Telling a People's Story: African-American Children's Illustrated Literature

A retelling of a traditional West African tale that reveals how the mosquito developed its annoying habit. A mosquito annoyed the iguana, who frightened the python, who scared the rabbit, and now the whole jungle is in an uproar because the sun won't rise. The animals discuss the situation and decide to punish the mosquito. Even today, whenever we hear a mosquito buzz, we smack it hard!

In a story of the Ila people, the colorful birds of Africa ask Blackbird, whom they think is the most beautiful of birds, to decorate them with some of his "blackening brew."

A grandmother tells the tale of Gullahs and their beautiful sweetgrass baskets that keep their African heritage alive.

A poem that speaks of the courage of Black people of America.

A special place in New Orleans once played host to several slaves who celebrated their half-days of freedom by singing, dancing, and playing music in the Congo Square open market every Sunday. Readers learn about the slaves' week-long work and those special Sunday afternoons.

Paintings and text depict the course of slavery, beginning with the ships from Africa and continuing through the Civil War.

Describes Tubman's spiritual journey as she hears the voice of God guiding her north to freedom on that very first trip to escape the brutal practice of forced servitude. Tubman would make nineteen subsequent trips back south, never being caught, but none as profound as this first one.

Title on accompanying disc: The people could fly : an American-African folktale.Narrated by James Earl Jones and Virginia Hamilton. Pea-pod man: Raven the creator -- Finding night: Quat the creator -- Endless sea of mud: Death the creator -- Bursting from the hen's egg: Phan Ku the creator -- Traveling to form the world: Old Man the creator -- First man becomes the devil: Ulgen the creator -- Turtle dives to the bottom of the sea: Earth Starter the...

Biography of the life and times of a woman born into slavery who became a well-known abolitionist and crusader for women's rights.

In 1865, members of a family start their day as slaves, working in a Texas cotton field, and end it celebrating their freedom on what came to be known as Juneteenth.