February is Black History Month, and we’re celebrating with two weeks of posts highlighting Black authors, characters, and experiences in our New Book Collection here in the Butler Center. This week, we’re looking at picture books, with our feature pick being Baseball for Breakfast: A (Mostly) True Story by Judy Campbell-Smith and illustrated by Maggie Carroll. Jimmy loves watching the Milwaukee Brewers with Ma and Pop. But when Pop leaves to fight in World War II, Ma starts working overnight factory shifts to support herself and Jimmy in his absence, and Jimmy suddenly has no one to go with him to baseball games in the afternoons and evenings. When Brewers owner Bill Veeck hears about the conundrum, he comes up with a new idea to keep baseball accessible to Jimmy’s family and all the others like them — morning baseball games, with free admission for night shift workers.

Check out more picture books for Black History Month below!

Baseball for Breakfast: A (Mostly) True Story
Judy Campbell-Smith
Illustrated by Maggie Carroll
Charlesbridge
Available now!

Do I Love You? Yes I Do!
Ruth Forman
Illustrated by Raissa Figeuroa
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing/Little Simon
Available now!

Haircut Day with Dad
Monica Mikai
Random House Children’s Books/Crown Books for Young Readers
Available now!

Hairstory
Sope Martins
Illustrated by Briana Mukodiri Uchendu
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing/Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Available now!

Love That Baby Hair!
Alliah L. Agostini
Illustrated by Sawyer Cloud
Charlesbridge
Available March 3, 2026