Little Erroll: The Story of Admiral Erroll M. Brown, First Black Coast Guard Admiral

"Erroll always listened to his teachers, completed his school work & stayed out of trouble. The teachers were very fond of him because he was a bright student. 
He loved to read and he especially loved math!"

August marks the anniversary of the U.S. Coast Guard, established in 1789, and I thought it would be the perfect time to review the picture book Little Erroll: The Story of Admiral Erroll Mingo Brown: First Black Coast Guard Admiral, about the first African-American to become an admiral in the United States Coast Guard.

Erroll Brown was born in Ocala, Florida in 1950 and came from modest beginnings. He lived with his grandparents, and did many chores for them around the house including washing clothes and mowing the lawn. One day he asks his grandpa if he could help with steering the tractor. Because he was so small, his grandfather did not want Errol to help with such a dangerous job, but Errol insisted that if he sat on his grandpa's lap, he could steer the wheel - and that's just what he did.

It is with that persistence and perseverance that allowed Erroll to make honor roll in high school and play football despite constantly being teased for being small. When Erroll receives a letter to attend the Coast Guard Academy, he accepts and attends in 1968. At times, he struggled in his studies, but after meeting a black Coast Guard captain, he was determined to succeed and completed his engineering program. In 1972, Erroll was presented with his officer commission by the vice president of the United States, and eventually becomes became the first African-American  admiral in the Coast Guard.

Erroll Brown went up against racism in a post-segregation society and had many challenges along the way, but he never let that keep him from his goal. The book Little Erroll: The Story of Admiral Erroll Mingo Brown: First Black Coast Guard Admiral is a wonderful book for all children, as it teaches the important lesson that with hard work and perseverance, you can achieve your dreams.

Little Erroll: The Story of Admiral Erroll Mingo Brown: First Black Coast Guard Admiral

Written by: Shameen E. Anthanio-Williams

The Story of Ruby Bridges

On Ruby's first day, a large crowd of angry white people gathered outside.

The people carried signs that said they didn't want black children in a white school.

People called Ruby names; some wanted to hurt her... the marshals carried guns.

Ruby would hurry through the crowd and not say a word.

You may have heard about when schools were first integrated in the South, but have you heard about the brave little girl who endured angry white parents who shouted at her every day because they didn't want black children attending school with their children?

I'm talking about Ruby Bridges, and if your child doesn't know who she is, this is the perfect time to read The Story Of Ruby Bridges to them. Why? Because today is the last day of Black History Month and the eve of Women's History Month, and the perfect time to learn about Ruby's story. Not only is it a story that teaches children courage, it also teaches how to love others - even if they don't love or understand you.

Chances are you've seen the Norman Rockwell 1964 Paintingof young Ruby Bridges, then only six-years old, being escorted to school by U.S. Marshals as a result of her decision to a school that had been all-white. It was a time of racial strife, and many white parents stop sending their children to school because they didn't want them to go to the same school as a black child. So for months, Ruby studied alone in her class - but she didn't let loneliness stop her. Ruby learned to read and write and she continued to learn day after day - all by herself.

The Story Of Ruby Bridges  is a great picture book for young children for many reasons.It teaches children that doing the brave thing isn't always the easy thing - but that it can still be done with dignity and grace. Also, even though each morning, Ruby was shouted at - and sometimes had tomatoes and other items thrown at her - she went to school and never gave up, because she and her parents were determined for her to have the best education. It is a story that all children, especially those who have faced adversity and bullying at school can learn from.

D is for Drinking Gourd

L is for Little Rock Nine,

the students who integrated school

at Little Rock, Arkansas's Central High -

protected under military rule.

D is for Drinking Gourd is a wonderful picture book that tells the African-American story with beautiful illustrations and comprehensive facts, offering a great introduction to African-American history for young children ages 2-10.

The book begins with "A is for abolitionists" and continues with other important highlights of Black history including "E is for Emancipation," "G is for the Great Migration," and "H is for Harlem Renaissance," all in a way that is understandable to young children. It is a great tool for sharing African-American history to young children in a factual, yet heartfelt way that doesn't only tell of the atrocities of Black history, but also of the triumphs and victories.

One of my favorite references in the book is "D is for Drinking Gourd" from the book title, which explains how fugitive slaves referred to the Big Dipper as "Drinking Gourd." The book explains how this constellation helped slaves locate the North Star which guided them toward freedom.

Other significant events highlighted in the book include the founding of the NAACP, history of the Tuskegee Airmen, winners of the Pulitzer Prize, and the congressional terms of African-Americans including Hiram Revels, who is unknown to many, but  in 1870 became the first African-American United States senator.

D is for Drinking Gourd is a must for any adult who wants to introduce Black history to a child, and it is a great way for teachers to celebrate Black History with students. It is a truly heartfelt compilation of both heartbreaking – and victorious moments in Black history and should be read by adult of all races who want to share an accurate and heartfelt history of the African-American experience.

