Up until now, I've only learned about black history in Africa, the Caribbean and the United States. It was refreshing to learn about our history in Canada, as well.

I keep saying these children's books are out here teaching the young and old alike.

Overall a solid introduction to Black Canadian history. I do have some quibbles: Quebec basically disappears, and while the focus is on Black Canadians, the absence of discussion of other histories of discrimination in Canada is sometimes problematic. I’m fine with the author’s simplifications sometimes making white Canadians look even worse than they were, but this tendency to erase nuance is not in favour of the most marginalised in a situation, but in favour specifically of Black Canadians - discussion of the colonisation and settlement of Western Canada in no way tackles Indigenous issues, for example. The artwork is a little bland, and the design choices sometimes made the book flow a little disjointed. It was easy to pick up and read short sections, but hard to immediately identify which period a section was about and how it related to other events in Canadian history - there was often more grounding in American history!

The Kids Book of Black History In Canada
by Rosemary Sadlier with illustrations by Arden Taylor releases on June 4 of this year.

I posted about this book at the start of February when all I had seen was the cover and a few images. I learned so much from the original edition (The Kids book of Black Canadian History, 2003) that I knew the update was going to be exactly what schools and libraries need.

I read the ARC this month via @netgalley (signed back up just for this book!). I had the old edition out to compare and I was surprised by how much of the text is the same (it is an updated edition not a brand new book). I expected that the language might need more updating than it did … but that may be related to the feel of the old layout and illustrations. I really love the new illustrations and how they are integrated. The design is much cleaner and modern. So many more kids and teachers will benefit from the content. Of course, there are updates (a lot has changed in 21 years). There are new sections related to recent history including the Black Lives Matter movement and the death of George Floyd as well as the addition of new topics including Unequal Treatment and Activism.

A well-done and much needed update.

*ARC given through NetGalley in exchange for a review, thank you!*

This is a wonderful book. As a history girly, I've learned much thanks to this book. Simply lovely! The illustrations are beautiful as well. Clear and concise, props to the author and illustrator for this much-needed book highlighting history that is sadly not talked about enough in Canadian schools!

When I think of Black history, I usually think of American History. This is a great resource for homeschoolers, educators, or anyone who just loves to learn. I plan to keep this as a resource because I have never seen it before and I think it's great to have in every library. This book is well written, informative and interactive.

This book should be a classroom staple! It is so hard to find books focused on Black Canadians, so I was extremely excited when I saw this one.

This book is very detailed and breaks down the history of Black Canadians by region, which I found very interesting. I loved the spotlights on individuals and found them all interesting.

This is a must have boon for every school and history-loving child.

This book a very in depth look at Black Canadian History. I found it very informative. This is a great resource for the classroom, I’d definitely recommend to my fellow teachers.

What an amazing book full of details and people of Canada's past. An an educator in the United States, I learned so much about the contributions of Black Canadians for the last 200+ years. Each set of two pages covers a topic, an issue and there are maps, profiles, fun facts, and enough detail for upper elementary and middle school students to get an introduction to this important history. I used to teach my students about the Atlantic Slave Trade Route, but never realized that it impacted Canada. It was never in my curriculum, but it should have been. In the US, I knew about the Dust Bowl and western settlements, but I had never heard the term Exodusters who left the dry land of Oklahoma in hopes of a better future up North. I think I learned something new on every page!
At the end of the book, there are over 36 short biography snippets about Black Canadians and their contributions to Canada and the world. There were a few people I knew from sports or music, but the majority are regular people who did extraordinary things, such as a cancer researcher, a mayor and a playwright. These Canadians lived across the provinces and were part of so many groundbreaking events. I love that this book highlights them and their accomplishments. I would hope students could see themselves represented.
Thank you Net Galley for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.
#TheKidsBookofBlackHistoryinCanada #NetGalley

A VERY good book that is highly informative but also present the information in a very beautiful and engaging way. I loved the art style used throughout the book and the page layouts. It made the pages very approachable, even if there is a lot of texts on them.
It followed a nice chronological order and went in-depth with multiple important topics. Overall, very good book that ought to be in every Canadian child's bookshelf.

It was super refreshing to see Black history outside of the US lens. While the Black communities throughout history in Canada share similarities to the struggles of those in the US, they are still different countries and the experiences of Canadians is different than those of the US. This is filled with information, but the sections are short and easy to understand. The illustrations are lovely. And the final pages include a bunch of famous famous Black Canadians such as athletes or academics. Perfect for classrooms and schools globally, and especially in Canada!

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is excellent. It's informative and arranged in sections making it easier for children to find the information they're seeking. The illustrations are bright and modern. I will be getting this for our school library.

I found this book to be enlightening because it followed Canadian Black History. Growing up in the US, you don't get a well-rounded course of World Black History. So, being able to read about that subject and how it ran its course to the present in another country was very interesting.

In order to dismantle systems of oppression, we must first learn the truth. Canada is my home, and I am proud to be Chinese-Canadian. However, my family and I are settlers on stolen land, and beneficiaries of systems that oppress Indigenous and Black people.

THE KIDS BOOK OF BLACK HISTORY IN CANADA (written by Rosemary Sadlier, illustrated by Arden Taylor, published by Kids Can Press), is an updated version of the original book from 2003. This essential book for every anti-racist classroom and library, details the journey from the arrival of Mathieu Da Costa (the first known African in Canada) in 1604, to the ongoing fight for social justice and anti-Black racism, e.g., the Black Lives Matter movement. Throughout the book, information about significant Black figures and trailblazers appear in sidebars of the pages. The back matter include more profiles of notable historical and contemporary Black Canadians. I also appreciate the chapter “Honouring Black Heritage All Year”, as it reminds us that learning about Black history and heritage doesn’t begin and end in the month of February.

As a Chinese-Canadian educator, I experience both oppression AND privilege. My Chinese community cannot be truly liberated unless Black and Indigenous people are liberated. My privilege and moral imperative as a teacher is to teach my students the truth, in hopes of achieving the dream of a just, free, safe and loving world for all.

I don't know a lot about Canadian history since I didn't grow up nor have ever lived there, so this book immediately piqued my interest when I saw it. It does a great job of being informative while still simple enough for kids (and even adults!) to follow along and enjoy.