Black Girl You Are Atlas - by Renée Watson

About the Book

"Poet Renâee Watson looks back at her childhood and urges readers to look forward at their futures with love, understanding, and celebration in this fully illustrated poetry collection"--

Book Synopsis

A Coretta Scott King Honor Book
Winner of the Walter Dean Myers Award

A thoughtful celebration of Black girlhood by award-winning author and poet Renée Watson.

In this semi-autobiographical collection of poems, Renée Watson writes
about her experience growing up as a young Black girl at the intersections of race, class, and gender.

Using a variety of poetic forms, from haiku to free verse, Watson shares recollections of her childhood in Portland, tender odes to the Black women in her life, and urgent calls for Black girls to step into their power.

Black Girl You Are Atlas encourages young readers to embrace their future with a strong sense of sisterhood and celebration. With full-color art by celebrated fine artist Ekua Holmes throughout, this collection offers guidance and is a gift for anyone who reads it.

Review Quotes

Praise for Black Girl You Are Atlas by Renée Watson; Illustrated by Ekua Holmes:

A USA Today Bestseller
A 2025 Coretta Scott King Honor
Winner of the Walter Dean Myers Award
A 2025 Rise: A Feminist Book Project for Ages 0-18 Book (Top Ten Title)
A 2025 ALSC Notable Children's Book
A 2025 NCTE Notable Verse Novel
A 2025 Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA) Children & Youth Literary Award -- Honor Book
A Kirkus Best YA Book of the Year
A School Library Journal Best YA Book of the Year
A Horn Book Best Book of the Year
A BookPage Best YA Book of the Year
A 2024 NPR Books We Love selection
A Cosmopolitan Best YA Book of 2024
A NEA Read Across America 2024-2025 selection
A New York Public Library Best Book of 2024
A Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2024
An Evanston Public Library 101 Best Books for Kids selection
A Read With Jenna Jr Summer Reading List selection
Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature Best Books of 2024
Common Sense Media's Best Books of 2024
A 2025 Odyssey Honor audiobook
2025 Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award Honor Book (Pennsylvania Center for the Book)
2025 Dogwood Reading List (Missouri)
2026 Oklahoma Sequoyah Nominee (Oklahoma)
Children's Book Council (CBC) 2025 Favorites Awards List (Librarian favorite, 9th -12th grade; Children's favorite, 9th -12th grade)

★ "[A] moving, introspective poetry collection celebrating the possibilities of Black girlhood complemented by atmospheric mixed-media illustrations...A compelling ode to self-resurrection and Black sisterhood." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ "Brimming with vibrant, layered poetry and stunningly textured collage art, this ballad for Black girls is a must for all collections...The combination of poetry and collage art is exceptionally powerful and dynamic." --School Library Journal, starred review

★ "This poetry collection masterfully encapsulates Watson's experience of Black girlhood and womanhood...The collaboration with Holmes, whose magnificent collages accompany Watson's words, adds a visual dimension that also spans cultures and experiences. The result is a celebration of the complexities of, and the bonds formed through, Black girlhood and womanhood." --The Horn Book, starred review

★ "Watson offers high-impact, widely accessible poems... a phenomenal poetry collection celebrating sisterhood, womanhood, Black culture and the power of family and friendship... Caldecott Honor recipient Holmes' torn paper collage and mixed-media art is the perfect accompaniment... Shimmering with radiance." --BookPage, starred review

"[A] semi-autobiographical collection that speaks to...the expansive experience of Black girlhood as it cycles toward womanhood via sharp and loving poetry. Accompanied by striking and vintage-feeling multimedia collage artwork... a tender ode to universal yearnings for safety, love, and justice, as well as a celebration of Black girlhood." --Publishers Weekly

"Watson's latest collection of poetry is a powerful mixture of free verse and short-form poetry...The poems are accompanied by Holmes' breathtaking collage art." --Booklist

About the Author

Renée Watson is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, educator, and community activist. Her books have sold over one million copies. Her novel Piecing Me Together received a Coretta Scott King Award and a Newbery Honor. Her picture books and novels for teens have received several awards and international recognition. She has given readings and lectures at many places including the United Nations, the Library of Congress, and the US Embassy in Japan and New Zealand. Her poetry and fiction centers the experiences of Black girls and women, and explores themes of home, identity, and the intersections of race, class, and gender.

Ekua Holmes is a collage-based artist who investigates family histories, relationship dynamics, childhood impressions, and the power of hope, faith, and self-determination in her work. She has created and led workshops, been a visiting artist and lecturer, and held artist residencies throughout New England. For her work in illustrating children's literature, Holmes is the recipient of a Caldecott Honor, Coretta Scott King's John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award, Robert Siebert and Horn Book awards. She is also currently Commissioner and Vice-Chair of the Boston Art Commission and Associate Director at the Center for Art and Community Partnerships at MassArt.