I just can’t get enough of the NYC Parks and Rec’s free programs lately! This Sunday (tomorrow!) afternoon, meet at the Pelham Bay Nature Center at 1:00pm for a Black History-themed “Poetry Hike.” You will hear readings of great African-American poets as you enjoy the nature of Pelham Bay Park. There will even be an African folktales craft activity for young ones.

And here are two great books to expand on your kids’ interest in Black history and poetry:

Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets by Kwame Alexander, Chris Colderley, Marjory Wentworth, illustrated by Ekua Holmes

What better way to honor poets than through poetry? Kwame Alexander, probably best known for his Crossover series, written in verse, honors his poetic forefathers (and mothers!) with poems about such greats as Maya Angelou and Langston Hughes. Both of these poets are mentioned in the description of tomorrow’s Poetry Hike, so this would be a great book to bring along.

 

 

Young, Gifted and Black: Meet 52 Black Heroes from Past and Present by Jamia Wilson, illustrated by Andrea Pippins

This wonderful collaboration from the author-illustrator team Jamia Wilson and Andrea Pippins features Black heroes from all sectors, from science to the arts, sports to politics (and includes Angelou and Hughes, who will be highlighted in tomorrow’s event).

Wilson and Pippins have worked on several books together (I will DEFinitely be featuring the AOC ABC book soon!) and they make an excellent team.