Review: This Book is Anti-Racist by Tiffany Jewell

Blurb: Who are you? What’s your identity? How can you take action against racism?

Learn about identities, true histories, and anti-racism work in 20 carefully laid-out chapters. This book is written so young people will feel empowered to stand up to the adults in their lives. This book will give them the language and ability to understand racism and a drive to undo it. In short, this book is for everyone.

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Title: This Book is Anti-Racist

Author: Tiffany Jewell

Illustrator: Aurélia Durand

Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

Genre: Non-Fiction, Sociology, Race

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Review:

This bright, informative and easy to understand book takes a look at racism and what it means to be anti-racist. This is a must read for anyone looking to broaden their understanding of the world and learn about other people’s experiences.

I want to take a moment here to acknowledge my privilege as a white person who will never truly experience racism. I therefore view this book from a different perspective in comparison to people of colour and would hate to speak on another person’s behalf.

With that being said, my praise for this book is manifold. From the diverse and eye catching illustrations to the clear and concise chapters, what emerges is a fantastic guide to understanding the basics of racism in our society. There are chapters on privilege, identity and understanding racism, as well as chapters that cover what we can do to work against racism in our everyday lives. Jewell uses both published research and her own experiences to paint an honest picture of what it’s like to be a person of colour and the personal aspect only served to make more of an impact. For me, this book was an inspiring read and taught me some solid, basic information that I can build on moving forward. If you’ve ever thought you had a ‘silly’ question when it comes to discussing race, I urge you to take the initiative and pick up this book as it certainly answered some things for me that I felt I should have already known.

Although this book is marketed to young people, I’d argue that most people with take something worthwhile from reading this book. No matter your skin colour or background, I feel that the information in these pages can act as a reminder for all of the importance of working together to create a more tolerant and harmonious society.

Another thing I loved about this book was the interactive aspect. Each chapter comes with an activity to do with to further understanding your self, your place in the world and what you can do next. I’ve found these both fun and interesting and think it’s a fantastic way to really engage with the material.

Overall, I can’t recommend this book enough. It’s a fantastic resource for both young and old who are looking for a way to truly understand race, racism and how we can all be better.

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Rating: 5/5

Recommend?: Yes!

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Have you read this book? Or maybe you’ve read something similar? What did you think? I’d love to know!

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