Social Justice Books

Critically reviewed selection of multicultural and social justice books for children, young adults, and educators.

Rudas: Niño’s Horrendous Hermanitas

Reviewed by: Beverly Slapin Review Source: De Colores: The Raza Experience in Books for Children Book Author: In this, the rematch of all rematches!—defeated, but unwilling to surrender!—Niño’s HORRIFYING, HARROWING, HORRENDOUS HERMANITAS (“Wrestling champions! Lucha Queens!”)—interrupting their brother who has been busy creating a picture book and must now drop everything to don his lucha […]

Little Night/Nochecita

Reviewed by: Beverly Slapin Review Source: De Colores: The Raza Experience in Books for Children Book Author: In this beautiful inverted go-to-bed story, full of magical realism and lots of love, Mamá Cielo (Mother Sky) convinces her young daughter, Nochecita (Little Night) to come out and darken the sky so that everyone can sleep. While Morales […]

Baby’s First Words

Reviewed by CCBC Review Source: Cooperative Children’s Book Center Book Author: A toddler’s day provides the story arc of a board book that offers engagement, affirmation, and delight, showing a mixed-race, gay-parented family. “Good morning!” reads the primary text on the opening page spread. The colorful scene includes word labels for “baby” (the girl), “bed,” […]

Luis Paints the World

Reviewed by Beverly Slapin Review Source: De Colores: The Raza Experience in Books for Children Book Author: In the 1960s, Chicanos comprised only about 5% of the US population, yet made up about 22% of the US casualties in Vietnam. So towards the end of the decade, the Chicano community in California began organizing against their […]

Thunder Boy Jr.

Reviewed by Debbie Reese Review Source: American Indians in Children’s Literature Book Author: Back in February, I pre-ordered a copy of Sherman Alexie’s picture book, Thunder Boy Jr. It arrived on Tuesday (May 10, 2016). The illustrations are by Yuyi Morales. Alexie is doing a significant promotional campaign for the book. He was on The […]

Stepping Stones: A Refugee Family’s Journey

Reviewed by Deborah Menkart Review Source: Teaching for Change Book Author: This bilingual children’s picture book (English and Arabic) is worth reading for the illustrations alone. The three dimensional characters, made from beach stone by Syrian artist Nizar Ali Badr, are so expressive and exquisite that they tell a story of their own. Badr conveys the […]