February is Black History Month! These seven picture-book biographies, recommended for primary and/or intermediate readers, highlight accomplished Black figures in a variety of fields. For more, see the Black History Month tag on hbook.com, and the African Americans tag in the Guide/Reviews Database.

The Purple One: A Story of Prince
by Matthew Burgess; illus. by Sirin Thada
Primary    Enchanted Lion    64 pp.
11/24    9781592704224    $19.95

This tribute to the life and artistry of the iconic musician offers readers a chance to delve into Prince’s (1958–2016) evolution from music-loving child to determined young adult set on conquering the industry. Born Prince Rogers Nelson and named for his father’s jazz band, he was drawn to music from the start: “Music called out to Prince and he wanted to learn how to make it.” A lyrical and accessible text illuminates Prince’s artistry, highlighting the obstacles he overcame (such as the ridicule he faced for his height and the emotional toll of his parents’ divorce) and painting a compelling picture of his resilience — culminating in the iconic release of the movie and soundtrack for Purple Rain and ending with his 2007 Super Bowl performance. Thada’s illustrations enrich the narrative with vibrant, textured images that seem to dance alongside the words. Her use of bold purples, blues, and gold, combined with “colored pencil and aqueous media,” brings Prince’s electrifying stage presence and his more introspective moments to life. One spread shows Prince mid-leap, diving off the stage into the audience, conveying the energy and intimacy of his live performances. Thada also includes visual nods to Prince’s memorable outfits that longtime fans will appreciate. ANNISHA JEFFRIES

Go, Wilma, Go!: Wilma Rudolph, from Athlete to Activist
by Amira Rose Davis and Michael G. Long; illus. by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow
Primary    Bloomsbury    40 pp.
7/24    9781547612093    $18.99
e-book ed.  9781547612109    $13.29

This inspiring biography of Rudolph (1940–1994), the three-time Olympic gold medalist in track, centers on her work as a civil rights activist. After her Olympic success, she traveled throughout Europe and discovered life was different: “In America, they push me around because I’m a Negro. Here in Europe, they pushed me to the front.” In Athens at the beaches, all races could swim together; in London any person could sit anywhere on a bus; in Berlin everyone ate together in restaurants. But back home, the community pool did not allow Black people to swim in it; restaurants would not serve Black people; and Black people could only ride in the back of city buses. When the leaders of Rudolph’s hometown of Clarksville, Mississippi, planned a celebration honoring her, she refused to attend until Black people could participate in the activities. Facing objections, she persisted and, at least for that day, Clarksville desegregated to honor its hometown celebrity. Davis and Long’s inviting text realistically portrays the subject’s athletic prowess and her determined commitment to racial equality. Barlow’s inventive collages of hand-painted cut paper and various mixed media are well matched to the narrative and wonderfully capture Rudolph’s essence. Back matter includes an author’s note that provides more information about Rudolph’s advocacy and how her early life was shaped by segregation. PAULETTA BROWN BRACY

A Song for August: The Inspiring Life of Playwright August Wilson
by Sally Denmead; illus. by Alleanna Harris
Primary, Intermediate    Levine/Levine Querido    40 pp.
6/24    9781646144396    $18.99

August Wilson (1945–2005), the renowned African American playwright, was born with “a song inside him.” He liked words and the way they had their own kind of music. Although learning was easy, attending school, where “nobody looked like him,” was difficult. He was targeted by bullies, and when a teacher questioned whether an assigned paper was really his own work (because it was “so good”), he walked out, never to return. At the public library, he voraciously read history, science, poetry, novels, and Greek philosophy. “And he found shelves of books written by Black authors. He read them all.” At the same time, he was learning from music and became captivated by blues singer Bessie Smith. “August had never heard the blues before, but it sounded like…well, it sounded like food he didn’t know he was hungry for.” When he began writing, he collected stories from enslavement and everyday situations in the lives of Black people and shaped them into plays. He “wrote those people alive,” affirming the theme that “everybody carries a song inside them.” Harris’s emotionally resonant illustrations (sketches composed with digital ink pens and finished using digital gouache brushes) support Denmead’s lyrical narrative and inspirational tone. An annotated bibliography of Wilson’s Century Cycle of plays and an extensive author’s note are appended. PAULETTA BROWN BRACY

Ode to Grapefruit: How James Earl Jones Found His Voice
by Kari Lavelle; illus. by Bryan Collier
Primary, Intermediate    Knopf    48 pp.
7/24    9780593372760    $19.99
Library ed.  9780593372777    $22.99
e-book ed.  9780593372784    $10.99

