A Critical Lens: Choosing Nonfiction Books for Children

As a longtime teacher and now, librarian, I have spent hours and hours poring over books online or flipping pages at bookstores in an attempt to find engaging nonfiction books for learners. Most of us can admit that the books and films we were exposed to growing up did not paint Africa and Africans in a positive light. In fact, finding books written by African authors was an unheard of, unthought of possibility. 

The lack of representation then is not the case now. There are more than enough African authors in the diaspora who are published by notable publishing houses – in Africa and abroad – that we, as parents, teachers, and librarians – can give children the gift of seeing themselves represented in the books that they read. 

Representation matters, but the quality and authenticity of that representation matters more. More African authors should write children’s books about African histories and cultures because they have a stake in it. African children should get to read nonfiction books about their countries – books that teach accurate history and cultural practices – so that they can normalize learning about themselves in the same way that children in other parts of the world get to do. Their friends outside of Africa should get to read the same books.

Representation matters – but accuracy matters more.

Which African nonfiction books do you read with children?