Orchard Book | 978-1338849974

“For the longest time, I wondered about the impact of teaching young children that they are descendants of slaves without exploring the rich history that came before their enslavement: a beautiful history of Africans that is too often overlooked in studies of world history.”  –  Maisha Oso, Author’s Note

In writing Before the Ships, Oso shares their story and rich history of “strength, ingenuity, and resilience…”

Here’s a snippet of the author’s gorgeous poetic language:

On the grasslands of the Mara and the sands of the Sahara,

we dreamed —

Our magical minds uncovering the mysteries of the galaxy.

From mathematics, to astronomy, to engineering,

many modern-day sciences stem from our genius.

And another peek at Candice Bradley‘s stunning illustrations:

BEFORE THE SHIPS has received 3 starred reviews to date! Here’s what Booklist has to say:

”This lyrical and reaffirming picture book seeks to give young readers a sense of Black history far beyond the limits of standard school curricula that start with the slave trade and concentrate on African interactions with Westerners… an accessible and fresh perspective and should be considered for most collections.” — Booklist (starred review)

Have you had a chance to read Before the Ships yet? This important picture book deserves to be in every school, classroom, and public library.