Jessica Robinson

I kept seeing this book promoted at all the baby stores and had a knee-jerk reaction against it without having read it so I challenged myself to actually pick it up and read it. Here are my thoughts: In a nutshell this is a poorly made book with the right intentions. Should we want to raise loving children who seek justice? Yes, of course! Okay, but what audience is this book meant for? Because the illustrations and title give the impression that it’s meant for babies and toddlers, but the concepts in the book are far too abstract and the sentences too long for a toddler, let alone a baby. The title is pretty aggressive for a children’s book. Isn’t it more effective to teach and show children what to do instead of what not to do? How about a title that says something like “Equal and Beautiful” instead of “Antiracist Baby”? I don’t think it’s necessary or good for a child to be thinking from the get go that they need to be on the defensive when it comes to people, policy, or systems (basically everything around them). I don’t think think it’s helpful for raising a secure little human... imho. The text, aside from being super abstract for children is also not particularly beautiful or interesting sounding, which is what is primarily interesting to babies and toddlers. Small children thrive off of a book that has repetition or rhyme or a fun meter because the sounds of language make reading attractive for children and babies too small to talk or necessarily comprehend language. The illustrations are not particularly beautiful, and perhaps that is intentional (for the sake of body positivity/inclusion perhaps?) Personally, I’m not a fan of the sloppy line art style. It comes off a little grotesque. For example, adding in leg hair that look like slivers when other details are missing... Lastly, some of the concepts are good on paper, but they do no good if the parents in the home do not model them. For example, one page clarifies that policies are the problem, not people. However, what good is that when the child hears their parents railing against the people who vote for those policies? We have to model justice, peace, inclusion, respect and I don’t think railing against members of society in a bipartisan system (left or right wing) helps children develop an emotional intelligence capable of dialogue or empathy. Nurture y’all. It’s strong. The little people are looking up to us and that’s more powerful than any book.