On the News

July 15, 2018
A guidebook to help children through troubled times.This well-intentioned, ambitious book falters in attempts to guide caregivers in conversations with young children. Its failures arise in part from presenting three Western children (two of whom appear white and one who seems to be a girl of color) as the presumed stand-ins for readers. They are shown in watercolor vignettes reading newspapers and smartphones and talking to one another; these illustrations are juxtaposed with photographs of real people enduring real tragedies, which the text states can arise from human error, nature, and intentional, human acts of terror. Such distinctions are fraught since, for example, Hurricane Katrina is described as a "natural disaster," but historical analysis points to human error and negligence as compounding its tragic impact. Humanity's impact on climate change as a force behind natural disasters is likewise omitted. Furthermore, in contrast with the illustrated children, many if not most photos (they are uncaptioned) depict people of color in non-Western settings, giving the false impression that tragedies happen elsewhere, to others. Finally, text on closing pages that seeks to find meaning in tragedy may be read as romanticizing it with lines such as, "Perhaps tragedies happen to bring people together," and "Whenever something negative happens, there is a deep lesson in it" (quoting inspirational guru Eckhart Tolle). Yes, it's important to "look for the helpers" (backmatter quotes Fred Rogers), but what about dismantling systems that drive humanity toward so many tragedies?Heartfelt but uneven advice. (Nonfiction. 4-10)

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September 15, 2018
Grades 1-3 Part of understanding tragedies is accepting that most of the time we cannot control them." Tragedies happen almost every day across the world, and with the popularization of the internet, people are more connected than ever to what is happening around them. It can be hard to explain to children about natural disasters or senseless violence. This book handles a sensitive topic with kindness, compassion, and empathy. Readers will learn the difference between tragedies and disasters, and the differences between those caused by nature and by people. Technological disasters, like Chernobyl and the BP oil spill, are touched upon, and the book also explores ways to start conversations about why tragedies happen and the emotions surrounding them. Most important, tragedies can bring out the beauty and resilience of the human spirit, and the book ends by giving a realistic picture of how people help out during terrible times. A good beginning look at how to broach a complicated topic that's filled with positivity and hope.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)