Children's Book Week will be celebrated on May 1st through the 7th with the theme, "HOW DO YOU BOOK?" Benton Harbor Public Library "books" by celebrating Floyd Cooper Day on May 6th ALL week! 

Floyd Cooper, a celebrated children's book illustrator & author who explored the African American experience in stories rooted in history, died on July 15, 2021. In over 100 titles, he illustrated children's stories that not only carried his earthy impressions of Black life, but also made sure to recount chapters of African American history that were often left out of history books. He saw humanity in every face, in every heart. 

"To put a book about a little Black child into the hands of a little white child and to put a book about a little white child into the hands of a little Black child", Mr. Cooper said in in a 2016 interview, "it has been something that has been part of my career from the very beginning. Right now", he continued, "it's very important that we all get a grasp on what it is that can build bridges between us. I really do see children's books as a way to build those bridges early on." 

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