So, I stumbled upon this great children’s book this weekend. After church on Sunday, I went to one of my favorite local restaurants, Franklin’s, and I stopped in their general store after we ate, and I found this gem, Simone Visits the Museum by Dr. Kelsi Bracmort. It grabbed my attention because the characters are African American, and the book has awesome illustrations. I always make it a point to buy books for my children with African-American characters. So imagine my surprise when I discovered that the main characters are not only African American, but the story focuses on a family’s visit to the Smithsonian’s African-American Museum in Washington, D.C.

I read Simone Visits the Museum to my children last night before bed, and they thoroughly enjoyed it. They loved it because we’ve been to the museum, and they identified with many aspects of the book. For example, Simone and her mother take the Metro downtown. The Metro is the name of the public transportation system in Washington, D.C., Maryland and northern Virginia. I also enjoyed the cultural aspects included in the book. Simone’s mom’s hair is wrapped up in a beautiful scarf in the first few pages, but when it’s time for them to go, she lets out lush, shoulder-length hair. I just purchased a bonnet for my daughter, and I wrap my shoulder-length hair up at night in a scarf, so it was nice to point these things out to my daughter.

In the book, Simone and her mother have a great day at the museum learning about African-American history and culture. It’s a great family book. It’s a great introduction to the Smithsonian’s African-American Museum if your family is planning a visit, and it’s a great book to have on your children’s shelf. I highly recommend this book, and I’m all for supporting local writers and artists. Check them out today, and let me know if you do in the comments!