ART, DANCE, MUSIC AND POETRY

Andrea Davis Pinkney (A) and Brian Pinkney (ILT)

List Price: $9.99 (Paperback – Performance /Composer / Jazz – 2006)

A swinging, vibrant picture book about America’s greatest jazz composer, Duke Ellington. By the award-winning duo Andrea and Brian Pinkney. (32 pgs) Ages 4-8

• Grade Level: Kindergarten – 4
• Product Dimensions: 8.5…

Laban Carrick Hill (A) and Theodore Taylor III (ILT)

List Price: $19.99 (Hardcover –  Biography / Music / Hip Hop Era – 2013)

Before there was hip hop, there was DJ Kool Herc.

On a hot day at the end of summer in 1973 Cindy Campbell threw a back-to-school party at a park…

A picture-book biography of celebrated poet Gwendolyn Brooks, the first Black person to win the Pulitzer Prize

A 2021 Coretta Scott King Book Award Illustrator Honor Book
A 2021 Robert F. Sibert Informational Honor Book
A 2021 Association of Library Service to…

Traci Todd (A) and Christian Robinson (ILT)

List Price $18.99 (Hardwood – Singer / Pianist / Activist – Civil Rights – 2021)

This illuminating and defining picture book biography illustrated by Caldecott Honoree Christian Robinson, tells the story of little Eunice who grew up to become the acclaimed singer Nina Simone and her…

 Amanda Gorman (A and Poet)

List Price: $24.99 (Hardcover – Poetry / Inaugeral Messenger – 2021)

The breakout poetry collection by #1 New York Times bestselling author and presidential inaugural poet Amanda Gorman

Formerly titled The Hill We Climb and Other Poems, the luminous poetry collection by #1 New York Times bestselling author…

From bestselling, award-winning creators Renée Watson and Bryan Collier comes a stunningly crafted picture book chronicling the life of poet and activist Maya Angelou.

This unforgettable picture book introduces young readers to the life and work of Maya Angelou, whose words have uplifted and inspired generations of readers. The author…

Jim Gigliotti (A) and Who HQ (A) and Stephen Marchesi (ILT) 

List Price: $6.50 (Paperback – Biography / Singer – 2018)

Discover more about Stevie Wonder, the music prodigy whose awards include 25 Grammy Awards and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Stevie Wonder is one of the most successful singer-songwriter-musicians of our time.…

Yona Zeblis McDonough (A) and John OBrien (ILT) and Nancy Harrison (ILT)

List Price: $6.99 (Paperback – Biography / Musician / Trumpet – 2004)

If not for a stint in reform school, young Louis Armstrong might never have become a…

It’s a sunny spring day, and the tic tac tic tac sound of jump ropes hitting the ground floats through the wind.

“Jump in!”

Everyone lines up for a turn. The Delancy twins, double dutch divas. Leroy Jones with the hip-hop tricks. Even Ms. Mabel, showing the youngstas how it’s done. And after a…

Walter Dean Myers (A) and Christopher Myers (ILT) 

List Price:  $18.95 (Hardcover – Jazz Poetry – 2008)

There’s a crazy syncopation /and it’s tearing through the nation / and it’s bringing sweet elation / to every single tune./ It’s Jazz
 
Fifteen poems, infused with the rhythm and…

Whoopi Goldberg (A) and Deborah Underwood (ILT)

List Price: $10.99 (Paperback – Dance / Ballet / Lead Dancer – 2022)

The sixth book of the award-winning and bestselling Sugar Plum Ballerinas series by Whoopi Goldberg—now featuring brand-new illustrations!

At the Nutcracker School of Ballet in Harlem, young dancers learn to chassé, plié, and…

Joyce Carol Thomas (A) and Floyd Cooper (ILT)

List Price: $16.99 (Hardcover – Poems / African American Identity – 2008)

We are color struck
The way an artist strikes
His canvas with his brush of many hues
Look closely at these mirrors
these palettes of skin
Each color is rich
in its own…

Misty Copeland (A)

List Price:$17.99 (Hardcover – Courage / Following Your Dreams – 2020l

Instant New York Times bestselling series opener inspired by prima ballerina and author Misty Copeland’s own early experiences in ballet.

From prima ballerina and New York Times bestselling author Misty Copeland comes the story of a young…

Brenda C. Roberts (A), Frank Morrison (A) and (ILT)

List Price: $16.99 (Hardcover – Dancing / Friends – 2004)

Jazzy Miz Mozetta is the winner of the 2005 Coretta Scott King – John Steptoe New Talent Award

One fine evening, Miz Mozetta puts on her firecracker-red dress and heads outside to enjoy the…

Fans of the Netflix reboot of The Babysitters Club will delight as four new sisters band together in the heart of New York City. Discover this jubilant novel about the difficulties of change, the loyalty of sisters, and the love of family from a prolific award-winning author.   “[A]…

Langston Hughes (A) and Sean Qualls (ILT)

List Price: $19.99 (Hardcover – Lullaby Poem / Langston Hughes – 2013)