Freedom's Gifts: A Juneteenth Story

Set in 1943 Texas on a hot summer day, Freedom's Gifts: A Juneteenth Story, by acclaimed author Valerie Wesley, tells the story of two young girls, June and her cousin Lillie celebrating Juneteenth, an African-American celebration that commemorates  when Texas slaves were freed on June 19, 1865 (2 years after President Abe Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation).

Lillie, a pre-teen from New York, is none to pleased to be visiting family in Texas to celebrate Juneteenth, a holiday she describes as an "old timey" holiday. Lillie changes her tune however after hearing her great Aunt Marshall tell the story of how her sister Sophie was taken from her when they were both slaves, and how Sophie then found Aunt Marshall when Texas slaves were finally set free.

The book gives a realistic portrayal of children's rebellious nature as well as the southern lifestyle of respecting one's elders. And i'ts honest portrayal of living the pain of living through slavery, as described by Aunt Marshall's character is realistic without being over-dramatic. The story also shines with watercolor illustrations by Sharon Wilson, whose pictures colorfully depict the south.

This story is one that every child should read, regardless of their race, because children and teenagers are so far removed today from the struggles of African-American's of the past, that they are unaware of the significance of a holiday like Juneteenth.  Freedom's Gifts: A Juneteenth Story was released in 1997, and can be found in local libraries and online at Amazon.com

NOTE: Juneteenth is no longer just celebrated in Texas, but also throughout the United States, including our own nation's capital, which hosts many Juneteenth celebrations this year along with its neighboring suburban communities. Information for Washington, DC Juneteenth events can be found at www.nationaljuneteenth.com/Calendar.html. To find Juneteenth celebrations in your state, visit http://www.juneteenth.us/events/. For more information about the Juneteenth holiday, visit http://www.nationaljuneteenth.com/.

Before John was a Giant by Carole Boston Weatherford

Before John Was a Giant, centers on the childhood of jazz legend John Coltrane, and the sounds that inspired and shaped him as a musician.


The story begins in John's kitchen at home where the sounds of the pots and pans of where his grandmother cooks catches his ear, as well as the ukulele his father played. Young John also would pay attention to the steam engine that passed through his neighborhood, and the music coming from the local movie theatre. He paid close attention to the poetic sounds of his grandfather's sermons in church, as well as the choir.


At age 12, John was invited to join a community band by the scout leader who was also the pastor at his church. In the band, he played clarinet and marched in community parades. John would continue to be influenced by the sounds around him, including the birds chirping around him, and eventually, the sound of big bands and jazz he heard on the radio which inspired him to join the school band and learn the saxophone.


Before John was a Giant is a great book for encouraging children to be creative by paying attention to their surroundings. The actual story however does not tell a lot about how John came to be a jazz legend; that information is in saved for the Author's Note at the back of the book. Much of that information would have been great for the story itself, and would have served as an opportunity to discuss with children issues beyond Coltrane's childhood. For example, John poured himself into his music after his father died, a tidbit of information that would serve as an example to children about how to deal with the difficulties in life by turning to a hobby.


The beautiful illustrations of Sean Qualls however, and the poetic prose of writer Carole Boston  Weatherford make up for this exclusion in the story. I recommend this book to parents and others who seek a book for children who have a love of music and want to learn about the legends who many times are forgotten in today's world of music. 

A Picture Book of Thurgood Marshall by David A. Adler

A Picture Book of Thurgood Marshall tells the story of the first African-American Supreme Court Justice of the United States, and how he came to be one of the most influential trailblazers in American history.


The story takes us first to Marshall's youth, where as a child, his school principal would make him memorize the constitution as a punishment when he got in trouble. Marshall was also introduced to the law by his father, the first African-American to serve on a Baltimore jury, who enjoyed the law so much, that he would sit in on court sessions, and bring young Thurgood, to learnhow to debate.


Marshall would go to college at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, an all-male, all-black college at the time. At Lincoln, he once took part in a silent protest of an all-white theatre. He graduated and hoped to go to University of Maryland, but it was an all-white institution at the time, and he instead went to the law school at Howard University in Washington, DC.


The story tells how Thurgood Marshall graduated from Howard University and began a career at the NAACP, where within three years he becomes chief lawyer of the organization. His career at the NAACP brings him several courtroom victories including arguing to for the University of Maryland to admit African-Americans, a case he argued and won with Charles Hamilton Houston. Thurgood's most notable achievement however would be winning the historic Brown v. Board of Education case, resulting in the decision to de-segregate public schools in the United States. Marshall would go on to win twenty-nine of the thirty-two cases he argued to the Supreme Court in his legal career before being nominated for Supreme Court by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1967.


A Picture Book of Thurgood Marshall is a great telling of the life of Thurgood Marshall. It is a book all children should read so that they know that before there was a Clarence Thomas, or a President Obama, there was a man who fought for African-American rights, who paved the way for the African-American leaders and politicians of today.