A perfect mix of historicity and stunning art, The ABCs of Black History is an alphabet book for older children and adults alike.

Borrowing the form from texts for younger readers, this rhyming book offers facts about Black history (primarily in the United States) in an alphabetical collection ranging from “Anthem” and “Diaspora” to “Vote,” “(Malcom) X” and “Zenith.” The mixture of concrete and abstract connections with each letter keeps the book refreshing, as do the original word choices for each. And although I found the inconsistency in length-of-treatment each letter received—with some getting two lines and others getting three stanzas—distracting, that may just be a matter of personal preference.

The text is complemented by a helpful glossary at the end and a list of other resources at the beginning.

Beautifully illustrated and overall brilliant book! Well worth addition for any daycare/classroom bookshelf!

This book is beautifully illustrated and written in rhyme. It provides young readers with important information on Black History throughout the world in a fun way! I am going to recommend the library in our school purchase this title.

This is a necessary book for all libraries. The text would be a good read aloud for early elementary aged kids, and the backmatter is exceptional.

The ABC’s of Black History is not only a fun book to read. It is full of knowledge and pride. Rio Cortez tells the story of many influential individuals throughout Black History. Royalty, athletes, artists, writers, musicians, and activists are just some of the people you will meet and learn about on your journey through the ABC’s.

Lauren Semmer will take you on a visual walk through history. The pictures depict historical Black figures and events that made them exceptional.

This book reads like a poem with a section at the end named Terms and Figures. This glossary of sorts goes into detail about the people Mr. Cortez writes about and the definitions of words used in the poem.

The ABC’s of Black History is an excellent read for readers of all ages.

Beautiful, colorful illustrations fill the pages of this informative, yet approachable alphabet book for young readers. Back matter adds to information the reader can learn from and provides a jumping off point for discussion on additional topics.

I read this with children I babysit and they loved it. Really helpful to expose children to multiculturalism at home and not only at school. It helps fight against racist parents.

This is a must-own book for me. It is bright and colorful and features many very dark-skinned characters which are often absent from picture books. The poetic and engaging text teaches about important people and events in Black history. What I think is this book's best feature is the opportunities it presents readers to go beyond the book and do their own further learning about key concepts such as the Great Migration, Juneteenth, the Black Panthers, and so much more.

This is a vivid colorful must have addition to any classroom or home. The importance of sharing black history and educating our children (and ourselves) cannot be undervalued. This book will appeal to children from kindergarten to middle school. Plenty of worthwhile topics are touched on for parents or educators to delve into deeper if they wish. Excellent.

What a beautiful, inspiring book for young readers about the black community. The ABCs of Black History is wonderfully written, and is so empowering. This is a must have for young children to learn about black history. And the illustrations are absolutely beautiful! This children's book is packed with content, and even as an adult, I feel like I learned so much.

Wow. I really enjoyed this book. It is told in verse, letter by letter. It tells the history of Black people. The good, the bad, the beautiful. It doesn’t just gloss over the difficult times of history but lifts up those who helped spur change. It includes activities, athletes, musicians, politicians, writers, scientists, and more. The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous! In the back of the book, they have a glossary that goes into more history about each letter in narrative form. This is a book that would be great for ALL children.

I really enjoyed this book, and I'm looking forward to adding a physical copy to our family collection. Everything works together -- the text, the illustrations, the extra information. What a great primer to start learning more about Black history!

Wow! This is such a great ABC book. It covers a lot of important Black History. I really liked how each letter had multiple words associated with it. I also loved the illustrations.

LOVE this book. Like, I adore it! I want it in my bookshelf now! This would be in my must-gift with baby shower gifts for all preggo mamas and toddler birthday parties. I adore this!

I received an ARC through NetGalley from Workman Publishing Company. This picture book has memorable illustrations and inviting prose. The words and poetry chosen to represent each letter are dynamic and the historical figures noted invite so much room for dialogue with children. This is a really nice conversation piece for caregivers and children. This book says so much with C for Community and P for Power, U for Unbroken and V for Vote and much more. Many ages can benefit from what is much more than a simple alphabet book.

I received an electronic ARC from Workman Publishing Company through NetGalley.
Cortez has created a powerful message for readers of all ages though the focus is on elementary level readers. This book will jump start discussions and, hopefully, dialogue about pieces of history that may not be known. It's also an encouraging book to look to the future. Each letter of the alphabet stands for at least one important learning area. He provides further references at both the beginning and end of the book for further research and growth. The illustrations bring the concepts to life so readers can put faces and actions together with concepts.
This book works on several levels - an ABC book for early readers, a history lesson for emerging ones, a discussion starter for middle grades, and a dialogue opener for mature readers. It will grow with children and stay in their active reading lists for years.

I really liked this book but it is a bit of a tongue twister. The rhymes can be harsh and the cadence is not constant. But then again this book was not meant necessarily as a read a loud but as a primer to begin Black history at an early age. To help the youngest of kids feel seen and heard. I loved this book for whats on the page, the front matter, and the further information in the back matter. Plus, the artwork is stunning.

A child learns what he sees. Therefore, it's very important to choose books for him/her that could go a long way in making him a person who values equality and knows the importance of individual identity. This book is an excellent choice for children because it presents before them a story that is very important to read at a tender age.

Black, white and brown. Whatever colour the children is of need to see this book.

African-origin children
-To an African-origin child, this book will introduce him/her to the little things that his roots are made of, like the folklore.
-This books will lay down that justice and equality are crucial. And will also make them value the fact that their ancestors carried out protests, marches and movements in America to achieve them.

Non-African origin children
-introduces them to African lifestyle and culture and heritage
-makes them aware about the struggle and hardships that Africans had to go through in America
-makes them respect the African struggle and will assist in raising them into people who dismisses racial inequality.
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Even in 2020, America is witnessing horrific racial discrimination cases. 'White supremacy' needs to shunned off as soon as possible. And for that we need to raise children who understand that every race and every origin is precious and special like any other; and that diversity is the beauty of this world. This book is one small step towards the fulfilment of this goal.

The ABCs
The book comes with beautiful illustrations. Assisting these illustrations are the A-Z of black history. Pick up the book to read what all special facts and emotions are there in the black history starting with all the letters of the English alphabet. You'll not only find the greatest African names here but also ideas and events that are changed lives of many Africans.

Thank you to NetGalley and Workmen Publishing Company for kindly providing me with a digital copy of this book for review.
In this book there is an awful lot to digest. It tells you a little about a lot, rather than a lot about a little. By that I mean that it is probably best viewed as a starting point for what you should go on and research further. For example, you are often just given a name within a context such as sport, but no more details of that person or their achievements. But that is not a criticism, this is great for creating awareness. There is also a section at the back that does elaborate a bit further on some of the things mentioned such as Kwanza and Juneteenth (which I only became aware of when my son was born on 19th June and was told by a friend why that date was important). The book is written with a rhyming pattern that keeps a young reader engaged and the pictures are vibrant and powerful. I think every classroom should have a copy of this book and Black history should be more routinely taught.

Thank you so much to net galley for sending me a copy of this book. I really enjoyed it and am excited to get this for my future child!