Description
Book Synopsis“...to be revisited again and again…The candy-colored pages and straightforward stories are hard to resist…” –The New York Times
“Gorgeously illustrated...vibrant and comprehensive...will be brought down from the bookshelf again and again" –Evening Standard“Glorious celebration of 52 black heroes...big and bold...this is what young people of all races need to see." –The Independent“An essential book for inspiring even the tiniest children to face the world with boldness and self-belief.” –The Observer Meet
52 icons of colour from the past and present in this celebration of inspirational achievement – a collection of stories about changemakers to encourage, inspire and empower the next generation of changemakers. Jamia Wilson has carefully curated this range of black icons and the book is stylishly brought together by Andrea Pippins’
colourful and celebratory illustrations.
Written in the spirit of Nina Simone’s song “To Be Young, Gifted, and Black,” this vibrant book is a perfect introduction to both historic and present-day icons and heroes. Meet
figureheads,
leaders and
pioneers such as Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela and Rosa Parks, as well as
cultural trailblazers and
athletes like Stevie Wonder, Oprah Winfrey and Serena Williams.
All children deserve to see themselves represented positively in the books they read. Highlighting the talent and contributions of black leaders and changemakers from around the world, readers of all backgrounds will be empowered to discover what they too can achieve. Strong, courageous, talented and diverse, these extraordinary men and women's achievements will inspire a new generation to chase their dream… whatever it may be.
The 52 icons: Mary Seacole, Matthew Henson, Ava Duvernay, Bessie Coleman, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Cathy Freeman, George Washington Carver, Malorie Blackman, Harriet Tubman, Mo Farah, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Jesse Owens, Beyonce Knowles, Solange Knowles, Katherine Johnson, Josephine Baker, Kofi Annan, Langston Hughes, Toni Morrison, Brian Lara, Madam C.J. Walker, Yannick Noah, Maurice Ashley, Alexandre Duma, Martin Luther King, Jr., Maya Angelou, Nina Simone, Simone Biles, Stevie Wonder, Esperanza Spalding, Sidney Poitier, Oprah Winfrey, Pele, Nelson Mandela, Louis Armstrong, Rosa Parks, Naomi Campbell, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Muhammad Ali, Shirley Chisholm, Steve McQueen, Zadie Smith, Usain Bolt, Wangari Maathai, Mae Jemison, W.E.B. Du Bois, Nicola Adams, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, and Misty Copeland.
If you like this book, check out
Young, Gifted and Black Too, for 52 more inspiring icons! For younger readers,
Baby Young Gifted and Black is perfect to introduce litte ones to these trailblazers who changed the world.
Trade Review'An uplifting well-written large paperback with the feel of a friendly picture book. Each page is adorned with an eye-catching full-page illustration and age-appropriate engaging text within easy-to-read stylised text boxes.' -- Candid Cocoa
