I recently read **"Black Boy, Black Boy"** by Ali Kamanda, and I was truly moved by its inspiring message and stunning illustrations. This book celebrates the potential and achievements of Black boys, encouraging them to dream big and recognize their worth. Kamanda's rhythmic and engaging prose, paired with vibrant illustrations, creates a powerful and affirming experience. I particularly enjoyed how the book fosters hope, resilience, and pride, making it a must-have for any bookshelf. It's a wonderful read that left a lasting impression on me and is perfect for children and adults alike.

A father tells his son that the world is ready for him to be like eight featured black men in different fields or whatever he chooses. The illustrations are warm and support the encouraging text.

An amazing book!! I loved all of the illustrations that are within this book. The lyrical quality of the writing was also beautifully done and such an asset to this book. There were people mentioned in this book that I had never heard of, so it was a nice refreshing experience to learn about new (to me) famous African Americans. I look forward to sharing this book with my students.

This is a really beautiful book that invites new conversations by introducing real life heroes through writing suitable for read alouds and vibrant illustrations.

This is a much needed book for black boys. I love how this picture book is told from the perspective of a black father to his son. It shows that A) black father's are present and B) black father's have dreams and desires for their children (period). The saying goes, "only a man can teach a boy how to be a man" and that especially rings true for black boys. Finally, I love how the father was able to lay many examples of positive black men before his son. What he essentially, taught his son was to dream big and to aim high! If one black man can do, then so can you!

I saw the author and illustrator by way of Zoom as they presented this book. What a marvelous undertaking and end result. Really liked the rhyming scheme, patterned on Brown Bear, Brown Bear, and children will really get into this. The bright colors and the illustrations are spot on. Lots of information is presented in a child-centered manner.

All children need heroes, people they can look up to, and people who look like they do. This book gets that done perfectly. The author relates the stories of nine Black men, ranging from Colin Kaepernick to Matthew Henson to Sam Cooke, authors and artists. Children can read about these heroes and see their experiences about people who look like them. The author captures perfectly the optimism and respect of and for these leaders.

Beautiful art, beautiful verse, beautiful message! A young Black boy is led by his father to meet the amazing, inspiring, accomplished Black men that came before him to give him his birthright. He's encouraged by his dad to look to their example to find his own power and begin his journey.

The illustrations are absolutely stunning, full of gorgeous color and energy. The verse is lovely too, with a great flow and rich vocabulary. While the importance of Dr. King and President Obama cannot be overstated, I liked the inclusion of other men I hadn't heard as much about--artists and inventors and heroes. This would be a great addition to school, classroom, and home libraries and I think kids will love it!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

Loved this rhythmic journey through Black history told to a young Black boy by his father. The colors and illustrations are amazing. The story highlights Black male historical figures both well-known, like Martin Luther King Jr., and for some of us not as well-known, like pilot Emory Malik. The history touches all areas from music to Civil Rights to Creative Expression. I love the variety of role models that the little boy encounters on the pathway. The illustrations and language are absolutely inspirational . I also appreciated the back matter in the book that gives kids an opportunity to learn more about the historical figures in the book. This is the kind of book that makes me reminisce about Reading Rainbow - a great read aloud option.

This book was so important and so cute! An amazing story about a little Black boy learning about influential Black male leaders and pioneers from his Black father, Kamanda and Redmond educate, start conversations, and inspire. A perfect book for young people, regardless of race and gender, but especially for young Black boys. I also loved the illustrations and imagery and art. It brought me so much joy and comfort.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Kids for an eARC of Black Boy, Black Boy in exchange for an honest review.

Black Boy, Black Boy is captivating in every way! I enjoyed that Kamanda and Redmond chose some well known and lesser known Black male changemakers to tell this story. The little bios of each person at the end was a nice touch.

It was also really heartwarming to see the boy with his father walking that path of greatness. Black fathers don’t get enough credit so that choice was very special indeed.

Ken Daley’s illustrations are absolutely breathtaking! I love how vibrant and colorful all the imagery is which makes it very eye catching for children.

