Review by Booklist Review
The emergence of the term "antiracist" in our global discourse has pushed away language that now seems euphemistic--multicultural, diverse, pluralistic--and that clearly was not strong enough to allow us to examine deeply-rooted prejudices carefully. Acclaimed author Kendi believes that even the very young need to be familiar with what it means to be antiracist, yet this colorful board book is as much for adult caregivers as it is for little ones. It provides nine numbered strategies, each given its own spread, for being antiracist, including knocking down "the stack of cultural blocks" that we use to create hierarchies of people and "confessing when being racist," which is to say, recognizing or naming racism. These concepts are presented as simple and matter-of-fact, so the adult reading Antiracist Baby to children should be prepared to unpack some complicated matters. The babies in Lukashevsky's bold illustrations are symbolic of a multiracial future that has the potential to collaborate for a better world--as long as they talk about it.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
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)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
This book may be nominally for babies, but its audience is an adult one. Kendi makes this clear in the first two double-page spreads: "Antiracist Baby is bred, not born. / Antiracist Baby is raised to make society transform. // Babies are taught to be racist or antiracist--there is no neutrality. / Take these nine steps to make equity a reality." Although this board book hardly substitutes for How To Be an Antiracist (2019), Kendi's exploration of the topic for adults, it does serve to remind caregivers that raising an antiracist child is a conscious process. Importantly, points No. 1, "Open your eyes to all skin colors," and No. 2, "Use your words to talk about race," aim to correct anxious, usually white caregivers' tendencies to "deny what's right in front of you" when their children point out people who look different from them. To these and Kendi's next seven points, Lukashevsky pairs bold, thickly outlined cartoons of babies and adults of many different skin tones, gender presentations, and body types. A couple of the depicted caregivers have tattoos; one wears the hijab. Several sets of parents can be read as LGBTQ+. The bright colors should keep babies and toddlers engaged while adults work to master the couplets, which do not always scan evenly. Some points are harder than others: "Confess when being racist," for instance, may require several reads to internalize. Antiracism's starting point. (Board book. 6 mos.-3) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
