Black Girl You Are Atlas
| Author | Renée Watson |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Ekua Holmes |
| Publisher | Kokila |
| Publication date | February 13, 2024 |
| Pages | 96 |
| ISBN | 9780593461709 |
Black Girl You Are Atlas is a 2024 young adult poetry collection written by Renée Watson and illustrated by Ekua Holmes.
Summary
The book centers of the theme of Black womanhood and includes semi-autobiographical elements. It contains various forms of poems, including free verse, haikus, pantoum, and tanka, alongside collage artwork done by Holmes. The poems include "Turning Seven", about Watson's relationship to her father and uncle, "King”, about Watson's brother, "A Tanka for Michelle Obama", and "A Pantoum for Breonna Taylor", a tribute to Breonna Taylor.[1][2][3]
Audiobook
An audiobook adaption narrated by Watson was published on the same day of the print book.[4]
Reception
The book received starred reviews from Bookpage, Kirkus Reviews, and School Library Journal.[1][3][5] It was also reviewed by Publishers Weekly.[2]
| Year | Award/Honor | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Cybil Award - Poetry | Won | [6] |
| 2025 | Walter Dean Myers Award - Teen | Won | [7] |
| Coretta Scott King Award - Author | Honored | [8] | |
| Odyssey Award (for audiobook adaption) | Honored | [9] | |
| Rise: A Feminist Book Project | Top Ten | [10] |
References
- 1 2 Cary, Alice (2024-11-12). "Book review of Black Girl You Are Atlas by Renée Watson". BookPage | Discover your next great book!. Retrieved 2026-08-07.
- 1 2 "Black Girl You Are Atlas by Renée Watson". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2026-08-07.
- 1 2 BLACK GIRL YOU ARE ATLAS | Kirkus Reviews.
- ↑ BLACK GIRL YOU ARE ATLAS by Renée Watson | Kirkus Reviews.
- ↑ Renée, Watson. "Black Girl You Are Atlas". School Library Journal. Retrieved 2026-08-07.
- ↑ "2024 Cybils Finalists". www.cybils.com. Retrieved 2026-08-07.
- ↑ "Announcing Our 2025 Walter Award Winners!". We Need Diverse Books. Retrieved 2026-08-07.
- ↑ "American Library Association announces 2025 Youth Media Award winners | ALA". www.ala.org. Retrieved 2026-08-07.
- ↑ "2025 Odyssey Awards for Excellence in Audiobook Production for Children and Young Adults announced | ALA". www.ala.org. Retrieved 2026-07-18.
- ↑ "2025 Rise: A Feminist Book Project List | Social Responsibilities Round Table". www.ala.org. Retrieved 2026-08-07.