An ABC of Equality

PreS-K--For many, the ideas of privilege and allyship are concepts that are not explicitly taught in childhood. Many people must consciously unlearn the system of beliefs imposed by parents, authority figures, and the overall dominant culture. Ewing's colorful, sunny board book takes such nebulous ideas and packages them into an easily digestible vocabulary bank for young readers. While definitions have been simplified to two sentences, Ewing doesn't avoid or ignore the far-reaching impact of these words. For example, the difference between "Gender" and "Sex" is clearly and objectively explained. She writes, "Gender is a category that describes the inside feeling of being a boy, girl, both, neither, and everything in between." Ewing defines the term sex as, "When a baby arrives, the doctor will say it's a boy or girl depending on their understanding of the baby's body. This is their sex." Each letter of the alphabet and its corresponding word is accompanied by a related image. Morgan's illustrations feature cartoon children and adults of various skin tones and physical abilities and exude joyful acceptance. VERDICT Ewing offers the tools of understanding and reciprocity in order to eradicate injustice. Highly recommended for school and public libraries and can serve as an entry point into social justice literature.--Vanessa Willoughby, School Library Journal

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

This visually appealing introduction to social justice and equality defines basic terms such as difference and kindness along with abstract concepts such as class and privilege. All are arranged in spreads that include a longer description of the word on the verso alongside a decorated letter and the word on the recto followed by a catchy, sometimes cliché, phrase ("Girl power!" for feminism; "We are a world of many" for multicultural). An inclusive group of round-faced, jolly children further demonstrate the ideas throughout--those on the LGBTQIA spread wave rainbow flags, and those gracing the belief spread appear to be praying in a variety of ways. Some oversimplifications--such as, on the question page, "a question is the opposite of a belief"--are confusing, as is the illustration of children cheerfully smiling around the definition of xenophobia. Nevertheless, this small-size board book is sure to start big conversations, particularly among readers at the upper end of the age range. Ages up to 5. (Sept.)

Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

"A is for Ability, B is for Belief, C is for Class. All people have the right to be treated fairly, no matter who they are, what they look like, or where they come from. An ABC of Equality introduces complicated concepts surrounding social justice to the youngest of children. From A to Z, simple explanations accompanied by engaging artwork teach children about the world we live in and how to navigate our way through it. Each right-hand page includes a brightly decorated letter with the word it stands for and an encouraging slogan. On the left, a colorful illustration and bite-size text sum up the concept. Cheerful people from a range of backgrounds, ethnicities, and abilities lead the way through the alphabet. Especially recommended for family, preschool, elementary school, and community library collections, "An ABC of Equality" is a very special board book that will help young children how to celebrate their differences, ask more questions, share kindness, and learn to understand the world." - Midwest Book Review