Hold Them Close

Author: Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow

Illustrator: Patrick Dougher

Photographer: Jamel Shabazz

Publisher: HarperCollins (October 4, 2022)

ISBN: 9780063036178

Awards, Accolades, Honors:

  • Children’s Book Council Notable Social Studies Book Award, 2023
  • Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year Selection Title
  • Ebony Magazine, Read Across America Day Book

Inside the Book

Hold Them Close

From celebrated author of Your Name Is a Song Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, fine artist Patrick Dougher, and photographer Jamel Shabazz, Hold Them Close is a picture book celebration of Black past, present, and future—a joyful love letter to Black children.

As affirming as it is touching and warm, Hold Them Close encourages young children to hold close their joy, the words of their ancestors and elders, as well as their power to change the world. A perfect book for shared story time, this book will inspire young people to march forth with pride, glow, and happiness.

Watch the trailer: 

From the Author: Story Behind the Story

Hold Them Close began as a poem I wrote while crying after witnessing an act of anti-Black brutality. I wanted a way to sensitively talk to Black children about that kind of violence while also affirming that they are deserving of safety, love, and joy. However, the original poem was too heavy and I put it down. I picked it up again when another incident of racism occur. Again, I struggled with this poem and put it down. This happened multiple times over the course of a year – this repeated return to a poem that I felt was needed but was incredibly hard to write. When I finally felt I had figured it out, I could no longer remember which incident of racial violence had initially sparked this poem. There had been many and that deeply saddens me.

Reviews

“Hold Them Close is a true work of art. This is a book to be savored and reread in classrooms and homes.” – Booklist, STARRED review

“[This] book is an uplifting family story as much as it is a beautifully fearless introduction to much of Black history and why learning about it is essential for understanding the modern world.” – School Library Journal, STARRED review

“Thompkins-Bigelow (Abdul’s Story) pens a stirring free verse love letter to Black children and community, carrying readers through a range of experiences to be held tight or dismissed.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED review

Awards, Accolades, Honors:

  • Children’s Book Council Notable Social Studies Book Award, 2023
  • Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year Selection Title
  • Ebony Magazine, Read Across America Day Book

Inside the Book