books publishing this month would be perfect for completing the February Reading Challenge.
The fifteen books featured here represent a variety of communities and cultures. We were excited to find that two books celebrating the legendary Rosetta Tharpe: Godmother of Rock and Roll, publish in February. Combine those two books with the highly anticipated books publishing about Ketanji Brown-Jackson and Dorothy Height and you have a great collection for both Black History Month and Women's History Month (March).
This resource list is a labor of love that includes publisher's descriptions along with links for more information. Publishing dates may change for a variety of reasons. These books were submitted to us by publishers, authors, and the Helping Kids Rise community.
If you notice a book that fits our mission that is not featured here, please send us an email to let us know. We'll be happy to add them to our Bookshop.
Related Reading: Check out our previous lists here: Gigantic List of Diverse Books Published
Celebrate family love with this heartwarming and soulful bedtime book perfect for toddlers 1-3!
Shoo-be-do-wop along with your little one as you introduce them to the legendary music of the Motown era. Heartfelt text and whimsical illustrations will touch the hearts of sentimental parents and grandparents and will ensure little ones enjoy a jazzy drift off to dreamland. Sugar Pie Lullaby also includes delightful facts so that kids and caregivers can learn more about Motown legends together!
Baby love,
Little bitty precious one,
I was born to love you.
What else is there to do?
You are the sunshine of my life.
Morning, noon and night
All I do is thank God for you.
From award-winning and bestselling picture book creators Grace Lin and Kate Messner comes a modern folktale about the joy of reading.
Once upon a time, there was a girl. She went to a place alive with colors, where even the morning dew was warm.
Alice loves to imagine herself in the magical pages of her favorite book. So when it flaps its pages and invites her in, she is swept away to a world of wonder and adventure, riding camels in the desert, swimming under the sea with colorful fish, floating in outer space, and more! But when her imaginative journey comes to an end, she yearns for the place she loves best of all.
Paired with vibrant illustrations, this lyrical, expressive story invites the reader to savor each page and indulge in the power of imagination.
A picture-book biography of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the woman who invented rock and roll--a warm, inspiring tale of a childhood filled with music, community, and a drive to succeed.
"Music is the heart of our story," says Momma to young Rosetta, surprising her with her first guitar. Rosetta's strums sound like ker-plunks. But with practice and determination, she makes music, fingers hopping "like corn in a kettle," notes pouring over the church crowd "like summer rain washing the dust off a new day."
In this stunning picture book, author and illustrator Charnelle Pinkney Barlow imagines the childhood of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, whose rural roots inspired the music we still hear today.
Young readers will see a child's dream become reality through hard work and perseverance. And they'll learn the overlooked story of a pioneering Black artist, whose contribution to music history is only now being discovered.
With radiant and welcoming art, this debut picture book and modern holiday classic captures the magic and meaning of one of the world's most joyful and important celebrations.
It's Ramadan, the month of peace, and Moon watches over Ramadan traditions with excitement and longing in this sweetly illustrated debut.
In Egypt, India, Argentina and the United Arab Emirates, in Somalia, New Zealand and Indonesia, in Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States, children and their families do good deeds in honor of those who have less.
Cleverly blending glimpses of different countries' celebrations with the corresponding phases of the moon, Moon's Ramadan makes Ramadan, one of the world's most widely celebrated traditions, accessible and exciting for all readers. Includes robust and easy-to-understand back matter.
Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court, is an inspiration and role model to children of all ages. Award-winning author Carole Boston Weatherford tells her story of perseverance, dignity, and honor in this uplifting picture book biography filled with colorful and dynamic illustrations from Ashley Evans.
Whatever she did, wherever she was, Ketanji Brown Jackson rose to the top.
From the time their daughter was born, Ketanji Brown's parents taught her that if she worked hard and believed in herself, she could do anything. As a child, Ketanji focused on her studies and excelled, eventually graduating from Harvard Law School.
