“Scary thoughts are your creation when you have no information.” – Toni Morrison, Please Louise.

There’s no better time than now, during black history month and beyond, to introduce young readers to the works of one of the greatest writers of all time. On February 18, Toni Morrison would have been 90 years old. I can’t think of a more wonderful way to commemorate her birthday than to dive deep into the children’s books she co-authored with her son, Slade Morrison.

Nobel Prize in Literature. Pulitzer Prize Winner. Eleven novels. Ten picture books. Four screenplays. World-renowned author Toni Morrison is best known for her novels. She is, however, not as well-known in the children’s books world even though she has made numerous contributions. Freedom is the thread theme in most of her books.

Yet her picture books were fun, light-hearted, and entertaining. She wrote in a way that made readers feel safe from start to finish, you could almost imagine her as Nana; the fun and spunky grandmother who gives her grandchildren all the freedom to enjoy the day, and then passes on a secret family recipe that leaves a great big mess but everyone is happy.

Other times she advocated for children’s freedom to have more room to explore and find themselves. In her book, Little Cloud and Lady Wind, Little Cloud has big dreams to go someplace different and become someone different. With a little bit of luck, she meets Lady Wind who believes in her and is committed to helping her little dream come true.

Please, Louise is about a girl who knows the power of the mind. When she expresses her fears, she takes control of her thoughts and emotions, which massively influence her reaching her destination, a library.

As I turned each page, I imagined a guardian angel by Louise’s side. When her mind wandered and sought out something negative, Louise immediately corrected her negative thoughts to see it from a different and more positive angle.

Toni Morrison wished children and youth reading her work at earlier ages would build a love for knowledge and books. And it’s not just for children, there are many themes for adults to reflect on in her book. If there were such a thing as an adult book club for children’s books, some of her picture books would be on their lists.

Check out all of Toni Morrison’s picture books below!

• The Big Box (1999). ISBN 9780786823642.
• The Book of Mean People (2002). ISBN 9780786805402.
• Remember: The Journey to School Integration (2004). ISBN 9780618397402.
• Who’s Got Game? The Ant or the Grasshopper? (2003),
• Who’s Got Game? The Lion or the Mouse? (2003),
• Who’s Got Game? Poppy or the Snake? (2004). ISBN 9780743283915.
• Peeny Butter Fudge (2009). ISBN 9781442459007. 

• Little Cloud and Lady Wind (2010).
• The Tortoise or the Hare (2010).
• Please, Louise (2014). ISBN 9781416983385.