"When we whisper
Black Lives Matter,
we're remembering
the past.
All the terrible things
that were said and done,
we're saying they
trouble our hearts."
Astute readers will notice on the title page that a Black family is going to have a baby. Following the wonder of its birth, the parents speak a love letter to their child. They remind the child that there are numerous reasons for repeating and acknowledging that Black Lives Matter. There is nothing but love displayed page and page through words and art.
Vibrant colors, done in watercolor pencil and collage, carry their assurances from page to page. The emotions are evident in the words spoken and the scenes created to match those words. Life for their child will always be filled with love and lived with purpose. Yes, there will be conflict as history has proven; there will also be great joy. It is a story that begins at birth and ends with graduation and hope for the future (and a peace sign).
"Darling, when we sing that
Black Lives Matter,
and we're dancing through
the streets, we're saying:
fear will not destroy our joy,
defiance in our feet."
Filled with powerful words and marvelous illustrations, it is a celebration of Black children and their communities. It does not shy away from the many challenges of the past and present. There are many reasons for the movement itself. Attention is needed. It is an important book for all children, and for their families and friends.
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