June is African American Music Appreciation Month
Created by President Jimmy Carter in 1979, this month celebrates the African American musical influences that comprise an essential part of our nation’s treasured cultural heritage.
Before There Was Mozart: The Story of Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de Saint-George. Lesa Cline-Ransome. Illus. James E. Ransome. ISBN 9780307982490. $10.99. (Schwartz & Wade Books).
The Bat Boy and His Violin. Gavin Curtis. Illus. E.B. Lewis. ISBN 9780689841156. $7.99. (Simon & Schuster).
He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands. Kadir Nelson. ISBN 9780803728509. $17.99. (Dial Books for Young Readers).
Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra. Andrea Pinkney. Illus. Brian Pinkney. ISBN 9780439109949. $5.21. (Scholastic Press).
Trombone Shorty. Troy Andrews. Illus. Bryan Collier. ISBN 9781419714658. $17.95. (Abrams Books for Young Readers).
Hip Hop Speaks to Children. Nikki Giovanni. ISBN 9781402210488. $19.99. (Sourcebooks).
When Marian Sang. Pam Munoz. Illus. Brian Selznick. ISBN 9780439269674. $16.95. (Scholastic Press).
Ella Fitzgerald (Little People, Big Dreams series). Isabel Sanchez Vegara. Illus. Bàrbara Alca. ISBN 9781786030870. $15.99. (Frances Lincoln Children’s Books).
Harlem’s Little Blackbird. Renee Watson. Illus. Christian Robinson. ISBN 9780593380055. $20.99. (Random House Books for Young Readers).
This Jazz Man. Karen Ehrhardt. Illus. R.G. Roth. ISBN 9780544339224. $7.99. (HMH for Young Readers).
Happy!. Pharrell Willams. ISBN 9780399176432. $19.99. (G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers).
Beyoncé: Shine Your Light. Sarah Warren. Illus. Geneva Bowers. ISBN 9780358063346. $12.99. (HMH Books for Young Readers).
Nina: Jazz Legend and Civil-Rights Activist Nina Simone. Alice Brière-Haquet. Illus. Bruno Liance. ISBN 9781580898270. $16.99. (Charlesbridge).
By and By: Charles Albert Tindley, the Father of Gospel Music. Carole Boston Weatherford. Illus. Bryan Collier. ISBN 9781534426368. $17.99. (Atheneum Books for Young Readers).
What a Wonderful World. George David Weiss & Bob Thiele. ISBN 9780689800870. $19.99. (Atheneum Books for Young Readers).
Squeak, Rumble, Whomp! Whomp! Whomp!. Wynton Marsalis. Illus. Paul Rogers. ISBN 9780763639914. $15.99. (Candlewick Press).
Charlie Parker Played Be Bop. Christopher Raschka. ISBN 9780531070956. $7.99. (Scholastic).
Muddy: The Story of Blues Legend Muddy Waters. Michael Mahin. Illus. Evan Turk. ISBN 9781481443494. $17.99. (Atheneum Books for Young Readers).
Epic! has a great list of books to peruse. And, for an interactive experience, find the CBC Inclusivity List about African American Music here.
See more diverse book lists and content.