Description: “My little dark baby, / My little earth-thing, / My little love-one, / What shall I sing / For your lullaby?” With a few simple words as smooth as a song, the poet…

Javaka Steptoe (A)

Carole Boston Weatherford (A) and Frank Morrison (ILT)

List Price: $18.99 (Hardcover – Soul Singer / Queen of Soul – 2020)

Winner of the Coretta Scott King Illustration Award! From a New York Times bestselling author and an acclaimed illustrator comes this vibrant portrait of Aretha Franklin that pays her the R-E-S-P-E-C-T this…

Veronica Chambers (A) and Julie Maren (ILT)

List Price: $8.99 (Paperback- Cuban Singer / Queen of Salsa – 2005)

Everyone knows the flamboyant, larger-than-life Celia Cruz, the extraordinary salsa singer who passed away in 2003, leaving millions of fans brokenhearted. indeed, there was a magical vibrancy to the Cuban salsa singer. to hear…

Amber Barbee Pickens (A and ILT)

List Price: $24.95 (Paperback -Activity Book / Dancers – 2021)

Blooming in Motion is a coloring book celebrating Black history through the performing art of dance. The original illustrations by Amber Barbee Pickens honor trailblazing dance legends by paying tribute to the sacrifice, perseverance, fearlessness, discipline…

Eloise Greenfield (A) and Leo and Diane Dillon (ILT)

List Price: $7.99 (Paperback – Poetry – 1986)

Love don’t mean all that kissing
Like on television
Love Means Daddy
Saying keep your mama company till I get back
And me doing it

Sixteen poems tell of love and…

Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts (A) and Christopher Myers (ILT)

List Price: $18.95 (Hardcover – Bio / Artist / Harlem Renaissance – 2015)

Jake Makes a World follows the creative adventures of the young Jacob Lawrence as he finds inspiration in the vibrant colors and characters of his community in Harlem. From his mother’s apartment, where he…

Before John Was A Jazz Giant: A Song of John Coltrane

Young John Coltrane was all ears. And there was a lot to hear growing up in the South in the 1930s: preachers praying, music on the radio, the bustling of the household. These vivid noises shaped John’s own sound as a musician. Carole Boston…

Patricia A. Keeler (A and ILT) and Jíulio Leitaio (A)

List Price: $10.95 (Paperback- African Dance / History / Rituals – 2006)

Come along as we explore the fascinating origins of African dance, as rich and diverse as the continent itself. Discover unique rituals, colorful costumes, and…

This stunning children’s book from the photographer behind the Instagram sensation Brown Girls Do Ballet, combines irresistible photos of young ballerinas of color with inspirational text that empowers all children to express their true selves through movement and music.

When TaKiyah Wallace-McMillian went to enroll her three-year-old daughter into her first ballet class,…

Last Stop on Market Street gets a jazzy twist in this finger-licking good celebration of music, food, and family.

Struttin’ with Auntie Nina down to a club,
We’re gonna hear some music and then eat some grub.
Wanna get up close, but we’re…

George Gershwin (A) and Mike Wimmer (ILT)

List Price: $8.99 (Paperback / Plantation Life – 2002)

This lavish picture book is based on the beloved folk opera Porgy and Bess features Wimmer lush, epic oil paintings which reveal a vision of plantation life that extends the lyrics of this enormously popular…

Kelly Starling Lyons (A) and Nneka Meyers (ILT) 

List Price: $6.99 (Paperback – Dancing Queen – 2019)

Jada Jones is back for the fourth book of this popular, celebrated series perfect for STEM fans!
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Langston Hughes (A)

List Price:$11.99 (Paperback – Poetry / Harlem Renaissance – 1996)

Illustrated in black-and-white. This classic collection of poetry is available in a handsome new gift edition that includes seven additional poems written after The Dream Keeper was first published. In a larger format, featuring Brian Pinkney’s scratchboard art on every…

Whoppi Goldberg (A), Deborah Underwood (A) and Marilyn Roos (ILT)

List Price: $6.99 (Paperback – Dance – Ballet / Finding Support – 2009)

The third book of the award-winning and bestselling Sugar Plum Ballerinas series by Whoopi Goldberg—now featuring brand-new illustrations!

Perfectionist Jerzey Mae desperately wants to…

Public Domain, E.B.. Lewis (ILT)

List Price: $19.99 (Hardcover – Song / African American Spiritual – 2005)

A great visual interpretation of a a popular African-American spiritual. It is morning when the book opens, and readers are greeted by a smiling boy. Throughout the day, he spreads his own special…

Marilyn Singer (A) and Kristi Valiant (ILT) 

List Price: $17.99 (Hardcover – Social Dance and Poetry –  2017)

An irresistible book of poems about dancing that mimic the rhythms of social dances from cha-cha to two-step, by the acclaimed author of Mirror Mirror

Description: Marilyn Singer has crafted a vibrant collection of poems celebrating all…

Ty rocks out with friends in this new book in the Geisel Honor–winning series!

