Antiracist baby by Ibram X. Kendi. Illus. by Ashley Lukashevsky

Antiracist Baby by Ibram X. Kendi will be an important read for sharing at any times but is made even more crucial by the "Black Lives Matter" movement. The book begins with the statement 'Antiracist baby is bred, not born' and is therefore taught to be racist from an early age by the adults in their lives. The reader is then presented with nine steps to make 'equity a reality':

1.       Open your eyes to all skin colours.
2.       Use your words to talk about race.
3.       Point at policies as the problem, not people.
4.       Shout, "There's nothing wrong with the people!"
5.       Celebrate all our differences.
6.       Knock down the stack of cultural blocks.
7.       Confess when being racist.
8.       Grow to be an antiracist.
9.       Believe we shall overcome racism.

Under each step is clever rhyming prose to expand on what is being discussed. Some of the language used is quite complex for younger readers and the glossary at the end is a welcome addition. The illustrations are bright, colourful and depict a range of different cultural and social identities. As well as a further reading section there are some ideas for parents and care givers to begin this necessary conversation about racism.

Themes: Anti-Racism, Young Children, Values.

Kathryn Beilby