The Talk

K-Gr 2--Jay and his friends love to race each other and be kids; when the marks on the wall show that Jay, who is African American, has grown a couple of inches, his mother looks on sadly because the world won't see him as a little boy anymore. When he and his friends hang out together, some people aren't happy about it. Jay's grandpa warns them not to crowd in groups of more than four because people may think they're troublemakers. As Jay grows into a young man, his parents continue to warn him about how to behave in public and what to do when stopped by the police. Before Jay leaves the house in a black hoodie with the hood up, his family sits him down for "the talk." Though it's not an easy conversation, Jay's family reminds him that whatever happens is never his fault and that he is surrounded and supported by his family. This picture book is an excellent portrayal of the difficult conversations many Black and brown families have with their children to keep them safe. Powerful illustrations capture every stage of Jay's growth from fun-loving kid to young man. There is a wordless spread depicting instances of racial profiling and injustice that allows readers and their adults to have a self-guided discussion about the images and the feelings they evoke. VERDICT This powerful picture book about race, family, and growing up is an essential purchase for every library's collection, putting words to an impossible and necessary conversation, and giving children whose families don't have "the talk" a window for understanding and an opportunity for compassion and change.--Myiesha Speight

Williams (Jump at the Sun) writes tenderly about a playful, athletic Black boy named Jay who's growing like a weed at the speed of light. When he becomes too big to be little and too lean to have "chub in my cheeks," his family gives him variations of The Talk. As Jay spends time playing with best friends, all portrayed with brown skin, they're advised to no longer gather in groups. "Grandpa says, I believe y'all could be the next/ Thurgood Marshall, Elijah McCoy, and Bessie Coleman.// But some folks might think you're the next troublemaker." Whether he's visiting a store or walking down the street in a new hoodie, Jay's relatives offer tips for how he might survive an anti-Black world, sure to tell him that "I'm not to blame" and that "I'm the beat of their hearts; the joy in their smiles." This portrayal of a close-knit family and Jay's Black kid joy is as warmhearted as it is resolute, while digitally rendered illustrations by debut artist Uchendu depict desaturated instances of racial prejudice as well as brightly hopeful portraits of Black luminaries, providing an emotive realism to Jay's maturation and his family's greatest fears and dreams. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Brenda Bowen, Book Group. Illustrator's agent: Jessica Saint Jean, Jill Grinberg Literary Management. (Oct.)