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Summary
Summary
A picture book edition of the board book about love, relationships, and families, offering adults the opportunity to begin important conversations with young children in an informed, safe, and supported way.
Now in a hardcover picture book! Developed by experts in the fields of early childhood and activism against injustice, this topic-driven book offers clear, concrete language and beautiful imagery that young children can grasp and adults can leverage for further discussion.
While young children are avid observers and questioners of their world, adults often shut down or postpone conversations on complicated topics because it's hard to know where to begin. Research shows that talking about issues like love, relationships, and families from the age of two not only helps children understand what they see, but also increases self-awareness, self-esteem, and allows them to recognize and confront things that are unfair, like discrimination and prejudice.
This fourth book in the series begins the conversation on love with a supportive approach that considers both the child and the adult. Stunning art accompanies the simple and interactive text, and the backmatter offers additional resources and ideas for extending this discussion.
Author Notes
Dr. Megan Pamela Ruth Madison is a political educator and a lifelong student of radical Black feminism. She earned her PhD in Social Policy from Brandeis University. As a scholar-activist, her approach to research and practice is guided by the Sociopolitical Ecology of Development, a theoretical framework that she developed as a part of her dissertation. Megan has served on the boards of the National Association for the Education for Young Children and Jews for Racial and Economic Justice. With Jessica Ralli, she co-authors First Conversations-an award-winning series of anti-bias books for young children and their grown-ups.
Jessica Ralli is the Early Literacy Programs Coordinator at Brooklyn Public Library where she develops & manages grant-funded programming including Books Unbanned Storytimes. She has an M.A. in Early Childhood Special Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, and has taught in museums, schools, and libraries. Jessica is a contributor to School Library Journal, and in 2020, she received the Library Journal Movers and Shakers Award for her advocacy work in libraries. Jessica is currently co-authoring the award-winning First Conversations series with Megan Madison, published by RISE X Penguin Workshop.
Reviews (2)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1--"Everyone is born ready to love and be loved." This straightforward explanation, geared toward the youngest readers, of the types of love people have for each other tackles one big idea per spread: "Love is … an action--something we can do. When we love someone, we can say it and show it." Accompanying questions solicit conversation: "How do you show love? How do people show you love?" While all types of love (self, things, family, friends, romantic) are discussed, close attention is paid to LGBTQIA+ relationships. Simple explanations of what it means to be gay, lesbian, queer, and straight are accompanied by spare, colorful illustrations. Relationships and families of all varieties are represented, and the characters depicted cover a wide variety of colors, abilities, and gender presentations. Back matter provides support for adults reading to children, covering a range of issues from "When Love Is Hard" to "Heteronormativity & Resistance," "Healthy Sexual Development," and "Building a Loving World." VERDICT A must for the shelves. Todd Parr in tone, but with more in-depth examination, this comprehensive and age-appropriate discussion about love for the youngest children, provides opportunities for important conversations between children and their caregivers.--Jennifer Noonan
Kirkus Review
Children are "born ready to love," but that doesn't mean the concept isn't complicated! Wisely starting with the most intimate first relationship--a cozy newborn being cuddled by a caregiver--the authors of this inclusive book scaffold outward to more complicated relationships. Love of pets, people, and pizza are described dynamically, and constant open-ended questions like "who do you love?" invite readers to tie it back to their own lives. Branching into romantic love, the authors name examples of adult relationships, with special attention paid to the oft-glossed-over LGBTQ+ community. Tonally, the frank, unflowery text works especially well here, with enough information to be clear without overwhelming. The book doesn't shy away from depicting love as challenging--one page portrays children fighting over toys. This is also the rare book that acknowledges that some children lack love and family. The text briefly but poignantly notes that "people in power have made unfair rules about who can love each other and who can be a family." But by closing with an actionable ministory about a community that changes a Father's Day event to an inclusive family day, Madison and Ralli remind readers that "we're building that world together." Joy and inclusion abound in digital illustrations, with a raucous wedding attended by people of various ethnicities, gender expressions, and abilities. Comprehensive backmatter can facilitate deeper discussions. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Many caregivers will appreciate this concise, useful, and ultimately hopeful conversation starter. (Board book. 2-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
