Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. It was released 22 Sep 2020, by Flyaway Books. 

This book introduces us to a loving family. The story begins as Jeremiah, the young boy, asks his parents if he can grow locs. They agree and as the story, and time, passes, so does his hair. 

Over this span of time, the family’s news feed is too often filled with the deaths of different black boys. At one point the family is forced to shelter in their hallway because of gunfire in the street. With each death, Jeremiah asks questions his parents try to answer. Each one of these sections includes, “It doesn’t make sense,” and ends with a similar refrain, “But Jeremiah didn’t want to talk anymore.” 

 The parents are activists working to draw attention to these miscarriages of justice and to make change. Jeremiah worries about them. 

While this family might be fictional, the murdered youths are very real: Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, the Charleston Nine, Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, Jordan Edwards. All deaths, even those of five Dallas police officers are condemned. 

While this is a story of violence against black boys, it’s also about what to do to change it. Eventually, when Jeremiah’s locs are fully grown, he is ready to talk. He comes to his parents stating, “I’m tired of people hurting each other! I’m tired of people shooting each other! I’m tired of people killing each other! I’m tired of people hating each other just because they are different or because of the color of their skin!” His parents echo his feelings. What follows is a collection of actions for what the family does to enact change. 

Keisha Morris’ illustrations are flat out gorgeous. Michael W. Waters prose is profound. It's important that this book shows the impact of violence against black boys on other black boys. It's equally important that it directs readers towards changing the racist system. 

In the author’s note, Michael Waters explains his motivation for writing this book. The back matter also includes a discussion guide with specific categories: Preparing Yourself for the conversations, Establishing a Safe Space, Speaking about Race in the Classroom, Speaking About Violence in the Classroom, Exploring Change-Making and Discussing This Book At Home.

Highly Recommended.

Based on his own son and experiences through that young son's life, Michael Waters tells a family story of Jeremiah and his persistent questioning about the shootings, particularly of young black boys but also including that of five police officers. Jeremiah is waiting for his hair to grow so he can have locks and there's a chuckle when he gains permission plus later comparing it to the patience people must have when working for equal rights. As he grows, more tragic shootings happen and the phrase, "That doesn't make sense" repeats. Beautiful black boys like Jeremiah fight for better, shown in "also beautiful" illustrations by Keisha Morris. There are two pages of activities for extending the learning at the back.

This book reflects the emotional lives of black boys across the country and world as they witness and experience crimes against black bodies in the news, their neighborhoods, places of worship.  What is the impact on this systemic racially motivated violence often at the hands of police and white supremacy?  We know that our children are watching and experiencing this and we must ask ourselves, how are we making a change?  What does it look like to collectively address systemic racism and violence and how do we as individuals make a difference and protect all children but especially black children who feel this threat directed at them personally and to their friends and family.  This book does a thoughtful and realistic way of addressing these issues.  What I appreciated most is that it puts the readers in the room and in the shoes of Jeremiah and his family.  Please vote, please speak out, please commit to anti-racism.

For Beautiful Black Boys.... is a heartwarming children's book about a young black boy who is processing all of the tragic deaths of many people of color. For most of the book he is learning about and taking in the information and then he finally processes the injustices that are occurring. He comes to realize what he can currently do as a young kid and what he will be able to do in the future.

This is a fantastic picture book to begin the hard conversations as to why Black people continue to die in senseless racist acts. Inspired by real-life events it is a story of one family's attempt to face and fight back against the racism and gun violence that has become all too common in our country.

Jeremiah finds out about the many black people who have been killed tragically because of their colour.  He decides that he will one day change the world.

I'm not sure what I was expecting from this book but from a very gentle start on page one, it hit me with the brutal truth of the killings from the second page onwards.  These people need to be remembered but it felt as though each story just got a cursory mention as it hurried on to the next event.  Perhaps it was to emphasise the sheer number of boys who have been killed but to me it came across as something of a list.  At the end of the story I didn't feel as though I knew much more about them than I did at the beginning and it apart from being shocked at the brutality of the story, I didn't feel drawn in as much as I should.

This is a gorgeous book that I hope will be on as many Black boys' bookshelves as possible. It should be in every library, readily available. It should be read at storytime.

Take a look at life through the lens of a beautiful black boy, Jeremiah, who decides that he wants to grow out his hair. Through out the process of growing up and gaining longer locks, he sees the injustices of how black lives are treated in society. He asks his dad questions about why these violent attacks happen and Dad sometimes has answers to these hard questions and sometimes he doesn't. Jeremiah witness his Dad participate in actions that can educate and create change. We watch Jeremiah grow to find his voice and how he plans to create change.

This was a terrific book and I highly recommend you read it.  It touches on current events surrounding racial injustice, gun violence, the need for people to rise up and have their voices heard, and for communities to come together to create the change we need in this world.  The only reason I marked that I wouldn't use this book in my classroom is that I teach littles who aren't developmentally ready for the themes in this book.  If I taught older elementary students, I would definitely have this in my class library.

This picture book is about Jeremiah.  On the first page, he asks his parents if he can grow his hair in locs, they agree but remind him that the locs are a long term project.  Each subsequent page shows Jeremiah talking to his parents about a number of different racially based incidents-the shooting of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown, gang shootings, the shooting at the Mother Emmanuel church in South Carolina.  Each time, Jeremiah doesn't want to talk about it.  And then one day he does.  His parents offer a number of suggestions for how to fight racism.  This is a wonderful book for opening conversations about racial injustice and strategies to solve that.