School is a challenge for young James Earl Jones (b. 1931) due to his stutter. Hoping his teacher will not call upon him, the future celebrated African American actor remembers the last time he tried to read aloud: “Face burning. / Heart racing. / Kids laughing. / Mouth trying. / Voice blocking.” As Jones grows older and his stuttering continues, he reasons that if he did not talk, he would not stutter. Instead, he listens. He listens to the news, his aunt’s and uncle’s music, and his mama’s stories; at school, he listens, and he learns. In high school, an influential teacher introduces him to poetry. Captivated by its rhythms, James finds his voice, reciting and eventually writing his own verses, including “Ode to Grapefruit.” His teacher encourages him to read it aloud, and, confronting his fears, he performs his poem in a “voice deep and smooth.” Subsequently, Jones’s distinctive voice leads to a successful career on stage and screen. Lavelle, a speech pathologist, sensitively captures the anxiety that may accompany the disorder and insightfully conveys the power of poetry. Collier’s expressive art, rendered in collage and watercolor, compellingly portrays the subject’s struggles and triumphs. Back matter includes information about stuttering, author and illustrator notes, and selected resources. PAULETTA BROWN BRACY

What I Must Tell the World: How Lorraine Hansberry Found Her Voice
by Jay Leslie; illus. by Loveis Wise
Primary    Hillman Grad/Zando    48 pp.
10/24    9781638930693    $19.99

“Our stories can change the world.” Carl Hansberry’s words and courageous example were an inspiration to his daughter Lorraine (1930–1965). From a young age, Lorraine knew she wanted to share the stories that seemed to swirl around her in her Chicago neighborhood of Bronzeville. Soon, she would come to understand racism in a very real way as her parents purchased a home in an all-white neighborhood, fighting all the way to the Supreme Court for their right to live there. Lorraine understood that she contained a multitude of stories and sought various avenues to share them, eventually settling on playwriting. With contemporaries such as James Baldwin and Langston Hughes, Hansberry rose to prominence as the first Black woman to open a play on Broadway: A Raisin in the Sun. This picture-book biography is a forthright and well-researched telling of Hansberry’s life story (though without source notes and likely with invented dialogue), including her queer identity as a lesbian. The illustrations are a rich, vibrant testimony to a trailblazing writer and activist. Boldly colored spreads highlight Hansberry and the people and relationships in her life and draw viewers into the scenes. Readers will find here a seminal message from the writer’s experience: embrace who you are and live your truth; your story matters. MONIQUE HARRIS

A Voice of Hope: The Myrlie Evers-Williams Story
by Nadia Salomon; illus. by London Ladd
Primary    Philomel    40 pp.
9/24    9780593525913    $18.99
e-book ed.  9780593525920    $11.99

This picture-book biography begins with Evers-Williams (b. 1933), the first woman to chair the NAACP full time, speaking at President Barack Obama’s second inauguration in 2013. “Her voice — strong yet gentle. Soft — but powerful.” But in flashbacks, readers learn that she didn’t always feel comfortable speaking up. Evers-Williams was born and raised in Vicksburg, Mississippi, when “whites only” signs proliferated and “hate ran as deep as the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers.” Salomon’s lyrical prose makes some of the hard parts of Evers-Williams’s story easier to digest, such as when the future civil rights activist realizes that her dreams of becoming a concert pianist are unlikely to come true due to discrimination. Salomon shows restraint while discussing the assassination of Evers-Williams’s husband, civil rights icon Medgar Evers, but still effectively conveys the racism she lived with daily, in spare, straightforward language. Ladd’s illustrations, created with acrylic paint, cut paper, tissue paper, and colored pencils, capture the despair and determination of Evers-Williams in confronting racist bullies as a child and in the aftermath of her husband’s murder. Following his death, Evers-Williams finds her voice in working to bring his killer to justice and in continuing to fight for civil rights. Appended with an author’s note and a timeline. MARVA ANNE HINTON

Make a Pretty Sound: A Story of Ella Jenkins — the First Lady of Children’s Music
by Tracy N. Todd; illus. by Eleanor Davis
Primary    Chronicle    48 pp.
1/25    9781452170640    $19.99

Ella Jenkins (1924–2024) longed to make music from the time she was a little girl growing up in the segregated Bronzeville community of Chicago. “Ella is a South Side girl, a Bronzeville bird, skipping in streets that smell of sweets and black-eyed peas.” In this engaging picture-book biography, Todd writes lyrically about the girl who would become a celebrated musician and release more than sixty albums for children. Ella was surrounded by music and rhythm throughout her childhood, whether it was the choirs she heard at local churches, “recess rhymes,” or her uncle Flood’s “silver slip” (harmonica). She was also introduced to world music through record stores and saw artists such as Cab Calloway and Louis Armstrong perform. After high school, she moved to San Francisco, where she lived in an integrated community for the first time and was exposed to new forms of music. She went to college, became a teacher, and learned to play the conga drums. Upon returning to Chicago, she participated in civil rights protests and continued to teach before becoming a full-time musician. Davis’s digital illustrations, with lots of rich, saturated colors, are detailed and energetic. Double-page spreads on black backgrounds with pops of yellow musical notes and stylized stars showcase musicians and dancers, capturing the excitement and joy of live performances. Gatefolds at the back of the book contain an author’s note and additional information about Jenkins. Front and back endpapers feature a timeline of her life. A selected bibliography is appended. MARVA ANNE HINTON

From the January 2025 issue of Notes from the Horn Book.