This book talks about how to talk to kids about racism, hatred, injustice and how to navigate through the violent events like shootings in neighborhoods and police officer involved shootings.

This book was written by a black father and his son and is a powerful picture book that helps explain BLM and the BLM movement, and how everyone (yes, kids AND adults) can make things better, one step at a time.

I absolutely loved this book. I want to share it with everyone I know. I will definitely recommend this book for circulation at my library!

Wow, what a book. What an amazing and heart-wrenching book. The story is based on Waters' personal experiences with his family, and it's beautifully written and illustrated, and it manages to be hopeful at the end, despite the serious subject matter. At the end, there's a discussion guide put together by the Muhammad Ali Center. The language throughout is straightforward and thoughtful.
I'm trying so hard not to fill this review with anger, because this book doesn't try to stir up rage; it's stirring up activism, encouraging readers to do what they can to help. I am angry, though. We need to do better. I hope everyone will read this book, especially parents.

This award winning book is an absolutely beautiful book that addresses a difficult topic in a sensitive and loving approach. The story provides many entry points to discuss racism, social issues, and action steps to take. While the story focuses on violence against Black people, the reader is left with a sense of hope. Highly recommend and every library should include this book in their collection.

It's a lovely book with pretty illustrations and easy-to-read words. The message was passed on effectively; raising awareness, inspiring actions while answering some of the most asked and vital questions. I can imagine parents and young readers highly appreciating it!

Indeed, children of all colors and backgrounds need stories like this. Teach children early on, long before they end up as teenagers or adults who are uninformed—or misinformed with a lot to unlearn.

I couldn't believe when I received this book I already ordered It for the Library I work In, It is a quick read with a big story, I think it is a great book to read as a Family, It tells the stry of a boy who is living in a wold of blacks being shot, some are even Inocent, I think the Author did wonderful job of answering some very Important questions that some of our young people need answers to, Thank you to Net Galley for letting me read this book. This is my honest opinion of this Graphic Novel book on Racism

"How can you change the world?"
Racism is alive and horrible in America today despite our work in the 1960s and beyond. This well illustrated book tackles the problem that parents have in teaching their children about the things in the recent past and how they can help in their own way. There are three full pages at the end that direct readers on how to bring meaningful discussions to others.
Keisha Morris fills the pages with meaningful illustrations which adds to the impact of this book of hope and history that impacts all Americans. All libraries need this book so we can all remember work together to create a better world together.
I requested and received a free temporary e-book on Adobe Digital Editions from Flyaway Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

A beautifully written, powerful book that everyone should read. The illustrations are fantastic. Waters does an excellent job expressing how a young child would react to the violence that goes on in our society. The story highlights many of the deaths of young black men and other shootings in society and how people need to work to create a better world for our children. The book includes a Discussion Guide to assist in Conversations about Race and Racism.

Great and highly relevant. Perfect for families, schools, and libraries. Beautiful illustrations and content.

I enjoyed 'For Beautiful Black Boys Who Believe in a Better World'! It’s a picture book full of important messages about social activism centering on Jeremiah, a young African American boy as he becomes aware of racial injustice and police brutality. 'For Beautiful Boys' references the murders of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, the Charleston Nine, Alton Sterling, Philando Castile and Jordan Edwards as well as the shooting of five Dallas police officers, so be aware of that going in. We see how the violence impacts Jeremiah’s own family and their activism and how Jeremiah comes to terms with it all. I loved that Jeremiah’s parents are both loving, present figures in his life who give him time to process (“But Jeremiah didn’t want to talk anymore” is the refrain) and listen and empathize when he is ready to talk about it. Best of all, they explain and model how to create social change by voting, organizing in their community, speaking out and protesting.

All of this information is presented in a very simple, easy-to-understand way for kids and is paralleled with Jeremiah’s decision to grow locs (i.e. a long-term goal he can work towards with help). I liked that analogy; it makes activism for social change feel accessible and possible while getting across the point that change does not happen overnight. The discussion guide at the end also offers lots of tips and resources for care-givers broaching the topics of race, violence and “change-making” with children, which is great to see (though the fact such conversations are necessary is awful). Also, the world needs more books centering and affirming (dark-skinned) black boys, so thank you Michael Waters! The illustrations by Keisha Morris are also gorgeous! I would absolutely recommend 'For Beautiful Black Boys' to families and schools, whether or not its readers are American or people of colour (I am not!), since its messages hold true wherever (or whoever) you are.

My only critique is that, other than the Charleston Nine, racism and (domestic and state) violence against women of color is not mentioned. I recognize that this is probably due to the author’s focus on “Beautiful Black Boys” and Jeremiah’s perspective, but it’s still disappointing. Featuring a woman or girl among the victims of police brutality discussed in the book (and there are many to choose from, like Sandra Bland, Breonna Taylor and Aiyana Jones) would have been a great opportunity to increase their visibility and start new conversations about the intersection between racism and sexism (#IntersectionalFeminism; #SayHerName). Perhaps Waters or Flyaway Books could return to this topic in a sequel? I hope so!

