Snowflake Kisses and Gingerbread Smiles, by Toni Trent Parker

Immediately upon finding this gem at the public library my son proclaimed this "the REAL Christmas book!"  It's very short, 7 pages of text and 7 accompanying pictures of black children posed in festive outfits with presents or toys, but wonderfully representative and a quick, fun read.

The author, Toni Trent Parker, was apparently a big advocate of black children's literature.  We'll definitely be requesting other books she has authored, which seem to focus on holidays, such as Easter and Halloween.

BUY HERE 

(copyright is 2002, and only used copies are available, but the book isn't at all out of date)

Black Santa

Macy's is the only location in New York that I've been consistently been able to locate a black Santa.  Based on our experiences (and what we've been told by the elves) he is there all of the time - just request "Mr. Claus" when you get to the front of the line.  You may have a short wait as he gets ready (unlike the other Santas, he doesn't see a steady stream of children).  To explain the wait, the elves told us that he had just spilled some milk and they were cleaning it up, which delighted our son.  As an added bonus, based on our experience there is only one black Santa so we've managed to see the same exact Santa for the past three years (and have the same Santa in our photos).  He's amazing with our son and ridiculously conversant in children's toys. 

MAKE A RESERVATION FOR MACY'S SANTALAND HERE

Corduroy / A Christmas Wish for Corduroy, both by Don Freeman

My son is Christmas-obsessed (I mean, the whole family is really) - and last year around Christmas time I was really struggling to find holiday books that he enjoyed that also featured children of color.  We've always loved Corduroy, a children's classic about a stuffed bear who's dreams of a family come true when he is taken home by a black girl named Lisa.  So I was thrilled to stumble onto A Christmas Wish for Corduroy in the library last week - the book mostly focuses on Corduroy's search for clothes (he ultimately finds his famous green corduroys in Santa's workshop), but at the end of the story Lisa and her mother first encounter him on the shelf - this establishing this book as a prequel to Corduroy.  Both books together would make a lovely gift! 

BUY CORDUROY HERE

BUY A CHRISTMAS WISH FOR CORDUROY HERE

Stay With Me, by Ayobami Adebayo

I'm straying from my mission and recommending this engrossing, surprising novel by Ayobami Adebayo (between her and Chimanmanda Ngozi Adichie, Nigerian authors are killing it lately).  Stay With Me traces a relationship through marriage, infertility, adultery, polygamy, and death from both a husband and wife's point of view.  I read the entire book in one day (and ended the book in tears) and I'd recommend Stay With Me for your bookshelf - I checked mine out of the local library but just put it on my Christmas list.

BUY HERE

Grandma's Tiny House, by JaNay Brown-Wood

We grabbed Grandma's Tiny House recently at the library and it became an instant hit.  At 4, my son is a bit on the older side for this counting book - but both of us enjoy the pleasing rhymes and he in particular loves that a child comes up with the solution to move the too-large party outside.  I also think he secretly wants to attend Grandma's party - eating sweet potato pie and playing games in the backyard with piles of cousins.

BUY HERE

Dr. Suess - Podcast Recommendation

I've struggled with the Dr. Suess question - as a child he was one of my favorite authors and many of his books offer wonderful lessons (in particular, The Sneetches and, a personal favorite, The Lorax).  If you're unaware of the controversy - just do a google image search for "Dr. Seuss racist cartoons" and the dilemma is self-evident.  Am I comfortable with my son learning about these cartoons and knowing that I read him books by the same author?  I don't know.  Currently, the only two books we own are The Sneetches and How The Grinch Stole Christmas! - both presents, but both presents which I knowingly accepted.

I recently listened to an episode of The Gist podcast discussing this very point, which I found helpful - though it didn't entirely clear up the issue for me I'm sticking with my some selected Dr. Suess stories stance.  Listen here.