When Black Girls Dream Big

PreS-Gr 3--A Black child with two puffs of hair declares "I am dope./ My brown skin glows/ From the sun's touch./ Magnificent and majestic, that's me." This narrator knows who she is and who she can be, thanks to trailblazers like G.O.A.T. Serena Williams, Toni Morrison, Jacqueline Woodson, Katherine Johnson (of NASA), Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, Billie Holiday, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, and so many others who are profiled in the back matter, along with an author's note. Paul's illustrations have to do some heavy lifting in retaining an almost cartoon-style look to the people in the story while also conveying a wide variety of time frames, facial features, and the integrity of each personality, and he succeeds; this is accessible material that amplifies familiar voices and those not often covered. Moore's note states that this book is a love letter to her childhood self; it is, in fact, a love letter to all children about locating their role models and never thinking or feeling small. VERDICT A commanding but friendly book about empowerment and self-confidence, and a first purchase.--Kimberly Olson Fakih

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Be prepared for a confidence surge in all who pick this one up.

Praise for When Black Girls Dream Big:

"Tanisia Moore's When Black Girls Dream Big is a book that allows its readers to see their beautiful selves depicted throughout its pages. So often, as young people, we are told what we cannot be or cannot do. But these inspiring and hopeful words, combined with Robert Paul Jr.'s magnificently compelling illustrations, lets Black girls know each time they turn the page that all of their dreams are possible." —Angela Bassett, Award-winning Actress and Producer