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Black Barbie: The Story of Designer Kitty Black Perkins

Contributor(s): Johnson, Dinah (Author), Freeman, Laura (Illustrator)

ISBN: 9780316579186

Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books-Little Brown and Hachette

Hardcover
$18.99
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Pub Date: January 5, 2027

Lexile Code: 0000

Target Age Group: 05 to 09

Physical Info: 0.00" H x 0.00" L x 0.00" W ( 0.00 lbs) 40 pages

Descriptions, Reviews, etc.

Description: Celebrate the creator of the world's first Black Barbie in this inspiring story about Kitty Black Perkins, the visionary toy designer who helped define the course of Barbie's history.

Ever since she was little, Kitty Black Perkins loved making clothes for dolls. She'd cut the materials using paper, creating outfits and accessories from a rainbow of colors and patterns. So when she saw an ad to work for Mattel designing clothes for Barbie, she jumped at the opportunity. But it never felt right to Kitty that all the dolls had the same skin tone, and she wished there was a Barbie that looked like her and her family and neighbors back home in South Carolina.

This inspiring true story celebrates the life of Kitty Black Perkins, whose creativity and confidence led to the production, manufacturing, and marketing of the first Black Barbie doll. It's a radiant portrait of the woman who dared to see herself in Barbie, allowing children to do the same.

Review Quotes: Praise for Ida B. Wells Marches for the Vote:
A CCBC Choices Selection
Winner of the SCBWI Golden Kite Award Nonfiction Text for Younger Readers

"Young activists in search of role models will find much to admire in this tough, courageous woman."--Kirkus Reviews

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