Little Black Girl: Oh, the Things You Can Do!

by Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Paul Davey (Illustrator), Kirby Howell-Baptiste (Read by)

Overview

An empowering and joyous picture book by actress Kirby Howell-Baptiste (The Sandman) that instills confidence and encourages little Black girls to reach for their wildest dreams.

Illustrated by the talented Paul Davey, this inspiring picture book celebrates all little Black girls, the power of community, and the joy and hope of being a child.

In beautiful, lyrical text actress Kirby Howell-Baptiste tells the story of one Black girl and her limitless potential as she pursues her dream of robotics. Determined to have her robot ready for the school fair, getting everything done in time won’t be easy, but this little Black girl knows she is destined to shine and is not going to let anything hold her back from achieving her dream. With bright, bold plans in mind she begins to sketch and build her robot. The joy she has pursuing her passion is infectious and she has a community of strong women around her, encouraging and supporting her as she lives out her dream.

You have sparks in your brain and fire in your heart.
You can decide where to stop and where to start.
You were born unique. None of us are the same.
Your only job: Make them remember your name.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593406243
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	11/15/2022
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
Lexile:	AD680L (what's this?)
File size:	18 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Kirby Howell-Baptiste is an actress from London who is best known for her memorable roles in Killing Eve, The Good Place, Barry, Why Women Kill, and Veronica Mars. In 2021, Howell-Baptiste can be seen starring in several exciting film projects including Disney's Cruella and STX Films' Queenpins. Kirby is also a well-established voice actor known for Infinity Train, Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous, Tig and Seek, and the upcoming DC animated feature Catwoman.

Paul Davey is a Jamaican illustrator and digital artist based in London. Little Black Girl and Little Black Boy will be his debut picture books.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Little Black Girl:

★ “This poetic story is a love letter to every little Black girl who has ever felt left out from the world around her. Throughout the book, readers are reminded of  just how unique and important they are,  even if they are not always able to recognize that truth themselves. . . Digitally rendered illustrations are filled with intricate color and shading, and readers will be inspired to discuss the images as the story progresses. VERDICT This uplifting, approachable book offers unlimited encouragement to children of all ages to believe in themselves and relentlessly chase their beautiful dreams.” —School Library Journal, starred review

“Inspirational. . . [with] a dreamlike quality to the art . . . A stirring story about a Black girl learning to celebrate her own uniqueness.” —Kirkus

From the Publisher

★ 08/01/2022

PreS-Gr 2—Addressing readers as "you," as well as the "Little Black Girl" in the illustrations, there is no limit to the greatness this or any child may accomplish in her life. One young girl dreams of being an engineer, but the road to achieve her goal is fraught with challenges. Not only must she overcome her internal self-talk when things do not go the way she expects, but she must also stand strong in the face of outward adversity. Thanks to the intentional efforts of those who have come before her, the girl becomes stronger every day and never gives up as she works diligently to achieve her dream. This poetic story is a love letter to every little Black girl who has ever felt left out from the world around her. Throughout the book, readers are reminded of just how unique and important they are, even if they are not always able to recognize that truth themselves. Written in rhyming couplets, the singsong meter is mostly well-balanced and is pleasing to the ear. Though the text and the illustrations are not explicitly linked, one can think of the narrative as flowing in and around the main character in support of her mission as she faces obstacles and overcomes them. Digitally rendered illustrations are filled with intricate color and shading, and readers will be inspired to discuss the images as the story progresses. VERDICT This uplifting, approachable book offers unlimited encouragement to children of all ages to believe in themselves and relentlessly chase their beautiful dreams.—Mary R. Lanni

School Library Journal

2022-09-28
A Black girl draws on the wisdom of her family to create a road map to her own destiny.

The illustrations of this book in verse follow the girl as she attempts to create a science project for an upcoming fair. As the girl goes through the many phases of creation, beginning with a drawing of her invention and ending with an actual prototype (a wheeled robotic vehicle with arms), an unseen narrator shepherds her through the process, reminding her of her greatness (“You have sparks in your brain and fire in your heart. / You can decide where to stop and where to start”) and urging her not to listen to the harmful words of others (“ ‘Boo!’ they may say / but don’t let the naysayers get in the way”). The girl feels frustrated as she encounters roadblocks, but supportive Black women in her family reassure her; one moving scene depicts the girl and an adult in a museum looking at images of Black women such as Audre Lorde and Toni Morrison. This inspirational story misses the mark somewhat with its rhyming structure, as the word choices feel clunky in places. However, the painterly illustrations make up for it, with full-page spreads juxtaposed with vignettes. There is a dreamlike quality to the art, with the main character being a clearly defined focal point and the secondary characters fading into the background on some pages. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A stirring story about a Black girl learning to celebrate her own uniqueness. (Picture book. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews