Review Detail

The People Remember

Kids Nonfiction 877

Great Read Aloud for Kwaanza

March 19, 2022 (Updated: June 12, 2026)

Overall rating

4.0

Writing Style

4.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

4.0

Learning Value

4.0

In this lyrical book of poems, a comprehensive overview of African American history is presented and tied to the principals of Kwaanza. Starting with some of the African kingdoms like the Empires of Mali and Songhai, we are taken on a journey in bondage to the United States, and hear about the horrific conditions under which enslaved peoples were taken from their countries. Slavery is explained in terms that don't hide the savage circumstances of children taken from their mothers and families torn apart, but the book also mentions how communities came together, and how the history is filled with the various principles of Kwaanza, such as Ujima, or collective work and responsibility. The Great Migration, Black towns like Greenwood, the Civil RIghts Movement, and even more recent events, singers, and artists get brief coverage.

Good Points

The book has the feel of a song that would be sung to remember history; a litany of names, places and events that are evocative of various points in history. This would be a fantastic book to read for Kwaanza celebrations in the way that The Night Before Christmas (whoever the author might really be!) is read around that holiday. Notes at the end explain a bit about Kwaanza celebrations, and give more discussion about the seven tenets. There's also a good glossary and a list of further reading.

The illustrations are very vibrant, and the color pallette reflects the mood, with many of the darker times in history rendered in somber dark blues or maroons, and the happier times filled with sunshine drenched yellows. The larger size of the book will lend itself well to story times.

This had a bit of the same vibe as Ringgold's We Came to America or Tar Beach, or Williams' Your Legacy, but I haven't seen any other picture books for younger children that go back so far into African History. Pair this with Baptiste's African Icons and Atinuke's Africa, Amazing Africa. Country by Country for the history, and Medearis' Seven Days Of Kwanzaa and Washington's The Story of Kwaanza for information about this holiday, which was started in the 1960s.