The Talk: Conversations about Race, Love & Truth ed. by Wade Hudson

Abstract

Reviewed by: The Talk: Conversations about Race, Love & Truth ed. by Wade Hudson Deborah Stevenson, Editor Hudson, Wade, ed. The Talk: Conversations about Race, Love & Truth; ed. by Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson; illus. by Natacha Bustos, Cozbi A. Cabrera, Raul Colón et al. Crown, 2020 [160p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780593121610 $16.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780593121634 $9.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R* Gr. 5-10 "We can only imagine the kinds of talks that occur in homes and schools today because so many of us are being picked on, pushed aside, told we don't belong, or told to go back to where we came from," say the co-editors in their foreword that introduces seventeen entries by prominent authors and illustrators for youth that give a window into the different kinds of talks that can take place. Renée Watson opens the collection with loving encouragement ("Black girl, you are a miracle") in "Remember This"; Grace Lin explains to her daughter her reaction to a common remark in "Not a China Doll." In "The Way of the Anigiduwagi," Traci Sorell speaks to a young person growing up in a world that commodifies Cherokee people without granting them respect; Valerie Wilson Wesley explains her father's legacy as a Tuskegee Airman to her grandson in "Never Be Afraid to Soar." Duncan Tonatiuh offers an accessible answer to his student's question of "Why Are There Racist People?"; in "Our Inheritance" Adam Gidwitz explains to his daughter that as white people their family has benefited from a racist history and culture; Christopher Myers concludes the collection with a classical metaphor in "Mazes." It would be easy to continue naming compelling entries in this valuable and timely collection, which covers the many ways racism's costs and dangers get explained to young people of various races themselves. Approaches range from emotional direct address to warmly remembered anecdote to thoughtful lecture, [End Page 24] and accompanying art includes graphic novel styled panels, incorporated line drawings, and tender portraiture. This will be validating for readers already familiar with these kinds of talks and importantly enlightening for those to whom the ideas of such restrictions are new. Copyright © 2020 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois