A young cartoonized Mae Jemison is illustrated wearing a space helmet and suit, surrounded by stars against a purple and blue background.

#27 Mae Among the Stars by Roda Ahmed & Stasia Burrington

The silhouette of a Black boy is in yellow against a backdrop of maroon. Guitar strings stretch from his head down his chest. A plant grows upwards from the guitar center.

#26 Garvey in the Dark by Nikki Grimes

I'm so tired. I keep helping and supporting and accommodating and ....Idk if I have anymore of myself to give right now, emotionally 🫤 I'm so worn down

Shuri, princess of Wakanda, charges into action. Her right hand is outstretched with her index and middle fingers and thin extended out tossing out a Kimoyo bead against a drone.

#25 Shuri Takes Control by Terrance Crawford with illustrations by Dave Bardin

A Black boy smiles as a moon shines behind him.

#24 Glow by Ruth Forman

A young Black girl is seen in side profile. Her eyes are closed and she's smiling. She has colorful clips in her hair and a dark starry background is behind her.

#23 Magic Like That by Samara Cole Doyon & Geneva Bowers

A Black mother with her eyes closed is shown in profile next to her child who is also in side profile. The child wears a light-colored headband of leaves

#22 Brown Sugar Babe by Charlotte Watson Sherman & Akem

A young Black girl swims underwater with a light brown seal, her arms outstretched. She wears a crown of shells on her head and a green and yellow mermaid tail. A pair of orange goggles hangs around her neck.

#21 Mermaid Kenzie: Protector of the Deep by Charlotte Watson Sherman & Geneva Bowers

A young Black girl dressed in pink cowboy boots, green pants, a blue shirt, and brown cowboy vest, holds a red pennant and smiles.

#20 Spirit Week Showdown (The Magnificent Mya Tibbs #1) by Crystal Allen

Tybre Faw stands with a sign thanking John Lewis in front of the Edmund Pettus Bridge, while John Lewis is shown above and behind the entire scene.

#19 Because of You, John Lewis by Andrea Davis Pinkney & Keith Henry Brown

Charles Albert Tindley is dressed in religious attire as he sings with his eyes closed and his arms uplifted.

#18 By and By: Charles Albert Tindley, the Father of Gospel Music by Carole Boston Weatherford & Bryan Collier

The titular character, Fred, smirks and looks to his left with his left eyebrow raised. He wears a purple shirt.

#17 Knucklehead Fred by Arias Williams & Bolaji Olaloye

I'll keep adding to this thread as I read more throughout the year #BookSky #BookRecs #PictureBooks #2026Reading #LibrarianRecommended

Black faded text reads "Between the World and Me" in all caps, on a light cream colored background.

#16 Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

An elderly Black woman and a young Black boy walk together, facing away from a small town with wooden houses and onlookers. A shining duck spreads its wings ahead of their path at the bottom center of the book cover.

#15 Carrimebac, The Town That Walked by David Barclay Moore & John Holyfield

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Is shown marching with several men following behind and beside him, on a Step 3 easy-reader book cover

#14 Dream March: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the March on Washington by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson & Sally Wednesday Comport

A man's silhouette faces right as images of Black people, a ship, Freedom signs, and American iconography are visible within the silhouette.

#13 How Sweet the Sound: The Story of Amazing Grace by Carole Boston Weatherford & Frank Morrison

Historical Black figures of many backgrounds, time periods, and industries stand proudly amongst each other.

#12 The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander & Kadir Nelson

Bass Reeves, a Black lawman, faces the reader while wearing a black hat and vintage lawman outfit.

#11 Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy US Marshal by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson & R. Gregory Christie

Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson smiles while wearing a blue outfit, white pearls, and glasses. The Supreme Court is illustrated behind her.

#10 Justice Ketanji: The Story of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson by Denise Lewis Patrick & Brown Jackson.

A Black child stands in the rain and steps in puddles while wearing a yellow hooded raincoat and red rain boots. Their hands are in their coat pockets.

#9 Water, Water by Eloise Greenfield & Jan Spivey Gilchrist

A Black girl looks up at a butterfly perched up on a branch. Her arms are folded and she wears a pair of blue glasses. Her hair is tied up in 3 sections.

#8 Becoming Vanessa by Vanessa Brantley-Newton

A book with an easy reader level 2 banner. The cover features a Black boy in a yellow shirt that has a red tornado on it. He is running and smiling while looking towards the reader.

#7 Ready? Set. Raymond! by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson & Derek Anderson

A Black woman leans back against a green kitchen counter, holding a pea between her left forefinger and thumb. She wears an orange dress and has her hair tied up with an orange bow. Her right hand is atop the counter.

#6 Princess and the Peas by Rachel Himes

Imani, a Black child with short hair, wears an orange garment and reaches up to the sky while smiling. Imani's hands are outstretched over a full moon backdrop. A snake peeks from the top left corner. An owl flies in from the top right corner. A chimpanzee hangs, smiling and looking at Imani.

#5 Imani's Moon by JaNay Brown-Wood & Hazel Mitchell

A small Black child wearing a yellow head and looks up at their grandma, who is wearing a pink outfit with matching pink earrings and pink headband. They both look out of the window of a blue house. A yellow cat and brown dog are also peeking out.

#4 Grandma's Tiny House by JaNay Brown-Wood & Priscilla Burris

A family of 7 and their orange and white dog are gathered around a sleeping baby, who is tucked in with a purple blanket, laying on a purple pillow and holding a yellow plush bunny.

#3 Shhhh! The Baby's Asleep by JaNay Brown-Wood & Elissambura

A young Black cowgirl kneels while holding a brown horse's reins. She is posed in front of her daddy, who wears a colorful jacket, yellow beanie, and glasses as he rides atop a black horse.

#2 My Daddy is a Cowboy by Stephanie Seales and C. G. Esperanza

Going Down Home with Daddy book cover which is orange at the bottom and yellow at the top. It features 4 Black children standing and interacting together.

#1 Going Down Home with Daddy by Kelly Starling Lyons and Daniel Minter