M is For Melanin – Book Recs

Hey y’all! Welcome to my stop of the Hear Our Voices Book Tour for M is For Melanin. Oo, this story is just so cute. I wish it had been around when I was a little kid because I just know I would’ve wanted to read it every single night. I’m thinking about getting a copy for my cousins, the youngest is 7 so I think she might still fall under the age range for it.

Today I’ll be recommending some books based on M is for Melanin. I don’t think I’ve mentioned it here before, but I was in the Early Childhood program in high school so I’m actually a certified Preschool teacher. My favorite moments during those classes were always circle time because I loved reading to the kids.

Here are some books I would add to my list if I ever decide to teach Preschool again. These are all books I read through Netgalley so if you haven’t checked out their children’s book ARCs, you totally should!

Being You by Alexs Pate

Award-winning author and professor Alexs Pate delivers a message of hope and self-discovery in a time of uncertainty in our world. BEING YOU is a beautiful picture book celebrating every readers’ individuality and talents. With an authentic voice, BEING YOU’s poetic message of love and optimism for the future speaks directly to today’s children. BEING YOU helps us to see the wonder and light within each of us.

This is such a cute story and I’m pretty sure the author is Haitian so… yeah, go pick it up for your kids, cousins, or neighbors.

My Heart Fills With Happiness by Monique Gray Smith

The sun on your face. The smell of warm bannock baking in the oven. Holding the hand of someone you love. What fills your heart with happiness? This beautiful board book, with illustrations from celebrated artist Julie Flett, serves as a reminder for little ones and adults alike to reflect on and cherish the moments in life that bring us joy. International speaker and award-winning author Monique Gray Smith wrote “My Heart Fills with Happiness” to support the wellness of Indigenous children and families, and to encourage young children to reflect on what makes them happy.

Another really cute story, just absolutely adorable.

Ira Crumb Makes a Pretty Good Friend by Naseem Hrab

Meet Ira Crumb. He’s the new kid in town. He knows what that means: when the new school year starts, he’ll play alone at recess, eat alone at lunch, and walk home alone at the end of the day. So Ira launches a whole-hearted campaign to befriend neighborhood kids before the first day. But his best-laid plans — A sandwich stand! A dance-off! — fall flat, and playing it cool doesn’t seem to work either. Just as Ira decides school will be HORRIBLE, a comical misunderstanding connects him with Malcolm, who was the new kid last year and totally gets it — and who, it turns out, will make a pretty good friend.

Full of comedic touches, comics-style storytelling, and a diverse cast of quirky characters, this hilarious debut picture book puts an endearing spin on the anxiety that accompanies change and making friends.

I really like the Ira Crumb books. I’m pretty sure it’s an ongoing series and it’s absolutely perfect for kids. Ira Crumb teaches kids about friends, feelings, and other essentials.

Watermelon Madness by Taghreed Najjar

Noura is crazy about watermelon. She wants to eat nothing else, every day, at every meal. In fact, Noura thinks there is no such thing as too much watermelon. Until one night, when the watermelon she has hidden in her room to eat all by herself begins to grow and Noura gets taken on a wild watermelon adventure! A story that can be the springboard for a discussion on favorite foods, eating a balanced diet, sharing with others and trying new foods.

Again, adorable. This is such a funny one.

My Nana and Me by Irene Smalls

A joyful story celebrating the love between a granddaughter and her grandmother.

This delightful picture books follows a young girl and her grandmother through a day of tea parties, dancing, hide and seek, pat-a-cake, bath time, story time, and bedtime. At the end of the story the little girl discovers why she is so extra special. Irene Smalls’ rhythmic, upbeat text and Cathy Ann Johnson’s lush artwork make My Nana and Me the perfect book to share. My Nana and Me is a great opportunity for fabulous hat dress up tea parties, etiquette lessons and a bedtime read aloud.

My Nana and Me is also the perfect book for a child’s birthday, Christmas, Kwanzaa, a Grandmother’s birthday, family reunions, family celebrations, Mother’s Day, Grandparents day and bedtime any day of the year. My Nana and Me is ideal for classrooms and parents too

Ugh, so darn cute. That’s all I’m saying today. All of these are so cute!

Tiffany Rose is a left handed illustrator and author. She is currently living and working in Paris, France. She’s a lover of coffee, massive curly afros, world travel, and little brown children being their quirky free selves.

She is a full time teacher, creator, and world traveler.

Rose saw a need for children of color, to be represented in children’s literature and illustration. She remembers what it was like as a brown child not seeing herself represented in the books and characters she loved so dearly. Rose recently illustrated a 12 month calendar titled In MyMelanin, which features the joy and beauty of black children. Her Imaginarium 2019 calendar will be out December 2018. Rose creates art so that the 14.2% of underrepresented children can see themselves reflected. ​Pencil in hand, she’s changing that percentage one illustration at a time. Rose’s debut picture book ‘M is for Melanin’ will be published in Fall 2019.

M Is for Melanin by Tiffany Rose

Publisher: Little Bee Books
Release Date: October 1st 2019
Genre: Children’s Picture Book

Add to Goodreads| Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Book Depository

M Is for Melanin is an empowering alphabet book that teaches kids their ABCs and celebrates Black children!

M is for Melanin
shining in every inch of your skin.
Every shade, every hue.
All beautiful and unique.

Each letter of the alphabet contains affirming, Black-positive messages, from A is for Afro, to F is for Fresh, to W is for Worthy. This book teaches children their ABCs while encouraging them to love the skin that they’re in.

Be bold. Be fearless. BE YOU.

Affiliate Disclaimer: This post does include affiliate links to Bookshop. It doesn’t change the price or anything but if you’d like to support my page, you can use those links to purchase any of these books and I’ll get a small percentage (which I’ll use to buy more books).

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