It might be the middle of February, but it is never too late to start reading about Black History. My favorite historical stories are about people we do not know a lot about. Or if we do know them, they are not huge.
That is why when I saw Blues Boy: The B. B. King Story by Alice Faye Duncan, and illustrator Carl Joe Williams (available but read via an online reader) I almost did not read it. I mean, BB King is cool, don’t get me wrong, but even my dad knows who he was (my test is if Dad knows, they have to be pretty well known and/or very Pop Culture). Still, that cover was interesting, and Blues Boy was not something I had seen about him before, so why not. And I was glad that I read this interesting look into the poetic side of King’s life. B.B. is short for Blues Boy, he had adventures you would expect for a person of color of the time, and we see how he would take the world by storm. The fantastic illustrations tie it together with almost fantastical images that are neither bold or muted. They feel as if they are of the time that King was making his mark.
And the do not know a person came with I Am the River: Sarah E. Ray and the Bob-Lo Boat by Patricia Lee Gauch, Leah Henderson, and illustrator Kristle Marshall. Also available I read this via an online reader copy. First, I will say that while I enjoyed the book, I did not pick everything up on the first read. I need a second (maybe even a third) as it is not only just about a person, but an event I was not aware of. It is a fantastic story of how the civil rights movement always had ebbs and flows. That many of the people who fought for the rights of not only themselves, but for others as well, were the “little people” who did not always stand out in a crowd, and who were slowly allowed to slip out of acknowledgment. If I have one issue it is that the illustrations, while lovely, were a bit off for my tastes. This could be because I read it online and the final copy will “tone down” pieces, but they are not unlikable, just not my first choice.
And the nice part of both books is that they are not just for Black History month, or for music lovers, or for people who enjoy women’s history. These books are for everyone at any time.