Years later, in 2016, when she was a federal judge, a seat opened on the United States Supreme Court. In a letter to then-President Barack Obama, Leila Jackson made a case for her mother--Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. Although the timing didn't work out then, it did in 2022, when President Joe Biden nominated her. At her confirmation, Ketanji Brown Jackson became the first Black female Supreme Court justice in the United States.
Lyrical text by renowned author Carole Boston Weatherford and evocative illustrations by Ashley Evans combine to make this an inspirational and timely read.
Best friends Otter and Beaver both love their stream--but for two completely different reasons! While Otter loves to play in the water, Beaver works hard to build a dam.
Hey Otter! Hey Beaver! is a funny and action-packed book about competition, cooperation, and friendship, by Caldecott Honor artist and Coretta Scott King Award winner Brian Pinkney.
Otter loves how fast the water in the stream flows; it's perfect to play in. But Beaver sees flowing water and knows he must get to work. While Otter plays with sticks, twigs, and branches, Beaver works hard to build a dam. When the dam is finished and the swirling water is quiet, the two friends decide to take a break. That is, until Otter plays a silly trick on Beaver, and it's time to start all over again.
Caldecott Honor artist and Coretta Scott King Award winner Brian Pinkney's playful text and bold, fluid illustrations perfectly capture Otter and Beaver's exuberant personalities. With themes of friendship, nature, competition, conflict resolution, and sharing, Hey Otter! Hey Beaver! is a standout title for social and emotional learning, as well as an excellent choice for bedtime and school and library story-times.
Ally Baby Can is a rhyming paper-over-board picture book series that introduces allyship and activism to tiny changemakers!
In Ally Baby Can: Be an Eco-Activist, readers will learn effective ways to save our best friends: humanity, wildlife, and planet earth. Ally Baby Can models how young kids can stand up for our planet, and all who live here, and make environmentally friendly choices.
Extensive back matter includes important guidelines for action, a kid-friendly reading list, and other helpful resources for baby and you.
It is never too early to learn about ways to change our world.
"A profile as bold and vivacious as the singer herself." --Kirkus (starred review)
Perfect for fans of Trombone Shorty and Ada's Violin!
Award-winning author Tonya Bolden and acclaimed illustrator R. Gregory Christie deliver an inspiring true story about the life, career, and impact of 20th-century blues and gospel singer Sister Rosetta Tharpe, who was a trailblazer for rock-and-roll. Includes a timeline of Sister Rosetta Tharpe's life, author's note, and a list of sources.
Before there was Elvis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and Johnny Cash, there was Sister Rosetta Tharpe. The godmother of rock & roll started as a little girl from Arkansas with music in her air, in her hair, in her bones, wiggling her toes. With a big guitar in hand and a big voice in her soul, she grew into a rock & roll trailblazer in a time when women were rarely seen rocking out. Her guitar picking was like nobody else's!
Boogie along with this rockin' tribute to the Rock n' Roll Hall of Famer Sister Rosetta Tharpe by Coretta Scott King Honor-winning author Tonya Bolden and Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator R. Gregory Christie.
This poignant and lyrical debut picture book based on the author's own experience and illustrated by Caldecott Honoree Thi Bui follows young Mai and her mother's perilous journey from Vietnam to America to find Papa--who left ahead of them to start a better life for their family.
No one can make Mai laugh like her Papa! She loves playing their favorite game--the crocodile chomp chomp! But then Papa leaves Vietnam in search of a new home for their family in America and Mai misses him very much.
Until one day, Mama and Mai pack a small bag and say goodbye to the only home Mai has ever known. And so begins Mai and Mama's long, perilous journey by foot and by boat, through dangers and darkness, to find Papa.
Finding Papa reminds us that love and courage can stretch an ocean and that nothing can keep us apart from those we care about.
Spring into the fun of Easter with a variety of families in this bright, joyful board book. Spanish paperback edition Una noche más para la Pascua, also available for purchase.
