JULY 2020 - AudioFile
Antiracist Baby is bred, not born. / Antiracist Baby is raised to make society transform.” So begins the picture book written by the author of HOW TO BE AN ANTIRACIST to help explain racism to his young daughter. Shayna Small’s narration takes listeners through nine steps “to make equity a reality.” Her tone is authoritative, the strength of her voice made more powerful by the soft rhyming of the text. While the audio can be shared with babies, its clarity and simplicity will speak more deeply to parents, who will be guided by steps on “opening your eyes to all skin colors” and advice on how to “use your words to talk about race.” Guy Lockard reads Ibram X. Kendi’s author’s note to parents and caregivers. offering questions and discussion starters to facilitate conversation. His clear and gentle tone parallels Small’s. S.W. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
05/25/2020
National Book Award winner Kendi addresses youngest readers in this board book introduction to combatting racism, which outlines nine steps for rearing accountable kids. Each spread begins with a numbered rule, then follows with a rhyming explanation. Starting with “Open your eyes to all skin colors” and ending with “Believe we shall overcome racism,” Kendi provides broadly actionable pointers to dispel societal misconceptions: “Point at policies as the problem, not people./ Some people get more, while others get less.../ because policies don’t always grant equal access.” Boldly outlined, inclusive illustrations by Lukashevsky complement the text by showing a world populated by people of various skin tones, sizes, identities and orientations, religions, and abilities. Though the advanced diction (“there’s no neutrality”) gears the volume more toward caretakers than infants themselves, the book will nonetheless serve as a mindful companion for families striving together toward a more equitable future: “Antiracist Baby is bred, not born./ Antiracist Baby is raised/ to make society transform.” Ages up to 3. (June)
JULY 2020 - AudioFile
Antiracist Baby is bred, not born. / Antiracist Baby is raised to make society transform.” So begins the picture book written by the author of HOW TO BE AN ANTIRACIST to help explain racism to his young daughter. Shayna Small’s narration takes listeners through nine steps “to make equity a reality.” Her tone is authoritative, the strength of her voice made more powerful by the soft rhyming of the text. While the audio can be shared with babies, its clarity and simplicity will speak more deeply to parents, who will be guided by steps on “opening your eyes to all skin colors” and advice on how to “use your words to talk about race.” Guy Lockard reads Ibram X. Kendi’s author’s note to parents and caregivers. offering questions and discussion starters to facilitate conversation. His clear and gentle tone parallels Small’s. S.W. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
