My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Talk is a strikingly illustrated collection of prose and poetry considering the various forms of "the talk" that parents have with their children around race. Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson curated and edited writings and drawings from a range of BIPOC experiences, and readers will recognize many, if not all, of the writers and illustrators. (I had previously read/viewed the work of all but one or two.) While the book feels targeted at adult readers, all of the works included are appropriate to share with children, and I think many upper elementary and middle school students would particularly enjoy the book.
I loved so much about the book, but one of the things I most appreciated is that each selection is a bite-sized morsel of truth shared with the reader. I read the book straight through, but you don't have to. Each piece stands beautifully alone and, pulled together, all of the selections make for an extremely moving reading experience.
As a parent and teacher, I want to share these stories with my own children and with my students. I am certain that other adult readers will find the text useful in so many ways. While different pieces will speak differently to different readers, I particularly liked the contributions from Grace Lin, Duncan Tonatiuh, Tracey Baptiste, and Adam Gidwitz. For me, Lin's piece "Not a China Doll" connected strongly with what it is to be a woman or girl in this country as well as what it means, specifically, to be an Asian woman or girl. Tonatiuh's "Why Are There Racist People?" is a piece I want to share as my school embarks on a school-wide reading of Stamped, as it explains in clear terms why we should ALL care about racism. Baptiste's "TEN" reminded me of the conversations I had with Black mothers that struck straight to my core and made vivid the different realities faced by my white children and their Black children under seemingly identical circumstances. And Gidwitz's "Our Inheritance" is the most beautiful explanation I have found so far for systemic racism and why we white people are all complicit.
I urge you to read this book. Share it with your children. Incorporate it into your lesson planning. You won't regret it.
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