Can You Name 10 African American-Themed Pop-Up Books? by Kyra E. Hicks

Pop-up books are magically enchanting. They have the power to take us to new galaxies, revisit historical events, introduce new people, and re-interpret familiar stories. Can a child of color in the US see themselves in today's pop-up books? How would a Black girl, for example, feel seeing an image like her on the cover of a pop-up book? How would she feel turning the pages of a 3D adventure where she is the heroine? Might she be inspired to imagine, design and build her own pop-up stories? The US Census Bureau says there are 9.1 million Black children under the age of 15 or 15% of all US children in that age range. That seems like a good market size. Yet, it is most difficult to find a pop-up book with a Black child as the hero. You can help. Can you name 10 African American-themed pop-up books? Or, even 2? This pop-up brochure showcases African American-themed pop-up books located to date—not one published in the last two decades—and suggests ways to address this gap.