Little Black Boy: Oh, the Things You Will Do!

by Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Larry C. Fields III Narrated by Larry C. Fields III

Overview

A little Black boy finds the courage to go after his dreams in this empowering and inspirational picture book by actress Kirby Howell-Baptiste (The Sandman) with actor Larry Fields, adapted for audio.

This encouraging and hopeful audiobook celebrates the joy of being a little Black boy and their bright futures.

Fascinated by marine wildlife, a little Black boy dreams of one day swimming in the ocean alongside all the creatures that make it their home. It will take courage to move from the safety of the swimming pool to the vastness of the ocean, but as he begins his journey of discovery, he soon finds there's nothing he can't do. He realizes if he cares about the animals in the ocean, he must also care about their home and sets out to preserve the beaches he loves by picking up trash. This little boy is determined not only to reach his dream of becoming a marine biologist, but to make a difference in the world and to share his passion of environmental conservation with everyone.

Little Black Boy, Oh the things you will do.
Has anyone mentioned the world's open to you?

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Praise for Little Black Boy:

An Amazon Best Book of the Month – November 2022

“Positive, inviting…[with a] powerful message…An encouraging story sure to touch the hearts of all readers, and a rousing story time addition.” —School Library Journal

“The illustrations and palette fit the overall theme of this rousing book. Soft shades of blue, light teal, and pale green effectively convey the overall feeling of being immersed in the landscape of the sea. The encouraging nature of the rhyming text pairs well with the illustrations. An uplifting book about the wonder and joy Black boys can find while pursuing their passions.” —Kirkus

Kirkus Reviews

2022-09-28
A Black boy’s love of all things aquatic leads to an interest in marine biology and the dream of one day helping the underwater world he finds so fascinating.

The boy’s passion for all things water is clear, as the book opens with him studying aquatic life in an aquarium. His love of water gradually morphs from splashing in small kiddie pools to learning to swim and eventually to jumping off the diving board. A Black father figure encourages his exploration of the sea, guiding him as he snorkels and kayaks. The boy’s concern for life under the sea grows as he learns more about the pollution affecting the marine creatures and cleans up litter on beaches. All the while, the unseen narrator encourages the boy and urges him to avoid toxic masculinity (“ ‘Toughen up, you may hear, or ‘Act like a man’… // But there’s no rush to grow up”). He gains much-needed perspective and courage by looking to other trailblazing Black marine biologists. The illustrations and palette fit the overall theme of this rousing book. Soft shades of blue, light teal, and pale green effectively convey the overall feeling of being immersed in the landscape of the sea. The encouraging nature of the rhyming text pairs well with the illustrations. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

An uplifting book about the wonder and joy Black boys can find while pursuing their passions. (Picture book. 5-8)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940175737937
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	11/15/2022
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	Up to 4 Years

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