Age Range: 4 – 11 years
Publisher: Tilbury House Publishers
Publication Date: January 19, 2021
Have I Ever Told You
Black Lives Matter?
By Shani King, Illustrated by Bobby C. Martin Jr
A tender and powerful affirmation that Black lives have always mattered.
Black lives matter. That message would be self-evident in a just world, but in this world and this America, all children need to hear it again and again, and not just to hear it but to feel and know it.
This book affirms the message repeatedly, tenderly, with cumulative power and shared pride. Celebrating Black accomplishments in music, art, literature, journalism, politics, law, science, medicine, entertainment, and sports, Shani King summons a magnificent historical and contemporary context for honoring the fortitude of Black role models, women and men, who have achieved greatness despite the grinding political and social constraints on Black life.
“The intention of Black empowerment can be achieved with these inspiring role models, and the eye-catching design enhances the powerful message. This book will appeal to fans of Kwame Alexander’s The Undefeated. VERDICT A must-purchase that will empower Black children, and expand all readers’ knowledge of African American history.”
― School Library Journal
“Black history and culture come alive in this celebratory biography, whose fresh, pop art-style bursts with color and creatively sized and set sanserif font, which is as much a part of the illustrations as the many portraits and sleek silhouettes…empowering, fiery speech of a book.”
― Tiffany Flowers, Booklist (Starred Review)
“This book is alive. Reading it – and it must be read out loud – gives your voice meaning and poetry. King’s powerful words, combined with Martin’s vibrant graphics, feel like a parade, a celebration, an inspiration and an affirmation – Black lives matter. “
― Books4YourKids
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Endorsements
“This bold and captivating artistic creation for children captures an important movement as a teachable moment. A marvelous book!” ―Janai S. Nelson, Associate Director-Counsel, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund
“A powerful litany of Black excellence and a staple for every anti-racist household and classroom.” ―Samara Cole Doyon, author of Magnificent Homespun Brown
“A wonderful shoutout to many of the Black figures who have inspired us, taught us, and led us. A free-flowing roll call of role models for young people.” ―Daniel Minter, artist and illustrator of the Caldecott Honor book Going Down Home with Daddy
“A beautiful and powerful story and a way to engage and teach children―on Black history, which is American history, and on the legacy of Black struggle and achievement in this nation.” ―Khary Lazarre-White, Executive Director & Co-Founder, The Brotherhood/Sister Sol, and author of Passage
“The world needs this yesterday.” ―James Forman Jr., Pulitzer Prize – winning author of Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America
“Black children grow up being treated differently because of the color of their skin. This loving and positive book acknowledges that reality while also celebrating the resilience of Black people and the accomplishments, leadership, and fortitude of Black Americans. We need this book.”―Dr. JudyAnn Bigby, Director of the Harvard Medical School Center of Excellence in Women’s Health and former Secretary of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Reviews
“…The book’s narrative rhythms portray time as a river of swirling currents as opposed to points on a straight line. King’s long view of history connects the past strongly to the present, and vice versa. A mention of Colin Kaepernick expands to include Tommie Smith and John Carlos, Black athletes who bravely protested at the 1968 Olympics. A mention of Ida B. Wells sends us cascading through generations of journalists who have followed in her stead, including Charlayne Hunter-Gault and Yamiche Alcindor. In the world King has created, Jean Toomer occupies the same space as Jacqueline Woodson, and it’s but a small leap from Josephine Baker to Gregory Hines. At strategic intervals the narrator wisely reasserts ― plainly ― that Black lives matter…”
― Jabari Asim, New York Times Book Review
“According to the preface, the goal here is to help kids, specifically Black kids, learn to believe in themselves. Mission accomplished. In this bold homage to the Black experience, they can access a birthright of struggle, excellence and resilience. On poster-like pages, words dominate in wildly varied font sizes. They march and scramble across bright pages, filled with quotations, commentary and a few abstract portraits. From Crispus Attucks to Simone Biles, Black achievers are enumerated ― writers, musicians, journalists, athletes, academics, artists, scientists, moviemakers, politicians and public servants, 116 in all. (Check out their useful thumbnail bios.) The big takeaway: “You are valued. We are valued. Your life matters.””
― Susan Faust, San Francisco Chronicle
“Black lives matter. That message would be self-evident in a just world, but in this world and in this America, all children need to hear it again and again, and not just to hear it but to feel and know it… Critique: Effectively and thoroughly ‘kid friendly’ in organization and presentation, “Have I Ever Told You Black Lives Matter” is a critically important and unreservedly recommended addition to family, elementary school, middle school, and community library Contemporary Social Issues collections.”
― Midwest Book Review
“This gorgeous new release is a testament to how beautiful typography can influence a book’s design. A combination of bright colors, silhouettes, and names decorate the pages inviting the reader to take it all in. The text is magnificent, and I love the design choice of having a wide variety of colors throughout the book. The text meanders around the page, taking the reader on a physical journey on the page and throughout history while speaking directly to them. This book is bold and celebratory. In the back is extensive information about those quoted in the beginning pages. Each name mentioned in the back (after a note from Shani) has a quote from the individual before the biographical information. In short, there is a plethora of historical knowledge in between these bright purple covers. It could be used and studied all year long, and it absolutely should be! Absolutely required reading in middle school classrooms, I can’t wait to return to it again and again.”
― Corrie Locke-Hardy, The Tiny Activist
“A children’s tome filled with Black excellence, celebrating ― and providing the historical context for ― accomplishments of Black musicians, artists, journalists, politicians, scientists, and more. It goes without saying that this book offers something to adults as well as kids.”
― Seija Rankin, Entertainment Weekly
“A highly informative biographical text celebrating a variety of Black trailblazers in fields ranging from sports to music to politics. This showcase of historical and contemporary role models is beautifully designed and accessibly written.”
― Boston Public Library BLACK IS List
