Mamas Sweet Baby

“𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗦𝘄𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱: 𝗔 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮,” written by Kwame Alexander and illustrated by 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗣𝗮𝗹𝗺𝗲𝗿, feels like standing inside a collage of music, memory, and resistance. Palmer’s paintings don’t just accompany the hymns, spirituals, and freedom songs—they interpret them: layered colors, bold shapes, and textured brushstrokes echo the ache, hope, and praise in the music. Figures tilt their heads back in song, choirs sway, and dancers move through spreads that feel like a blend of stained glass and street mural, inviting young readers to see how Black music has always been both survival and testimony.

Palmer’s style here is unmistakable—deep blues, radiant golds, and saturated reds layered with pattern and silhouette. Faces and bodies are stylized but intensely expressive; an uplifted chin, a closed eye, a raised hand all carry emotional weight. It’s one of the reasons Charly Palmer is one of our favorite artists: his work insists that Black history is not flat or distant, but vivid, textured, and alive in the way we sing, march, worship, and remember.

🎨 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀: 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗣𝗮𝗹𝗺𝗲𝗿 is a fine artist, designer, and children’s book illustrator whose mixed‑media paintings center Black history, culture, and spirituality, with each page reading like a standalone canvas.

👁️ 𝗔𝗿𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗻𝘀: Rich, layered color; collage‑inflected textures; expressive, music‑infused compositions that turn spirituals and freedom songs into something you can see as well as hear.

If you’re curating a Black History Month stack that honors both sound and image, add “How Sweet the Sound” to your list—and take time to explore more of Charly Palmer’s work.

Tell me in the comments: What song—from church, family, or freedom music—feels like home to you?

We love “Lift Every Voice and Sing” and sing it every morning first thing before we start school.

“𝗢𝗼𝗻𝗮,” written by Kelly DiPucchio and illustrated by 𝗥𝗮𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗮 𝗙𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗮, is one of those picture books where the 𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸. Figueroa’s underwater world glows with luminous blues, greens, and golds, and every spread feels drenched in light, movement, and texture. The star, of course, is Oona herself—a 𝘫𝘰𝘺𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘥 whose brown skin, natural hair, and adventurous spirit are rendered with such care that she feels both magical and completely real.

The illustrations are undeniably pretty, but they’re also powerful: the way Figueroa paints Oona’s natural hair floating in the water, her expressions, and the play of light on her translucent tail turns each page into a tiny seascape you want to linger over.

Figueroa’s style blends rich, painterly digital work with dramatic lighting and perspective, so kids feel like they’re right there in the depths with Oona—Backgrounds are full of coral, bubbles, and small sea details, yet the compositions always bring our eyes back to Oona herself, visually affirming a Black mermaid at the very center of the story.

🎨 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀: 𝗥𝗮𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗮 𝗙𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗮 is a children’s book illustrator and visual artist known for her lush color palettes, dynamic lighting, and inclusive character designs, especially in fantasy and fairy‑tale‑adjacent stories. Her work often centers children of color, offering the kind of representation many of us didn’t see growing up—mermaids, heroes, and dreamers who look like us.

👁️ 𝗔𝗿𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗻𝘀: Luminous, painterly digital art; rich ocean palettes; dramatic light and shadow; and a beautifully rendered Black mermaid whose presence at the heart of the book makes this both a visual treat and a meaningful mirror.

If you’re building a shelf where Black kids can see themselves in magical adventures, add “Oona” to your list.

Tell me in the comments: Which beautifully illustrated book—with a Black main character—you wish had existed when you were a kid?

Mine is “Thunder Rose” Illustrated by Kadir Nelson!

I couldn’t let the month pass without this repost. Right here in the Rocket City you and your children could be closing out Black History Month… with Art.

We’ve been SO busy this month that we have not had a chance to attend The Curated Gallery’s Black History Month exhibition, “Joy Without Consent “ but don’t you think my son hasn’t been stalking me daily about it. He says that last year, seeing the work of local artists, curated the way it was and presented elegantly made his artistic side happy. And who am I to deny happiness.

So tonight’s post, is going local. If you’ve been following along from places other than North Alabama, I suggest you find an inspiring art exhibition to see with your kids very soon as well.

Artist Talk Panel
February 27, 2026 6PM-7PM
The Curated Gallery | Huntsville, AL
Join exhibiting artists Xavier Adam’s, Gary Jones, and Asé Selah for a live conversation on archive, process, interior space, and the everyday presence of Black life as a site of joy. This is where the thinking behind the work becomes audible.

Closing Reception
February 28, 2026 6PM-8PM
930 Old Monrovia Rd, Suite 7 | Huntsville,
AL
One last night to experience the exhibition in full. Community. Reflection. Celebration.
Free entry.
Pre-register at www.thecuratedgallery.com

Did you know that tomorrow is Alabama Home Education Day??