The big day is almost here! It's only "one more good night" until Easter. As children go to sleep, they can't wait for all the fun that comes with celebrating their favorite holiday with their loved ones. They know the next day will be filled with egg hunts, the best Easter clothes, and outings to church! Experience familial traditions in this sweet holiday primer with breathtaking illustrations by Daniel Miyares, brims with wonder and love.
From the creator of Ruby Finds a Worry, a story about what to do when jealousy comes between friends.
Milo loves spending time with his best friend, Jay. But when a new girl named Suzi moves in next door, Milo starts to feel left out. The jealous feeling gets stronger and stronger--until suddenly, a GREEN-EYED MONSTER pops up beside him! Soon, the monster is twisting up all of Milo's thoughts and making him sad. It won't leave him alone!
Can Milo find a way to free himself from the monster and repair his friendship?
Warm and uplifting, Milo's Monster is an ideal starting point for helping children to build strong friendships and say goodbye to jealous feelings.
The Big Bright Feelings picture book series provides kid-friendly entry points into emotional intelligence topics -- from being true to yourself to dealing with worries, managing anger, and making friends. These topics can be difficult to talk about. But these books act as sensitive and reassuring springboards for conversations about mental and emotional health, positive self-image, building self-confidence, and managing feelings.
Inspired by the #1 New York Times bestseller She Persisted by Chelsea Clinton and Alexandra Boiger, a chapter book series about women who spoke up and rose up against the odds--including Dorothy Height!
Growing up as a Black girl in the 1920s and 1930s, Dorothy Height was denied access to a local swimming pool as well as admission to Barnard College because of her race. But she persisted in pushing for change, and became a seminal figure in both the civil rights and women's rights movements. She went on to be awarded the prestigious Presidential Medal of Freedom.
In this chapter book biography by award-winning author Kelly Starling Lyons, readers learn about the amazing life of Dorothy Height--and how she persisted.
Complete with an introduction from Chelsea Clinton, black-and-white illustrations throughout, and a list of ways that readers can follow in Dorothy Height's footsteps and make a difference! A perfect choice for kids who love learning and teachers who want to bring inspiring women into their curriculum.
And don't miss out on the rest of the books in the She Persisted series, featuring so many more women who persisted, including Harriet Tubman, Marian Anderson, Oprah Winfrey, Ruby Bridges, and more!
How did a young boy from Ohio go on to become one of the greatest basketball players of all time? Read about the incredible life and career of LeBron James in this addition to the #1 New York Times best-selling Who Was? series.
Today, LeBron James is an international superstar who has won four NBA Championships, earned two Olympic gold medals, written books, and starred in blockbuster movies. He has played for the Los Angeles Lakers, the Miami Heat, and the Cleveland Cavaliers, and has gained fans across the country as he led each of those three teams to victory. Many basketball lovers consider LeBron James to be one of the greatest players of all time. But how did LeBron come to be "King James?" Find out all about LeBron's childhood, how he started playing basketball at the age of nine and went on to rule the court in this new book for young readers!
Adorable dogs + a sprinkle of magic + a celebration of social emotional learning!
Yip! Yip! Hooray! A little magic can save the day!
The Love Puppies have a new mission: help Caleb find his missing pet! Noodles hopes they can come up with a paw-fect plan to bring Maximus home. Only, the furry friend is nowhere to be found! The puppies begin to wonder: will this be the first mission they fail to complete?
With a little bit of magic and a whole lot of kindness, the Love Puppies are here to help kids overcome some tough social situations. Because with the power of love, anything is paw-sible!
Adorable dogs + a sprinkle of magic + a celebration of social emotional learning!
Yip! Yip! Hooray! A little magic can save the day!
When Rosie and the rest of the Love Puppies find out that Meiko is struggling to make friends at her new school, they are sure they can sniff out a solution! But it takes more than magic to break the ice. If they can be creative, these caring canines might just might find a lonely girl her paw-fect match!
With a little bit of magic and a whole lot of kindness, the Love Puppies are here to help kids overcome some tough social situations. Because with the power of love, anything is paw-sible!
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