Not being from the U.S., I must admit I had never heard of Kwanzaa before starting this website.
First created in 1966, black communities in America celebrate the festival of Kwanzaa from December 26 to January 1 as a way of honouring their history and culture.
Over the course of those seven days, families and friends come together to give thanks, make music, dance, feast, and light candles that symbolize unity, past and future.
Teach your children about this joyful holiday with these beautiful children’s books about Kwanzaa!
Top 10 Children’s Books about Kwanzaa
My First Kwanzaa
by Karen Katz
“Hooray! Hooray! / It’s time to get ready for Kwanzaa.” With Katz’s signature illustrations of round-faced toddlers, My First Kwanzaa introduces little ones to the seven days of Kwanzaa and shows them how the importance of family, friends, and community is celebrated in Black communities. ~ Babies & Toddlers
My First Kwanzaa Book
by Deborah Chocolate
It’s Kwanzaa time! Follow a family as they get ready for the celebrations, from dressing in African clothes and hanging up a map of the motherland, to lighting candles and sharing food, hugs, gifts and stories. My First Kwanzaa Book captures the joyful spirit of the holiday in both text and pictures. ~ Preschool
Seven Days Of Kwanzaa
by Melrose Cooper
“On the first day of Kwanzaa, / my people gave to me.. / A promise for Unity.” In a creative spin of a popular Christmas song, Seven Days of Kwanzaa celebrates each day of Kwanzaa, from the promise for unity to two drums-a-drumming, four spending dollars, five festive friends, and more. ~ Preschool
Together for Kwanzaa
by Juwanda G. Ford
Kayla always looks forward to the whole family being together for Kwanzaa. But this year, it looks as if her brother Khari won’t make it in time because of a big snowstorm. Will the family find a way to be together? Together for Kwanzaa is warm story that teaches children about the traditions and practices of the holiday. ~ Preschool
Kevin’s Kwanzaa
by Lisa Bullard
Follow Kevin’s family as they are celebrating the seven days of Kwanzaa! They light candles and learn a special word each day. On the sixth day, everyone dances at a big feast. Kevin’s Kwanzaa teaches about the different ways people celebrate this holiday. ~ Preschool
Li’l Rabbit’s Kwanzaa
by Donna L. Washington
Out of all the featured children’s books about Kwanzaa, this is by far the sweetest! Li’l Rabbit is not having a very good Kwanzaa. Granna Rabbit is sick, and so his family won’t celebrate Karamu, his favourite part of Kwanzaa this year. Li’l Rabbit sets out to find a special treat for Granna Rabbit but he needs a little help from his family and friends. Li’l Rabbit’s Kwanzaa captures the true meaning of Kwanzaa: Coming together to help others. ~ Preschool
Kwanzaa
by Lisa M. Herrington
With colourful photos and simple text, Kwanzaa takes in-depth look at this joyous African American holiday. This is an entertaining book that will capture young reader’s attention with visually appealing “fast fact” text boxes, photo captions, arts-and-crafts projects and a calendar. ~ Elementary School
The Story of Kwanzaa
by Donna L. Washington
From ancestors in Africa to slavery and the civil rights movement, the author explains the history leading up to the creation of Kwanzaa. With stunning photographs of contemporary African fabrics and joyful mixed-media illustrations, The Story of Kwanzaa is an appealing book for young readers. Includes activities, e.g. making your own cow-tail switch and baking benne cakes. ~ Elementary School
Holidays Around the World: Celebrate Kwanzaa
by Carolyn B. Otto
Part of the National Geographic Kids series, Celebrate Kwanzaa introduces children to all aspects of the holiday. With lively text and beautiful photographs, the book explains the history and the concept of Kwanzaa, shows the joyous celebrations, and includes fun craft and recipe ideas. ~ Elementary School
Seven Days Of Kwanzaa
by Angela Shelf Medearis
The Seven Days of Kwanzaa is a chapter book for older Elementary and Middle School children. It is a great resource that explains the holiday in detail and includes recipes, ideas for making home made gifts, and stories of some inspirational African Americans. ~ Elementary School, Middle School
A Kwanzaa folktale by the same author: Seven Spools of Thread: A Kwanzaa Story
*You can buy any of the children’s books about Kwanzaa from Amazon USA, CAN or UK by clicking on the book titles or images*
6 Responses
Annie Lynn
Nice to discover this website! Great selection of books. What I love the most is that there are more Window/Mirror books coming out that if used well, will introduce & interest young readers to the Holidays of others. The excitement children(people) feel when sharing their culture is contagious (in a good way) and the hope is that people will find that helping others enjoy their Holidays, and vice versa will create a community at large that seeks to understand, care for and welcome others. These books will also help readers to become familiar with other traditions and cultural observances. After reading, people will quickly see how much more alike we are. ✌🏼💖🎶🎨📚🌻
Colorful Book Reviews
There really is not much out there for Kwanzaa! My local library had one of these in, I might have to do some hunting for the others.
Lisa
Lovely list! Shared on Knocked Up Abroad’s Facebook page.
Jane @ Raincity Librarian
I’ve been struggling to find great Kwanzaa books (I’m not in the US either), so this list is absolutely fantastic!! One of the things I love so much about blogging is being introduced to so many new ideas – I’m always learning, which is really amazing.
Colours of Us
Thank you! That’s exactly what I love about blogging, too!
Beth @ Pages and Margins
These look lovely! Thanks for sharing!