Picture Books

Riding Magic

The empowering story of a little girl overcoming a big fear with the help of her family and a horse named Magic

Dom wishes she were brave enough to ride a horse—if only horses weren’t so huge and intimidating! Momma says it’s normal to have the jitters at first, but Dom isn’t sure she’ll ever feel ready. She spends time with Magic, her favorite horse, and he seems to understand her worries, and even lets her brush him. This gives Dom the boost she needs, and sure enough, when she finally does get in the saddle, she’s thrilled to discover the frightened ba-bum, ba-bum of her heart transforming into a happy beat in rhythm with Magic’s steady clip-clop, clip-clop.

Lyrical text and stunning light-filled paintings beautifully capture the touching bond between Dom and Magic as Dom gains the confidence to ride, reassuring readers that everyone tries new things at their own pace.

Junior Library Guild Gold Selection

Special thank you to equestrian, farmer, author and literacy advocate Caitlin Ann Gooch whose daughter and horse are on the cover and whose family farm in Wendell, NC is pictured in the book. Please check out her inspiring non-profit, Saddle Up and Read. Caitlin has been featured in countless news stories and is known as The Black Cowgirl. Check out her delightful and educational The Black Equestrian Coloring Book here.

Extended Interview: Caitlin Gooch, Saddle Up and Read

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Picture Books

What readers say:

This award-winning book is adorned with rich, lush illustrations that follow a loving family coming together for a reunion. The sense of pride among the family members is almost palpable as they commemorate all that they have accomplished and have to be grateful for. This is a truly beautiful story on many levels.

— LibraryMom
Going Down Home with Daddy
I LOVE this book and so did my students. I read this story for my school’s Black History Month read-a-thon. All the students asked if I could read it again and some of the teachers were emotional towards the end of the story. Beautiful story!

— Zakiah S Baker
Sing a Song: How Lift Every Voice and Sing Inspired Generations
This was a beautiful story about a beautiful person. Very inspirational.

— Andre Vega
Dream Builder: The Story of Architect Philip Freelon
Great book about a little girl spending the day with her grandmother and baking cinnamon bread together. Zoe, the little girl, tells readers that her grandmother’s hands have a lot of stories to tell, and she wonders what stories her own hands will tell. There’s a recipe for cinnamon bread at the end of the book – definitely worth a try if you like cinnamon bread!

— NC Mom
My Hands Tell a Story
I listened to the author read this book aloud and it was such a delightful experience. The writing and illustration are both so lovely and the story comes to a heartwarming conclusion. Five stars!

— L. Kline
Tiara’s Hat Parade
This story takes place in the reconstruction period after slavery had been abolished. Before this time Ellen’s parents were not allowed to marry, and so they like many others participated in ceremony where they jumped over the broom together into marriage. I really enjoyed this book and it would be a perfect pairing for teaching kids about this time period in American history. Even though the illustrations for this book were honored, I think the story itself is wonderful too. I think an appropriate age range for this book would be 5-7 years old.

— Heather Dawson
Ellen’s Broom
I liked how Kelly has given an historical depiction of slavery from a child’s point of view.

— DSmith
Hope’s Gift
The illustrations are vivid and eye-catching and show great details that move the story’s tension forward as well as show off-stage humorous happenings (see prehistoric frog as the story unfolds). The text makes fun read aloud material with repeating text to get listeners involved with the story.

— Danielle
One More Dino on the Floor
Beautifully illustrated with a story to match. The simplicity and power of the prose makes this book a winner for parents and children. My chest swells with pride every time I read it, just like I felt watching the Million Man March! Well done!

— Dawn Blagrove
One Million Men and Me
My 6-year-old daughter who is Asian American read this book and loved it! It reminded her of her grandmother who tells stories of the past and loves to cook for her. I enjoyed how the recipe is a part of the narrative and we, as readers, can relive Grandma Honey’s legacy by baking the teacakes ourselves. Great story to be shared for both children AND adults.

— Young Haas
Tea Cakes for Tosh