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“Reading it is almost like reading Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States, but for two-year olds—full of pictures and rhymes and a little cat to find on every page that will delight the curious toddler and parents alike.”—Occupy Wall StreetA is for Activist is an ABC board book written and illustrated for the next generation of progressives: families who want their kids to grow up in a space that is unapologetic about activism, environmental justice, civil rights, LGBTQ rights, and everything else that activists believe in and fight for. The alliteration, rhyming, and vibrant illustrations make the book exciting for children, while the issues it brings up resonate with their parents' values of community, equality, and justice. This engaging little book carries huge messages as it inspires hope for the future, and calls children to action while teaching them a love for books.
Board book: 32 pages
Publisher: Triangle Square; Brdbk edition (November 19, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1609805399
ISBN-13: 978-1609805395
Product Dimensions: 5.7 x 0.9 x 5.7 inches
Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (180 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #4,469 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #3 in Books > Children's Books > Biographies > Social Activists #5 in Books > Children's Books > Education & Reference > Government #16 in Books > Children's Books > Early Learning > Basic Concepts > Alphabet
Age Range: 3 - 7 years
Grade Level: Preschool - 2
I bought this book for my son, and there are parts of it that are wonderful. The illustrations are beautiful and overall it does a great job of introducing many justice concepts to young children. However, I think it struggles with not knowing its audience.Some pages are perfect for the board-book set. The "K" page - "Kings are fine for storytime/knights are fun to play/but when we make decisions/we will choose the people's way" - is one of my favorites. It's a great, age-appropriate introduction to anti-imperialism. The "W" page has an absolutely beautiful poem about celebrating diversity. Several pages have a very lyrical rhythm to the writing that reminds me of rap music or spoken word poetry and is very fun to read.Others, however, aren't really age appropriate. The "R" page, for example, uses a facetious/sarcastic tone that is way beyond the understanding of young children, especially when it's such a departure from the tone of the rest of the book. The "S" page has a great little poem celebrating solar power, but follows it up with "silly selfish scoundrels sucking on dinosaur sludge? Boo! Hiss!", a line I could easily imagine leading to a rather upsetting conversation for a sensitive preschooler, since right now the vast majority of families simply don't have access to fully sustainable power sources. The "D" page references, and is solely illustrated by, the donkey/elephant symbols of American party politics, which besides being internationally limiting is way over the heads of the target audience.On the more academic side of things, there's the issue that this is, ostensibly, an *alphabet* book. The page for "U" - which says "U is for...
A is for Activist, written and illustrated by Innosanto Nagara, takes your classic alphabet book and adds a twist of political motivation. Written in a format usually meant to teach kids their ABCs, Nagara takes this intention of educating a step further. Each page follows a theme of civil rights and political activism, while promoting values such as peace, acceptance and independent thought. In emphasizing these values, Nagara also directly calls attention to contemporary topics in social justice.From A to Z, each page is dedicated to a different value or movement, with colorful, emotive illustrations to match. Nagara covers everything from feminism, to LGBTQ rights, interracial tolerance, to environmental justice; and across it all, the ability to think critically: “Q is for Question/ Querying Qualities counter false assertions”. On the “K” page the words read “Kings are fine for story time/ Knights are fun to play/ But when we make decisions/ we will choose the people’s way!” with an image of two kids playing with toy swords. This page not only emphasizes revolution and resistance, and the danger of centralized power, but also counters gender norms by showing a little girl in pink pigtails playing with a sword. On the “R” page the words read “‘Radical Reds!’ the headlines said/ ‘Ruinous Rioters!’ the Rumors spread/ ‘Rabble Rousing Riff Raff…’/ …Really?’”, mocking misguided, public perceptions of activists and protesters. The image shows a large crowd of people in solidarity at a candle light vigil, and many of the faces can actually be recognized as prominent, historical figures. Nagara, on his book’s Facebook page, provides a “Who’s Who” of the faces he illustrated, and they include Martin Luther King, Jr.
A is for Activist Billie Jean King: Tennis Star & Social Activist (Legendary Athletes) Hear My Testimony: Maria Teresa Tula Human Rights Activist of El Salvador So Much to Be Done: The Writings of Breast Cancer Activist Barbara Brenner Dalai Lama (Activist) The Age of Garvey: How a Jamaican Activist Created a Mass Movement and Changed Global Black Politics (America in the World) The Animal Activist's Handbook: Maximizing Our Positive Impact in Today's World (Flashpoint (Lantern)) Helen Keller: Educator, Activist & Author (Essential Lives) Deep Value: Why Activist Investors and Other Contrarians Battle for Control of Losing Corporations (Wiley Finance) Barbarians in the Boardroom: Activist Investors and the battle for control of the world's most powerful companies (Financial Times Series) The Activist Director: Lessons from the Boardroom and the Future of the Corporation (Columbia Business School Publishing) Saving Gotham: A Billionaire Mayor, Activist Doctors, and the Fight for Eight Million Lives Good Morning, Beautiful Business: The Unexpected Journey of an Activist Entrepreneur and Local-Economy Pioneer Stephanie Miller: Understanding the Life and Teachings of Stephanie Miller - Actress, Radio Personally, Political Activist, and American Patriot Shepard Fairey 2016 Wall Calendar: Graphic Activist Pauli Murray: The Autobiography of a Black Activist, Feminist, Lawyer, Priest, and Poet Oil and Honey: The Education of an Unlikely Activist Girls Like Us: Fighting for a World Where Girls Are Not for Sale, an Activist Finds Her Calling and Heals Herself Gilberto Gerena Valentin: My Life as a Community Activist, Labor Organizer an Progressive Politician in New York City Theodore Boone: The Activist
