It’s black history month, and today I wanted to share two board books we received recently that I think are perfect to introduce some important historical figures of the civil rights movement to little minds. Did you know Rosa Parks was born today in 1913?
The Story of Rosa Parks begins by introducing her childhood and some of the personal struggles she experienced growing up, like having to quit school before she graduated. Then it tells the story of the day she refused to give up her seat to a white person on a crowded bus, which spurred the Montgomery bus protest. The book uses simple language to tell the story, but I find that even with a very simple book, asking the right  questions helps us discuss and understand the book. “Was it fair that people had to give up their seat because of their skin color?” “Do you think she felt scared when she decided not to get up?” “Think about how the people who stopped taking the bus had to walk everywhere! I bet they got tired like you were tired on our walk today. Sometime doing the right thing is hard!”
The Story of Martin Luther King Jr. similarly tells the story of his childhood first, showing the reader a glimpse at the inequality he faced growing up: schools that needed fixing, segregated restaurants and waterfountains. We learn that when Martin grew up he became a pastor who had a dream for his children and for our country.
No, these books don’t cover the depth and details we will inevitably share with our daughters about the civil rights movement or our country’s history of racism, but I liked that they were an age-appropriate introduction. Bonnie, even at three, has questions about our differences, and I want to start now having discussions about equality, love, and bravery.
These books were provided for review from Worthy Publishing’s First Look blog tour. You can pick up your copy on Amazon here!
