February is Black History Month

"What color is my world? The Lost History of African American Inventors" by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Raymond Obstfeld. 

 

 

For Black History Month, the Children’s Room is spotlighting Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Raymond Obstfeld’s new book; introducing young readers to African American inventors that they would not typically come across in their classroom. What makes this book unique is how the information is presented within a picture book format, told through a work of fiction.  

Brother and sister, Herbie and Ella, spend the day helping Mr. Mital, the local handyman; fix-up their new house that needs a lot of work. Through each task Mr. Mital teaches Herbie and Ella about different inventors in history. Each inventor has a side panel that folds out, offering Ella’s Fast Facts, along with a summary about the inventor’s contributions. Every couple pages there is a two page spread about an inventor that provides a full biography of that person.  

Readers have two options when reading this book. It can be read as a picture book about a family moving into a new house , picking up interesting facts as they read; or readers can dive into this book, reading Herbie and Ella’s story and explore the flaps and biographies, gathering a full history of African American inventors.