There will be various events at the State capitol and you can celebrate Alabama Home Education Day with us on Facebook all day long.

We’ll be sharing:
🏛️A chance to watch government in action
👀 A look at how laws are made
🗺️ A virtual visit to a familiar Alabama landmark
📜A glimpse into Alabama homeschool history
📍 Interactive stops from around our state
🌾Resources rooted in Alabama life
🎉 A homeschool show & share
🇺🇸 A look ahead at what’s coming next for Alabama families
..and more.

Jump in when you can.
Follow along at your own pace.
Spend the day learning, celebrating, and connecting with homeschool families across Alabama.

Check out the virtual events from your own home (or Montgomery if you can make it) right from Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alabamahomeeducationday

“𝗠𝘆 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘀 𝗞𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗹𝘂,” written by Stephanie Foster Brown and illustrated by 𝗞𝗲𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗮 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗶𝘀, is a visual meditation on language, memory, and belonging. Morris’s artwork wraps the narrator’s connection to Kriolu in warm, sun‑touched color and gentle textures: soft edges, layered patterns, and expressive faces that make love of language feel almost tangible. Her characters’ postures—leaning in, listening, remembering—quietly show how words carry home, even when place and people are far away.

Morris often plays with scale and space: close‑ups that linger on faces and hands, then wider scenes that hint at landscapes, homes, and cultural details. The palette leans into rich browns, golds, and ocean or sky tones, creating spreads that feel both intimate and expansive, like memory itself. Backgrounds are suggestive rather than crowded, which keeps the focus on relationship—the bond between child, language, and heritage.

🎨 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀: 𝗞𝗲𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗮 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗶𝘀 is a Caribbean‑American children’s book illustrator and designer whose work centers Black and Brown children with warmth, pattern, and emotional clarity. She often works digitally in a collage‑inspired style, layering shapes, textures, and hand‑drawn details to create scenes that feel both modern and timeless, and she is drawn to stories about identity, culture, and the everyday magic of family life.

👁️ 𝗔𝗿𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗻𝘀: Soft, textured digital collage; warm, saturated color; expressive characters framed in compositions that honor language and heritage as something you can feel as well as speak.

If you’re building a home or classroom library that lifts up Black illustrators and multilingual stories, add “My Heart Speaks Kriolu” to your list.

In the comments, tell me: What language, phrase, or family word makes your heart feel at home?

In my house, we practice Belizean Kriol 🇧🇿

“𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗮: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗮 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝘁𝘁 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴,” adapted for young readers and illustrated by 𝗘𝗸𝘂𝗮 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗺𝗲𝘀, is an adapted autobiography that lets Coretta tell her own story while Holmes surrounds her words with richly layered color and collage. Holmes builds each spread from torn and cut papers, painted textures, and patterned shapes, so Coretta’s journey—from a girl in rural Alabama to a global voice for justice—feels like it’s emerging from quilts, fields, churches, and marching crowds all at once. The layers themselves become a lesson: history is made of many pieces—family, faith, music, and movement—carefully held together.
Holmes’s compositions center Coretta in every season of her life. Stylized but expressive faces, bowed heads, linked arms, silhouettes of choirs and marchers, and repeating motifs like trees, stars, and musical notes echo Coretta’s roots in land, song, and spiritual conviction. Warm, saturated colors and textured papers evoke Southern landscapes and church interiors, while circles, halos, and radiating lines gently mark Coretta as a moral center—someone whose quiet strength helped reshape the world.

🎨 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀: 𝗘𝗸𝘂𝗮 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗺𝗲𝘀 is a mixed‑media artist and children’s book illustrator from Roxbury in Boston and a graduate of Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Her award‑winning paper collages—honored with Caldecott recognition and multiple Coretta Scott King Illustrator Awards—are known for centering Black life, memory, and resilience, and for bringing a fine‑art, gallery‑wall sensibility onto the picture book page.

👁️ 𝗔𝗿𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗻𝘀: Layered paper collage; warm, glowing color; symbolic motifs woven through Coretta’s life; and compositions that keep her rooted in place, community, and purpose.

If you’re building a Black History Month stack that highlights both powerful stories and powerful art, add “Coretta” to your list.

Tell me in the comments: Which biography of a Black changemaker has meant the most to you or your kids this year?

“𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴,” written by Denene Millner and illustrated by 𝗩𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘆‑𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘁𝗼𝗻, feels like stepping into a remembered Black church morning—full of color, pattern, and community wrapped around one little girl’s big moment. Brantley‑Newton’s warm, saturated palettes, patterned dresses, and expressive faces turn simple scenes of getting ready, walking into church, and standing to sing into a visual lesson on courage, support, and joy.

