School Library Journal Review
| This book was developed from training sessions Bratt created to help her white colleagues "feel comfortable engaging with race and providing tools to help disrupt bias at a young age." Balanced with research and rationale that supports why talking about race with young children is important, Bratt provides practical, easy-to-implement methods to get any storyteller started: suggested conversation starters, ways to normalize talking about race, and tips for leading positive discussions about racial differences with the very young and their caregivers. She supplements the text with callout boxes designed to foster self-reflection as well as to share example scripts, related terminology, and suggested storytime books. Drawing from her own research in antibias early education practices, Bratt's book is about so much more than storytimes: the chapters build upon each other, leading readers through understanding racial differences and systemic racism's negative impacts on nondominant groups, examining the negative impact on a pervasive dominant culture in library spaces, and moving beyond allyhood and becoming changemakers. She, of course, provides storytime examples and ways to cultivate craft. VERDICT Recommended for professionals who have been apprehensive about talking about race.--Adrienne L. Strock |
Booklist Review
| At turns moving and instructive, this is a powerful examination of how to integrate anti-racist ideas and conversations into the most foundational of library services: storytime. Bratt's personal experiences and recent events that inspired the Black Lives Matter movement provide a backdrop. She takes time to outline the ways in which equity, diversity, and inclusion can give value to a storytime. The book consists of five chapters that thoughtfully guide the reader through how to discuss race with children. While the first half of the book is dedicated to understanding the history of racism in America and the ways in which inequity persists, the second half provides instruction for practical application of these ideas. Chapter four provides six sample storytime outlines to try. Each outline offers texts and songs that include diverse characters and experiences. Throughout, Bratt provides texts, thorough reference lists, and myriad resources for librarians and educators seeking to not only provide more inclusion in their work but to encourage parents to do the same at home. This text will be incredibly useful for children's librarians, teachers, and parents looking to provide a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive education for the children they serve. |