For Beautiful Black Boys Who Believe in a Better World is a sweet story from a father to his son with hope for change in the world. A boy named Jeremiah tries to make sense of a series of disturbing racially motivated tragedies but decides it's too much for him to ingest and keeps putting it off until later. He eventually comes to the conclusion that he needs to talk to his parents to gain guidance and develop a path to make things better. His parents are able to give him hope and identify ways he can make change a lifelong endeavor. The story is followed by a discussion guide to assist in facilitating conversations about racism and violence within a classroom. I loved the contemporary collage art work in the illustrations.

Talking about racism, I think not only black community is facing the violonce. The minority always being targeted. The Uyghur, The Palestinians even women are facing the same problems. The only way of solution is being kind to everybody. We start from home and school. Looks like a small steps but we have to start from somewhere.

In this story, author Michael W. Waters takes the reader on the journey with young Jeremiah. Everyday he and his family watching and experiencing the violence and racism in the US. They feel helpless and at the same time terrified. Is home the safest place?





I give 5 ⭐ for this outstanding book that potrays our real world. We must believe that one day thing will change. I love the lively illustration with author's note and discussion guide that we must take seriously.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Great children’s book helping, parents, teachers, guardians and carers of young people to navigate conversations about race and racism from a black not brown experience. Additionally a good coverage on locs and wearing them.

For Beautiful Black Boys Who Believe in a Better World by Michael W. Waters is a difficult but necessary book regarding the state of things here in the United States of America. As a mother of beautiful black boys, and as someone who mourns the death of (specifically) Trayvon Martin and Tamir Rice as if they were my children, this was a hard read.

I was taken by surprise because I really thought it would just be about black children and loving their skin, their color, and their hair. I didn't read the description. Apart from that mistake on my part. The framing of this was interesting.

The main character, Jeremiah, asks his parents if he can grow locs and they tell him that yes he can but that it will take a long time. Then real life tragedies that have happened to black boys and men are suddenly being catalogued in this story. Each time Jeremiah asks about the situation, then replies that it did not make sense, and then says he did not want to talk about it.

Then when he was finally ready to talk to his parents about all that he had seen and heard they wisely sat him down and discussed things with him. They also gave him a way to make the world a better place in the future. This conversation started with the fact that his locs were very long at this point and how long it took for them to grow that long is a metaphor for how long we might have to fight for justice for black people.

I think that the author and illustrator could have shown the progression of his locs growth a little bit more incrementally so that you can see that there was is a longer time between each event. The way it stood it seemed as if these situations happened one after another after another. When in reality years went by between some of these tragedies.

However that was a very small complaint, the story ends with a very hopeful message and not just a vague Kumbaya message. But very concrete ways that all people can work towards making our society better. The story also ends with a good amount of further teaching materials and help with conversations at home and in the classroom regarding racism, violence, Etc.

I read this to my eight year old and he was fine with the book and just told me at the end that the thing that he wanted to change was the climate crisis. I think he was okay with the amount of violence that was described in the book because I talk about African-American history with my kids a lot. Also, I talk a lot about Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, and Michael Brown often. I also listen to podcasts and online news shows about them and cry so he is aware of them.

If you shelter your children from these types of these stories or discussions you might want to read this book first and read the instructions and guides in the back before reading this to a young elementary school child. A middle schooler should be able to handle this very well and have a very productive conversation from this book.

Thank you to FlyAway books and netgalley for this ARC.

A powerful narrative told through the conversations of a father and son. It is not overly wordy but very clearly gets the message across to the reader through careful use of words and beautiful imagery. The author very cleverly uses their dialogue to share with the reader the injustices faced by the black community.

At first as the father shares all the experiences that are happening in their community his son didn't want to talk anymore about it. After a period of time, he is ready to talk and is empowered to take action. 'everyday there are people working to make this world a better place'. We are left with the beautiful message that he can change the world and that there is a hope.

A great concept, masterfully delivered.

A beautifully, touching book about a young boy who is trying to make sense of the world around him as he sees many young Black men dying. He asks many questions but isn't ready to talk about things until he's ready to help create change!

Anyone aware of what is going on in the US (or the world) is aware of the atrocities perpetuated against BIPOC communities. The unwarranted killings of Black individuals, and often Black boys, by authorities is troubling and needs to stop. How do parents, especially parents of BIPOC kids, talk about these incidents while still giving their kids hope? Michael M. Waters has provided a picture book to help you do just that.

For Beautiful Black Boys Who Believe in a Better World discusses a few of the cases in which Black people have been killed, often by police. There is no way to address all of the incidences. The number of Black and Brown bodies has been collecting since colonizers stepped foot on these shores and continues adding to the tally. When Jeremiah asks his parents questions, they don’t have all the answers. However, that doesn’t stop them from talking to him about such a difficult topic while still giving him needed space to reflect on what he learns.. At the end of the book, when he is finally ready to talk, his parents focus on the people who are working to change things, providing hope to what can feel like a hopeless situation.

Wow. This is an important book for young Black boys. First, there are not many directed at this group. This book changes that and really raises the bar on the type of content we expose our kids to. Throughout, Jeremy was curious and I love that readers were able to read about real issues dealing with race...the hard topics for some families but a must for Black families. Overall, the illustrations were very nice and I liked the book's topic.

Loved the illustrations in this book. Very impressive way for one's theory and explanation on what is going on in the world today and how it can be saved. A lot of poc would enjoy this