What is Shelf Essentials?
Shelf Essentials highlights favorite picture books from BIPOC creators, presented seasonally by Macmillan Children's Publishing Group.
From tender family stories to important conversation starters: no bookshelf is complete without these essential picture books.
Coming in Fall 2021
Mixed Me!
Taye Diggs and Shane W. Evans, the creative team behind Chocolate Me!, return with an upbeat story about a mixed-race boy in this heartfelt picture book.
Black Magic
A moving celebration of Black identity that encourages self-love with a singular poetic spirit, perfect for fans of Black Is a Rainbow Color and Woke Baby.
R. Gregory Christie has illustrated many picture books, three of which won a Coretta Scott King Honor for Illustrator: The Palm of My Heart: Poetry by African American Children; Only Passing Through: The Story of Sojourner Truth; and Yesterday I Had the Blues. He lives in Brooklyn, New York. www.gas-art.com
Draw the Line
Draw the Line is a powerful picture book about forgiveness from Kathryn Otoshi, author of the bestselling book One.
Rosa
Fifty years after her refusal to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama, city bus, Mrs. Rosa Parks is still one of the most important figures in the American civil rights movement. This tribute to Mrs. Parks is a celebration of her courageous action and the events that followed.
The Twins' Blanket
These look-alike twins have always shared everything—their room, their toys, a crib, and, since the day they were born, a blanket. But as they grow into new beds, they need new blankets, too. Now they face a new dilemma: they don't know how not to share.
