When We Say Black Lives Matter

K-Gr 3--A powerful, painful, and honest celebration of being Black in the world today. This book not only affirms young Black children, but calls on all children to acknowledge the importance of Black lives and the Black Lives Matter movement. Without shying away from painful history and hard truths, Clarke, an Australian writer and illustrator of Afro-Caribbean descent, raises the call to bellow, sing, laugh, and cry, "Black Lives Matter." The illustrations resemble stained glass windows that feature silhouettes of Black characters embracing myriad ways in which to acknowledge and process the wonderfulness of being Black as well as the danger and sadness of living in a racist society. VERDICT Affirming language and inspiring illustrations make this poem in praise of the BLM movement a book that deserves a spot in every library.--John Scott, Friends Sch. of Baltimore

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

A powerful, painful, and honest celebration of being Black in the world today. This book not only affirms young Black children, but calls on all children to acknowledge the importance of Black lives and the Black Lives Matter movement. Without shying away from painful history and hard truths, Clarke, an Australian writer and illustrator of Afro-Caribbean descent, raises the call to bellow, sing, laugh, and cry, "Black Lives Matter". . . a book that deserves a spot in every library.
—School Library Journal (starred review)

Clarke's text is poignant and mesmerizing, with design elements that raise the text to an artistic level, shaping it around the art and highlighting active and emotional words in color: enough, dancing, radiant, precious. The art is truly outstanding, gripping the heart from the very first spread and not letting go. . . . This slim book contains a necessary and healing exploration of our current moment that will remain relevant for decades to come. An astonishing work of art and a crucial addition to every bookshelf.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)