Join Ty on his imaginative adventures in Ty’s Travels: Showtime, a My First I Can Read story by acclaimed author and illustrator team Kelly Starling Lyons and Niña Mata. Music, imagination, and play are highlighted, making this perfect for sharing…

Toyomi Igus (A) and Michelle Wood (ILT)

List Price: $16.99 (Hardcover –  African American Culture and  Music – 2010) 

“We free now, baby,” mama whispers as we bounce and sway with the wagon’s twists and turns over roads of clay through the land that oppressed us to a new world, a…

Monica Brown (A) and Rafael Lopez (ILT) 

List Price: $19.99 (Hardcover – Musician / Drummer – 2013)

In this vibrant bilingual picture book biography of musician Tito Puente, readers will dance along to the beat of this mambo king’s life. Tito Puente loved banging pots and pans as a child, but what he really…

A picture book biography about the barber shop of woodcarver Elijah Pierce, recipient of the highest folk art honor in the United States.

“Creeeeak!” goes the screen door to self-taught artist Elijah Pierce’s barbershop art studio. A young boy walks in for an ordinary haircut and walks out having discovered a lifetime of art.

…

Nikki Grimes (A) and Jerome LaGarrique (ILT)

List Price: $7.99  (Paperback – Poetry / Friendship / Mentor – 1999)

In 14 knowing, heartfelt poems, Nikki Grimes invites readers to witness the friendship that blossoms between Damon, an African-American boy without a father, and Blue, a tough-looking man who has lost…

Nikki Giovanni (A) and Ashley Bryan (ILT) 

List Price: $17.99 (Hardcover – Poetry / The Importance of Being Loved – 2018)

Newbery Award honoree Ashley Bryan has hand-selected a dozen of National Book Award winner Nikki Giovanni’s poems to illustrate with his inimitable flourish.

There is nothing more important to a child than to feel…

Tony Medina (A) and R. Gregory Christie (ILT)

List Price: $10.95 (Paperback – Biography / Langston Hughes -2006)

Fourteen original poems offer young readers an exciting glimpse into the life of Langston Hughes, one of America most beloved poets. Each of Medina engaging poems explores…

Laurie Calkhoven (A) and Monique Dong (ILT)

List Price: $4.99 (Paperback – Biography / Ballet Dancer – 2016)

Pirouette across the stage and get to know Misty Copeland—the first African-American woman to become…

Katheryn-Russell-Brown (A) and Fran Morrison (ILT)

List Price: $18.95 (Hardcover – Biography / Music / Trombone / Loved Music – 2014)

Melba Doretta Liston loved the sounds of music from as far back as she could remember. As a child, she daydreamed about beats and lyrics, and hummed along with the music from…

Various Authors and Tom Feelings (EDIT) and ILT)

List Price: $8.99  (Paperback – Poetry / African American – 1999)

Artist Feelings invited poets whom he admired to compose original, short verses for these drawings, with breathtakingly rich and powerful results. Together they created a tribute to African-American creativity, the collection…

Ntozake Shange (A) and Kadir Nelson (A) and (ILT) 

List Price: $19.99 (Hardcover – Family / Duke Ellington / Harlem Renaissance Legends – 2004)

In a reflective tribute to the African-American community of old, noted poet Ntozake Shange recalls her childhood home and the close-knit group of innovators that often gathered…

Debbie Allen (A) and Kadir Nelson (ILT)

List Price:$8.99 (Paperback – Performance / Dancing – 2000)

Sassy worries that her too-large feet, too-long legs, and even her big mouth will keep her from her dream of becoming a star ballerina. So for now she just dancing in the wings, watching…

Debbie Allen (A) and Kadir Nelson (ILT)

List Price: $8.99 (Paperback – Dancing – 1999)

This modern fable by actress-producer Debbie Allen is a hip retelling of the classic tale of The Twelve Dancing Princesses. Reverend Knight is at his wits end. Why are his twelve sons shoes worn to thread…

Troy Andrews (A) and Bryan Collier (ILT)

List Price: $19.99 (Hardcover – Musician Bio – 2015)

“Winner of both a Caldecott Honor and a Coretta Scott King Award, this beautiful picture book for older kids is an inspirational look at overcoming our circumstances to follow our dreams, in this case that of a young musician…

Kadir Nelson (ILT)

List Price: $18.99 (Hardcover – Family Spending Quality Time / Father/ Son – 2008)

What began as a spiritual has developed into one of America best-known songs, and now for the first time it appears as a picture book, masterfully created by award-winning artist Kadir Nelson. Through sublime…

Davida Adedjouma (EDITOR), Gregory Christie (ILT), Lucille Clifton (INTRO)

List Price: $11.95 (Paperback – Poetry / Children – 2003)

Through poetry, African children celebrate what it means to by Black. By way of a series of workshops in the inner city the editor was able to stimulate children to express their joys, frustrations…

Nico Medina (A) Who HQ and Gregory Copeland (ILT)

List Price: $6.99 (Paperback – Biography / Legendary Singer – 2018)

There is only one QUEEN OF SOUL!  Discover why Aretha Franklin garners so much R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

Aretha Franklin is a musical and cultural icon who created an amazing legacy spanning six decades! Born in…