The illustration is amazing and story is beautifully written. I enjoyed reading this book and feel that everyone should read it as well.  A great conversation starter. Jeremiah wants to grow locs thinking he will have them the following week. How cute is that. LOL!  This was not a story just about tragic events.  It provides a timeline of events based on the growth of Jeremiah's dreads. I didn't catch this at first, but I caught on to it in the end.  He may question the event, but he didn't want to talk about it. It takes time for a kid to comprehend it all and when it does they will be ready to talk. Don't give up! Vote! Play your part! Speak up and speak out!

Michael W. Waters has crafted a touching book that will resonate with parents as well as their children, regardless of race. Coupled with the splendid illustrations by Keisha Morris, the prose in "For Beautiful Black Boys Who Believe in a Better World," as in "Something Happened in Our Town: A Child's Story about Racial Injustice," provides a good way to explain the bad things that disproportionately touch children of color and to explain the protests that are building toward that better world.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Flyaway Books in exchange for an honest review.

This is an amazingly powerful book! It gave me chills just doing a deep dive into the allegory and meaning of the book. I will most definitely be buying this for our library and gifts for other educators.

Jeremiah, a young Black boy, asks his dad if he can grow locs like his mom's. His dad agrees and Jeremiah hopes that soon - like in a week - he'll have locs. His dad tells him that it'll take a long time to grow his locks, but if he waits and believes, it will happen. Throughout the book, Jeremiah learns about the deaths of numerous unarmed Black men killed by police, and also about police officers killed in the line of duty. He learns that it's okay to work for change in honor of all of the lives lost to racial bias and discrimination. As his locs grow, he grows, too. He finds that he can create change by voting, marching, praying, through community organization, and speaking out against injustice. Just like locs take a long time to grow, change is often slow. But, through our actions, we can change the world.

Absolutely loved this book!   It is filled with heartbreaking images but it also filled with love and hope.  I was moved by the parents' responses. I was also moved by their consistency in not allowing hate to grow in their children's hearts.  Not an easy task to do when you are surrounded by actions filled with hate.  Poignant and relevant, this book is a beautiful message that will stay with you long after you have read it. Bravo!!!!!!

5 stars!

I have a lump in my throat and tears streaming down my face. No, I'm probably not the target audience for this book, but man, it hit me in the gut. It's a beautifully illustrated book very appropriate for young children to learn about social injustice in this world, and while it is currently not in their control (or in their parents' control), there are things they can do and have been doing to make the future better for their kids. The author was inspired by actual events during his son's childhood where his son would ask about why things were happening. The author's hope is that this book inspires adults and children to do those things--vote, march/proptest, pray, organize people in the community, speak out against injustice--and envision a time when people will love those around us. This is a book that should be in every Elementary school library, in the classroom, and in churches. 

FTC Disclosure: Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by the Author and Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Beautiful picture book that addresses some of the tragic events on the news. Encourages individuals in ways to change the world.

I read a digital advance copy of this book, which will release in a few days (September 22, 2020). 
You may assume that the title says it all, but far from it. Also, do not assume it is ONLY for Black Boys, since that's what the title says. I'll get back to that after the review below.
The story opens when young Jeremiah asks his parents if he can grow locs. They are smilingly supportive, with a caution about how patient and responsible he will need to be in order to achieve the desired results for a challenging goal. 
That sets the visual cuing and the theme that follows as each page turn reveals ways in which Jeremiah (with changes in his slow-growing hair barely noticeable) asks either/both his mom or dad about some news he has noticed. These news and observations are generally about a Black life that was lost during an interaction with police, but also include protests and the deaths of police officers. In each case his parents are shown engaging with public events- as speakers, as protestors, as organizers, marchers, and active community members. 
In each discussion with Jeremiah, his parents are alert as to how much Jeremiah wants/needs to know. One scene that could feel overwhelming, but will ring true for some, includes gunshots in their neighborhood, with the family huddled in an interior hallway. Even there, they talk through what is happening and why and what can be done to provide security and lead to changes. 
As Jeremiah's hair is growing into locs, and as he is growing into broader understanding of the ways these events connect with his own life, he shifts from a pattern of indicating his need to stop talking about it to actively seeking more information. His parents help him realize the many ways in which he can engage, even before being old enough to vote. Change is challenging, but building a "Better World" takes patience and attention and care, and Jeremiah seeks that role. 
I have no idea how long it takes to turn close-cut natural hair into shoulder length locs, but I'm guessing that the illustrator (and author) intended this to span a year or more.
There is so much that makes this book perfect, as the title says, FOR BEAUTIFUL BLACK BOYS WHO BELIEVE IN A BETTER WORLD: an intelligent and aware Black boy, parents who model the actions he will later choose to support, sensitivity to youthful interest in and tolerance of harsh realities, and illustrations that make the characters feel authentic to their racial and cultural identities but also present them as empathetic and familiar in countless ways.
Here's my comment about the intended audience for this book. 
Yes, I believe this will be welcomed by BLACK BOYS and their families, but the truth is it invites readers and discussions with girls and others of all races. I also urge parents and teachers get this book and read it for themselves as a handbook on how adults can and should support young people through traumatic social events. Then, I urge them to share this book across MANY ages and gatherings, from families to classrooms to libraries to churches, as a way to encourage honest discussion and constructive planning for actions that can provide us all with a BETTER WORLD.

A good title that doesn't mask the horror of what's happening in the world, but explains it calmly and matter-of-factly. The main theme of change taking time hits home as we, in the real world, still wait for that change to start happening.

This is a quiet powerhouse of a book. Framing the timeline around Jeremiah's locs was a great way to show that passage of time for young children. The discussion guide at the end has some wonderful tools for families and educators.

For libraries: You won't be disappointed to have this in your library.