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hb_bookworm's review against another edition
4.0
a great message for kids with beautiful illustrations, but i liked the prompts in the back more than the text of the book itself.
kim_j_dare's review against another edition
3.0
Great concept; weird execution. While toddlers will enjoy the colorful illustrations, the clunky rhymes and complex vocabulary won’t roll easily off the tongues of caregivers who are reading the board book aloud. I’m all for encouraging awareness and activism at an early age, but I wish this had been more intentional about meeting young children closer to where they are developmentally.
Thanks, Kokila and Edelweiss, for the electronic ARC.
Thanks, Kokila and Edelweiss, for the electronic ARC.
happylilkt's review against another edition
2.0
This is exactly what you think it is.
If you are acquainted with the board book market you know what I mean. There are beautiful board books out there with appealing illustrations and text that both adults and children of most ages will enjoy. Then there are the ones that are "let's review your colors/numbers/ABCs." I think there is a place for those board books. Board books that present nursery rhymes or favorite songs are also great.
But then we have books that are really just marketed to adult purchasers. BabyLit immediately comes to mind; where vocabulary is presented but there is no actual story. But "we love Books so we are going to buy this" (it's not about baby). Books where the entire story is "mommy/daddy loves you so much" (these books are the equivalent of a hallmark greeting card. Do you really need the copy in the card to deliver your message or can you come up with it on your own? There are a few that are not bad, but most of them are drivel), and, finally, books like this. The illustrations are nice, the message captures the current zeitgeist, and since anti-racist books are selling out, of course publishers want to get in on the money grab.
Don't get me wrong, the quality of execution is not bad. It's just that the style of these books, in my opinion, does not work for kids. Presenting vocabulary without a story. A didactic tone. You see it across a range of topics. This book is written to sell. If you want to educate your child on anti-racism, let them see you reading books on the topic, engage them in other communities outside your comfort zone, diversify your other children's books, and teach them to be critical readers. In spite of my rant, you may want to get this book if 1) you want to support the author, 2) you want to signal to publishers that there is a market for books like this, 3) you love the illustrations, 4) you want to send a message to others (including your kids) that this matters to you.
If you are acquainted with the board book market you know what I mean. There are beautiful board books out there with appealing illustrations and text that both adults and children of most ages will enjoy. Then there are the ones that are "let's review your colors/numbers/ABCs." I think there is a place for those board books. Board books that present nursery rhymes or favorite songs are also great.
But then we have books that are really just marketed to adult purchasers. BabyLit immediately comes to mind; where vocabulary is presented but there is no actual story. But "we love Books so we are going to buy this" (it's not about baby). Books where the entire story is "mommy/daddy loves you so much" (these books are the equivalent of a hallmark greeting card. Do you really need the copy in the card to deliver your message or can you come up with it on your own? There are a few that are not bad, but most of them are drivel), and, finally, books like this. The illustrations are nice, the message captures the current zeitgeist, and since anti-racist books are selling out, of course publishers want to get in on the money grab.
Don't get me wrong, the quality of execution is not bad. It's just that the style of these books, in my opinion, does not work for kids. Presenting vocabulary without a story. A didactic tone. You see it across a range of topics. This book is written to sell. If you want to educate your child on anti-racism, let them see you reading books on the topic, engage them in other communities outside your comfort zone, diversify your other children's books, and teach them to be critical readers. In spite of my rant, you may want to get this book if 1) you want to support the author, 2) you want to signal to publishers that there is a market for books like this, 3) you love the illustrations, 4) you want to send a message to others (including your kids) that this matters to you.
jojodoug55's review against another edition
2.0
2.5/5
Reads more like a short instruction manual for parents than a story read for infants. While its message and content are important, the literary style of the book is too advanced for its audience and not really literary at all.
Reads more like a short instruction manual for parents than a story read for infants. While its message and content are important, the literary style of the book is too advanced for its audience and not really literary at all.
neenthefiend's review against another edition
5.0
Hoooooly shit, so good. I think this book not only teaches children how to allow growth without shame but also parents as well. If you approach this book, whether you are a teacher, parent, aunt, uncle, general unit within a kinship network of a child, with humility, faith, and desire that both you and said child are worthy and crucial participants in shifting societal paradigms in a way that doesn’t admonish but positively reinforces accountability and continued, whether they be imperfect, efforts…. The effects would be palpable. Empathy and accountability are not mutually exclusive. I wish I had this literature and adults around me who exposed me to it during my early development years. The discussion questions in the back are so incredibly integral and helpful to effectively utilize this book. Challenging and questioning imagination should be promoted much more comprehensively and I think this books propels this conversation in an accessible way. Also, the illustrations are appealing and stimulating for all ages.
alissa417's review against another edition
5.0
The perfect book to read verbatim over the phone to racist family members. Keeps it so simple, this board book is a work of art.