I am a firm believer that representation matters! Black children deserve to see characters in stories who look like them. I can’t wait to add this book to my son’s bookshelf and to recommend it to all the people I know raising Black boys like me.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

As an instructor of Children's Literature/Media for a Graduate Library School Program, I take very seriously the need to curate exceptional books so that children can see their own experiences and their own faces "mirrored". Black Boy, Black Boy is THAT book.

I was so caught up in it that the graceful rhyme pattern caught me by surprise, and then I realized that this is Brown Bear, Brown Bear for Black Boys, who need to see heroes who look like them all around them.

The story is framed by a father and young son going out on an adventure. The language is full of love and optimism and hope and joy. The colors are bright and magical, with just enough foreshadowing to keep young readers in a state of anticipation.

By presenting talented Black men, the text checks off the "informational" checkbox but in a way that will inspire curiosity and admiration of Colin Kaepernick, MLK, Elijah McCoy, Emory Malick, William Goines, Sam Cooke, Chinua Achebe, Arthur Mitchell, and Barack Obama. (The book includes a paragraph on the achievements and prominence of all of these individuals). The informational bits are also buttressed by expressions of love, guidance and confidence stated by the father to his son.

This gorgeous book moves me to tears by its message of optimism and respect and pure love. It is what all children, boys and girls, need to see and hear to feel valued. I hear a whisper that the authors are coming out with a similar book for girls? I can only hope. Regardless, this perfect book is a must for your (school and other) library shelves.

Black Boy, Black Boy is a rhyming picture book that shares the important contributions of 9 black men. These 9 individuals are role models for young people to look up to. The information in the back of the book will give readers more information. The illustrations will also draw readers in. Excellent book!

Thank you to the authors, publisher, and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a beautiful story about dreaming big and looking to those who have gone before you for inspiration. This is an uplifting book with a wonderful message that all young readers need to read. Thank you #netgalley for giving me a copy of this book.

What a powerful and urgent read for kids of all ages! An homage to powerful Black leaders, Black Boy, Black Boy is beautifully illustrated and introduces important historical figures that aren’t always praised.

A really great motivational picture book to lift up young black boys by encouraging them to see their worth and by also sharing experiences of notable black men of history in rhyming lyric. This is perfect for schools and home libraries. The art is great as well. This is an ARC version, so some things can change before publishing, but I didn't love the font in this early version.

Thanks to netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

This amazing book takes us on a journey through the lives of nine amazing Black men, providing the inspiration for future generations of Black boys. The illustrations were bright and hopeful, and the rhyming story will appeal to young readers.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

This rhyming picture book tells the story of 9 black men who shaped history in their own ways and are wonderful role models for young people to look up to. There is about 2 pages dedicated to each of the 9 men described in this book, with minimal textual information, but also including detailed pictures to show the impact that they made, for example through dance or public speaking. At the end of the book are short biographical paragraphs about each of the people featured in the story. The underlying message of the book is that there are many wonderful role models to look up to and that despite the many challenges that IBPOC community members face, it is possible to make a difference in the world and to fight for what is right. As a grade 3 teacher I would definitely consider purchasing a copy of this book for my classroom library. I would recommend this book to parents and teachers of children in the age 5-9 range, but could also see it being used with older students, as the biographical information at the end of the book could be a starting point for research, and potentially with younger children too as it is a rhyming story and it is never too early to teach children about diversity and racism. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book!

Thanks to SOURCEBOOKS Kids and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

Black Boy, Black Boy is reminiscent of Eric Carl's Brown Bear, Brown Bear in its rhythm and cadence. The text connects readers to Black men who have changed the world - Colin Kaepernick, Elijah McCoy, Sam Cooke, Chinua Achebe, and so many more. The illustrations are bright, colorful, and really draw the reader in. This book would be a wonderful addition to any collection or library.

Wonderful picture book for young black male readers with a variety of black men, both current and historical figures. I will be purchasing this book for my school library.

A love letter to all Black boys in the world. Unlike other books, the author does an awesome job of selecting inspirational men from the past and present. I was equally impressed with the selection of men that I have never heard of before. Also selecting men from different career fields, is always a plus with me. This would be a book that I definitely find a way to put into my curriculum and classroom library.