The Talk by Alicia D. Williams

Abstract

Reviewed by: The Talk by Alicia D. Williams Kate Quealy-Gainer, Editor Williams, Alicia D. The Talk; illus. by Briana Mukodiri Uchendu. Atheneum/ 2022 [40p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781534495296 $18.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9781534495302 $10.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R* 6-10 yrs With a wide, gap-toothed smile, our spunky protagonist Jay introduces readers to himself and his pals Jamal, Eboni, and Bryant. The four friends spend their Saturdays racing through the neighborhood under the watchful eye of Jay's grandfather, who regales them with stories of famous Black athletes. Jay's impatient to grow, but as his height ticks up along the wall and he's allowed a bit more independence, he notices he's getting more warnings than stories from his grandfather and the other adults in his life. In a painful but likely familiar scene to Black households, the grown-ups sit him down, and the story here spills into a wordless scene, smudged in blues and grays, depicting overt, racist aggression against Black people, from being yelled at in a store to handcuffed by police. While Jay's family reassures him none of the nasty stares or violence is his fault, the weight of those injustices looms, even as the book ends with Jay and co. happily zooming through the streets again. The book carefully avoids both preachiness and total resignation, acknowledging Jay's joyful childhood along with the forces that threaten it. The illustrations bring a subtle but powerful emphasis, especially in a second viewing. Young Jay playfully seated at the wheel of his dad's car or pulling up his favorite hoodie mirrors later scenes that show his family cautioning an older Jay against those same actions. The smudgy art has a depth and richness that create movement, assisted by the telling body language of the various figures; particularly poignant are Jay's mom's [End Page 69] expressions of pride and worry as she measures his height against the wall. Adult guidance might be needed at points, but this is guaranteed to spark a discussion about the issues everyone should be talking about. Copyright © 2022 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois