  | When we say Black Lives Matter Author: Clarke, Maxine Beneba | |
| Price: $21.88 | ||
Summary:
In this joyful exploration of the Black Lives Matter motto, a loving narrator relays to a young Black child the strength and resonance behind the words. In family life, through school and beyond, the refrains echo and gain in power.
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| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: LG Reading Level: 3.50 Points: .5 Quiz: 515632 |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (+) (07/15/21)
School Library Journal (+) (07/01/21)
Booklist (+) (09/15/21)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (+) (00/10/21)
The Hornbook (00/01/22)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 07/01/2021 K-Gr 3—A powerful, painful, and honest celebration of being Black in the world today. This book not only affirms young Black children, but calls on all children to acknowledge the importance of Black lives and the Black Lives Matter movement. Without shying away from painful history and hard truths, Clarke, an Australian writer and illustrator of Afro-Caribbean descent, raises the call to bellow, sing, laugh, and cry, "Black Lives Matter." The illustrations resemble stained glass windows that feature silhouettes of Black characters embracing myriad ways in which to acknowledge and process the wonderfulness of being Black as well as the danger and sadness of living in a racist society. VERDICT Affirming language and inspiring illustrations make this poem in praise of the BLM movement a book that deserves a spot in every library.—John Scott, Friends Sch. of Baltimore - Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
Booklist - 09/15/2021 *Starred Review* Australian author-illustrator Clarke (The Patchwork Bike, 2018) has created a gorgeous and moving tribute to the Black Lives Matter movement in this story of two parents guiding their newborn son as he grows and encounters barriers to his freedom that arise as a result of his brown skin. Through simple, poetic language, the text turns over the phrase “Black Lives Matter,” discussing the range of its meanings, from those rooted in joy and a pride in one’s African heritage to pleas for change and rallying cries against racial injustice. Clarke’s bold, saturated illustrations arrestingly spill their rich colors across entire pages and use simple figures and silhouettes to convey vast emotions and moments of bravery, fear, and triumph. The placement and appearance of the text also echoes the story’s meaning, with a curved word smiling, font size increasing to become a shout, and key words—many creatively formed (“jazz-howl,” “wonderful-strong,” “a-thundering”)—highlighted in different colors. Different verbs are also employed, so that the words “Black Lives Matter” are said, sung, bellowed, cried, laughed, screamed, and more, and the effect is a powerful one. The story ends at the child’s graduation, where he’s depicted wearing a cap and gown and his arms raised in a victory pose with the peace sign on one hand. A stand-out offering that celebrates, affirms, and supports efforts to overcome adversity. - Copyright 2021 Booklist.