Her signature mixed‑media, collage‑inspired style is all over these pages: retro shapes, vintage‑feeling patterns, and dynamic poses that make shyness, family pride, and faith visible even without the words. The way she frames the main character—sometimes small in a big sanctuary, sometimes centered and glowing—helps young viewers feel what it’s like to find your voice in front of a loving community.

🎨 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀: 𝗩𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘆‑𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘁𝗼𝗻 is an award‑winning, New York Times bestselling author‑illustrator from Newark, New Jersey, who studied fashion and children’s book illustration and is known for joyful, diverse images of Black childhood and community.

👁️ 𝗔𝗿𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗻𝘀: Mixed‑media, collage‑like illustrations; retro‑inspired color and pattern; expressive, character‑driven scenes that make an ordinary Sunday morning feel tender, brave, and beautiful.

So, did you get to praise God today?

“𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸 + 𝗛𝘂𝗱: 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘄𝘀,” 𝗯𝘆 𝗝𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗝𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗣𝘂𝗺𝗽𝗵𝗿𝗲𝘆, turns a simple game of pretend into a full visual adventure. The brothers use 𝘣𝘰𝘭𝘥, 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘤 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘴, 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 an ordinary stretch of water into a shark‑filled sea, so kids can see the moment when imagination takes over. Perspective and negative space do a lot of the storytelling—suddenly the boys look smaller, the “water” looms larger, and what began as play starts to feel epic.

Because Jarrett and Jerome are both author‑illustrators, the words and images feel tightly woven together. Their stamp‑like, design‑driven style—clean outlines, flat but textured color, and carefully placed details—makes each spread read almost like a poster, while still centering the brothers’ relationship. Small gestures, glances, and shifts in posture carry the push‑and‑pull of sibling play: competition, bravery, fear, and tenderness all show up in the art, even before anyone reads the text.

🎨 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀: 𝗝𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗝𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗣𝘂𝗺𝗽𝗵𝗿𝗲𝘆 are brothers, storytellers, and illustrators from the Gulf Coast whose work is shaped by their backgrounds in design and printmaking. Their signature look—bold, simplified forms, print‑inspired textures, and a restrained palette—shows how illustration can be both playful and carefully constructed, turning everyday childhood moments into art worth lingering over.

👁️ 𝗔𝗿𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗻𝘀: Graphic, comic‑like compositions; limited but impactful color; printmaking textures; and visual storytelling that makes ordinary brotherly play feel big, cinematic, and memorable.

If you’re raising kids who turn everything into a game, add “Link + Hud: Sharks and Minnows” to your read‑aloud stack.

Btw, This pair is one of Cash’s absolute FAVORITE Author/Illustrators. This is the second book in this graphic novel/chapter book/comic hybrid and was consumed by my kiddo in record time. Parents, this is why we love art.

“𝗢𝗻 𝗛𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗼𝗻𝗶 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻,” written by Jerdine Nolen and illustrated by 𝗝𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗘. 𝗥𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲, is the pictorial biography of Chloe Morrison, better known by her nickname Toni, which introduces children (and some adults)to one of the culture’s literary geniuses. Ransome gets almost back to back mentions this month, because we love a book about an artist by an artist. Nolen’s writing certainly does Ms. Morrison justice and the art by Ransome is unmatched.

Ransome turns his attention to the inner life of a writer—the way stories, books, and ordinary moments gather around a child and slowly form a literary giant. His spreads lean into mood: soft light through windows, the quiet drama of turning pages, and scenes where young Chloe (Toni) is both firmly in the world and slightly apart from it, watching.

In “On Her Wings,” his images feel more painterly and luminous, with layered color and gentler transitions that echo the lyricism of Morrison’s own writing. The way he frames Toni—small against tall bookshelves, walking across big skies, or surrounded by words—becomes a visual lesson in how artists can show a person’s imagination and calling, not just their outer achievements.

🎨 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀: 𝗝𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗘. 𝗥𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 is an award‑winning illustrator that isn’t “just” drawing pretty pictures— he’s making deliberate choices about color, composition, and technique to honor the subject, whether that’s a civil rights icon or a Nobel Prize–winning author.

👁️ 𝗔𝗿𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗻𝘀: Soft, luminous painting; compositions that center books, language, and interiority; and imagery that helps children see how a life of reading, observing, and imagining can grow into a life of world‑changing storytelling.

If you’re raising readers and writers, this one belongs on your shelf. Add ‘On Her Wings’ to your list and tell me in the comments: Which Black author’s work has had the biggest impact on you—or on your kids—so far?

Also, did you (or your kids) know Toni Morrison’s real name?