A Child's Introduction to African American History: The Experiences, People, and Events That Shaped Our Country

by Jabari Asim, Lynn Gaines (Illustrator)

Overview

A comprehensive, entertaining look at heroes, heroines, and critical moments from African American history — from the slave trade to the Black Lives Matter movement — by award-winning author Jabari Asim.

Jabari Asim goes beyond what's taught in the classroom to reveal a fact-filled history of African American history through politics, activism, sports, entertainment, music, and much more. You'll follow the road to freedom beginning with the slave trade and the middle passage through the abolitionist movement and the Civil War where many African Americans fought as soldiers. You'll learn how slave songs often contained hidden messages and how a 15-year-old Jamaican-born young man named Clive Campbell helped to create hip-hop in the early 1970's.

You'll experience the passionate speeches, marches, and movements of the Civil Rights era along with and the sacrifices of Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Medgar Evers, and many others. Along the way there are dozens of profiles of political trailblazers like Shirley Chisholm, the first black women elected to Congress in 1968; dominants athletes like Tiger Woods who, in 1995, was only the second African American to play in a Master's Golf Tournament which he went on to win in 1997; popular musicians like Miles Davis, one the most influential artists of the twentieth century; and inspiring writers like Toni Morrison, the first African American to win the Nobel Prize in literature.

Filled with beautiful illustrations by Lynn Gaines that bring these figures and events to life, plus a removable historical timeline poster, A Child's Introduction to African American History is a fascinating and comprehensive guide to this often overlooked yet immensely important part of American history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316436427
Publisher:	Running Press Book Publishers
Publication date:	01/02/2018
Series:	A Child's Introduction Series
Pages:	96
Sales rank:	508,006
Product dimensions:	9.90(w) x 9.60(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Jabari Asim is an associate professor of writing at Emerson College and a recipient of the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship. He has written for the Washington Post and is the editor of the NCAAP magazine, The Crisis. He's also the author of children's books, including Fifty Cents and a Dream, Girl of Mine, and Boy of Mine. He lives in Boston, with his wife and five children.

Lynn Gaines is a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Art and has been illustrating greeting cards for more than twenty years. She lives in Northeast Ohio with her husband, mother, and two crazy cats. A Child's Introduction to African American History is her first picture book.

Editorial Reviews

12/11/2017
Asim (Preaching to the Chickens) thoroughly explores influential events, political and social movements, and individuals in African-American history, beginning with the ugly legacy of slavery: “African Americans are the only ethnic group whose ancestors were brought to this country against their will.” Moving forward in time, Asim discusses topics that include abolitionism, the Harlem Renaissance, and the civil rights movement; highlights African-American activists, artists, and athletes; and contextualizes events such as the airing of the 1977 miniseries Roots and the Los Angeles riots. A closing section carries readers into the 21st century with Hurricane Katrina, the election of Barack Obama to the presidency, and Black Lives Matter. Newcomer Gaines’s portraits are often stiff and awkward, but Asim’s thoughtful, wide-ranging commentary makes this a useful and accessible resource. Ages 8–12. Author’s agent: Joy Harris, Joy Harris Agency. Illustrator’s agent: Lori Nowicki, Painted Words. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

01/01/2018
Gr 3 Up—An amazing amount of information is packed into this compendium of African American history. In addition to the larger chronological narrative, the book also features short biographies of famous leaders, artists, and athletes. Key issues, events, and concepts are explored succinctly. Asim explains in a straightforward manner what lynching is and covers other injustices imposed upon Black Americans, including the destruction of towns and wrongfully conducted medical experiments. Each topic is set off by a bold title with plenty of white space and an abundance of decorative borders and colorful illustrations to keep the information from becoming too overwhelming. It's the kind of book that can be browsed at random or read straight through. The work includes a comprehensive index and a pull-out time line. VERDICT A comprehensive introduction to African American history and a solid purchase for nonfiction collections.—Maggie Chase, Boise State University, ID

School Library Journal

Asim’s fact-filled account begins with a question in Dion Graham’s smooth tones: What is African-American history? Listeners are then presented with a history that starts with the slave trade and encompasses the Middle Passage, the Civil War, and the Civil Rights era on its way to the election of Barack Obama and the Black Lives Matter movement. Included is information about the places, voyages, entertainment, sports, and politics of the times. Graham’s rich voice draws listeners into his recounting, while managing to seamlessly integrate the book’s many separate “Get to Know” profiles of individual trailblazers, athletes, and entertainers. A marriage of quality writing and narration makes this an audiobook that should find a wide audience. E.J.F. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine

FEBRUARY 2018 - AudioFile

Asim’s fact-filled account begins with a question in Dion Graham’s smooth tones: What is African-American history? Listeners are then presented with a history that starts with the slave trade and encompasses the Middle Passage, the Civil War, and the Civil Rights era on its way to the election of Barack Obama and the Black Lives Matter movement. Included is information about the places, voyages, entertainment, sports, and politics of the times. Graham’s rich voice draws listeners into his recounting, while managing to seamlessly integrate the book’s many separate “Get to Know” profiles of individual trailblazers, athletes, and entertainers. A marriage of quality writing and narration makes this an audiobook that should find a wide audience. E.J.F. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine

FEBRUARY 2018 - AudioFile