Fairy Tales with Black Characters
Our family is celebrating National Reading Month by reading fairy tales with Black characters. As an African American mother who experienced racism as a child, I understand the importance of creating an environment that celebrates Black images and voices. The world bombards Black children with negative imagery as it relates to their race. In the environment that I am curating at our home, my children see themselves represented positively in their media. As a child, I loved fairy tales, but I never saw anywhere the characters looked like me. With my children, I have sought to build their libraries to include diverse children’s books. These include everything from the books we read at Christmas time to fairy tales with Black characters. Here are a few of our favorite books:
Harrison Family’s Fairy Tales with Black Characters
The Twelve Dancing Princesses by Rachel Isadora
Reading Age: Five to eight years old
Grade Level: Kindergarten to third grade
This version of the famous Brothers Grimm fairytales takes place in Africa. The imagery in this book is vibrant, but it should be, as the illustrator is a Caldecott Honor winner. The story’s premise is that the king promises a massive reward to any man who can solve the mystery of how his twelve princesses wear out their shoes every night. My children love this book; I hope yours do too.
Mary Had a Little Glam, written by Tammi Sauer and illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
Reading Age: Two to six years old
Grade Level: Preschool to second grade
This book is a fun take on Mother Goose’s Mary has a little lamb. This Mary has GLAM, style, and sass! She helps her classmates go from drab to fab. But Mary’s flair for what to wear eventually causes a problem. So how do she and her classmates solve it?
Not Quite Snow White, authored by Ashley Franklin and illustrated by Ebony Glen
Reading Age: Four to six years old
Grade Level: Preschool to third grade
Little Tameika is a performer! She works up the nerve to audition for the lead princess roles in her school’s upcoming rendition of Snow White. However, she is quickly told by her classmates that she is “not quite right” for the role. So how does Tameika overcome this adversity? You have to read the book to find out. If I am honest, Snow White was one of my least favorite fairy tales until I came across this book.
Beauty and the Beast, written by H. Chuku Lee and illustrated by Pat Cummings
Reading Age: Four to eight years old
Grade Level: Preschool to third grade
Beauty and the Beast was one of my favorite fairy tales as a child. However, only when I purchased this book for my daughter did I see a Beauty that reflected how our family looked. The Dogon tribe of Mali inspires this beautiful story. In so many ways, this book feels like a cultural experience.
The Princess and the Pea by Rachel Isadora
Reading Age: Three to seven years old
Grade level: Preschool to third grade
Let me start by saying that this is one of the most beautiful children’s books I have ever read. The artwork is absolutely amazing! Before purchasing this book, I was unfamiliar with the Princess and the Pea story. Still, this book quickly became a fan favorite in my home. Rachel Isadora is my favorite children’s book author, as almost all of her fairy tales are adapted with an African touch and explore African culture somehow. My kids always read her books over and over.
These are a few of our favorite fairy tales with Black characters. Which of these fairy tales is your favorite? Did I miss any fairy tales with Black characters that should be on this list? Please let me know in the comments.
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