Listen to Newbery Medalist Jacqueline Woodson read her best-selling picture book The Day You Begin in this episode of Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices on Netflix. The illustrations by Rafael López are featured prominently as Woodson reads each page. She also shares details about what she and López created:
When Rafael López drew these beautiful illustrations, he put rulers throughout the book… [He] drew those rulers throughout to show the ways in which we measure ourselves against other people.
And one thing about measuring ourselves against other people is that we sometimes forget how fabulous we are… how amazing it is to be able to be who we are, and how grateful every room we walk into should be for our presence there.
So my question for you is, ‘What makes you so fabulously different than everyone else you meet?’
Bookmarks is a read-aloud television series that features around a dozen children’s books written by Black authors, including Grace Byers (I Am Enough, illustrated by Keturah A. Bobo), Natasha Anastasia Tarpley (I Love My Hair, illustrated by E.B. Lewis), and Lupita Nyong’o (Sulwe, illustrated by Vashti Harrison). The series is hosted by teen entrepreneur Marley Dias.
The videos range from around five to ten minutes long. Find the entire playlist here on YouTube or on Netflix.
Watch these read-aloud videos next:
• Please Please the Bees read by Rashida Jones
• Sylvester and the Magic Pebble read by Reid Scott
• Ada Twist Scientist read by Astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor on ISS
Bonus: Hair Love, the Oscar-winning animation.
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