This timely, moving book follows Jeremiah and his family as they address issues of racism and violence. It is beautifully illustrated and the writing is straightforward - a great book to help us talk about these difficult subjects with children. I appreciate that the author wrote the names of some of the victims of gun violence and police brutality; we need to remember the people.

Jeremiah hears the names and asks why they are important. He sees protests and asks why. He hears about police officers killed and asks why. And each time he asks, his father answers. This is powerful stuff, to be able to ask and to receive answers. It ends on a hopeful note, but not necessarily a rosy one. We are going to have to do some hard work to solve issues of inequity and violence.

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

This is a really good story for starting the conversation about police brutality and racism. I think it would be especially good for non-Black children and it makes the perfect addition to an anti-racist children's reading list.

This picture book is great for any age but especially elementary age kids. It's a great book to have in a classroom for discussion on how to treat one another.

Beautifully written and illustrated, Michael W. Waters gently handles the killings of Black men and police officers with dignity, respect, and care from the eyes of a young Black boy. He encourages hope in a better future through what kids can do to help bring that future about: voting, marching, standing up for those in need, and more. The end of the book has a discussion guide and links to resources..

A simply told and beautifully illustrated introduction to the complex concepts of racism, racist violence, and activism for a better world. Using his own son's innocent curiosity about the events unfolding as he grows up, the author gently exposes these difficult concepts for children in a way that encourages questioning and, ultimately, action. An author's note and detailed teaching/discussion guide are provided to help educators and parents further this important discussion with children.

This was a beautifully written and illustrated story which helps explain why there are marches to protest the many injustices that Black Americans have had to endure, particularly the senseless violence and police shooting that have occurred in our recent history. I love how the book talks about how people need to organize and work together in order to bring about true change in America. As an elementary school teacher, I appreciated the discussion questions because this is a topic that needs to be discussed; however, it is really difficult to talk especially with younger children. I know I have had many discussions in my home with my sons, but this is so hard to talk about in a classroom setting because I don’t want to frighten my students. I appreciate the efforts being made to help bring about meaningful conversations which I pray will lead to much needed reforms and changes in our country.

This is a beautiful, sweet book of a little boy and his family. Through his father's eyes, Jeremiah learns of the injustices done to black youth over the last few years, beginning with the death of Trayvon Martin. Each time he learns the truth incidents such as that of Trayvon's death and other innocents victims, Jeremiah feels afraid and does not wish to talk about it. Until one day he attends a vigil for Jordan Edwards, and it sets his thoughts in motion until he decides he is ready to talk with his parents to see what role he can play to help the world be a better place and not hiding from truth and sad realities.

The message in this book is one of inspiration, and is based on beliefs voiced by Martin Luther King; that we not judge people by the color of their skin instead of the basis of their character. It is a timely story, and I look forward to carrying this message/book forward into my own school library.

Jeremiah is young and curious as he observes his family reading the news and watching the television. So he begins to ask questions.
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Why are they shooting? Why is that man lying in the street? Why would someone shoot when he had his hands in the air?
Hard questions as Jeremiah begins to realuze that hate exists out there. It just doesn’t make sense, especially to an innocent kid. He wants to believe in a better world, is there anything he can do about it?

Inspired by real-life events and the names we all recognize, this Is an honest, intimate look at one family’s response to racism and gun violence. The illustrations are beautiful and compliment the text.

You will also find a very helpful and practical discussion guide created by the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, Kentucky, a multicultural center and museum committed to promoting respect, hope, and understanding. The guide is for classroom use as well as one you can at home with your own family.

A portion of the publisher's sales proceeds are being donated to nonprofit organizations that facilitate the empowerment of Black communities.

This is a powerful book and timely

This one is difficult for me to review. The book brought up a very important and timely discussion about racism but the execution was a little choppy. I think the passage of time was supposed to be represented by Jeremiah growing locs but that wasn't clear other than in the illustrations. I would like to know more of what Jeremiah is thinking and feeling and how he sees a better world. I guess I wanted a deeper connection to Jeremiah. The book ends with what the parents are doing to help change things, but it would have been great to see ways in which children can feel empowered to change things. I appreciated the resources in the back that would help lead a discussion in an elementary classroom.

This important book asks a number of questions kids have about violence and racism. Jeremiah feels sad and frustrated, yet his family teaches him about actions he can take in an effort to work towards a peaceful solution; caring, praying, marching, speaking up. The discussion guide at the end of the book is invaluable for both teachers and students.

This such a wonderful resource for the classroom to help students/kids process some of the things they are seeing happening in the world around them. I"m excited to have to this in my classroom and will definitely be used!

For Beautiful Black Boys Who Believe in a Better World is a must for every classroom and home library. It is timely, relevant and accessible for all readers. When I began to read it to my son he said, "But I'm not a black boy". This led to a meaningful discussion on why it is important for us to read books that are written by and for others that are not like us. This emphasizes the importance of having a diverse library available to all. I love the way the author illustrated the passing of time with the growth of Jeremiah's dreadlocks. It was a subtle yet powerful way to drive home the point of just how continuous the brutality against the Black community is. This story gives children of color validation and hope, while at the same time offering white families a beautiful book to help begin and/or continue to grow anti-racist allies.

Thank you to the publisher and @NetGalley for allowing me to read this book. Jeremiah has a lot of questions about what is happening in the world around him. He does not want to talk about these events until he is ready. You can sense his growing frustration as the book moves on. I recommend this book for upper elementary students and middle schools students. However, teachers need to take into consideration their own feelings and use the resources at the end of the book to guide them. I absolutely loved this book. It is timely and has a strong message of the need for change.

This is an outstanding picture book. It tackles a complex issue in an accessible manner and could be used as a touchstone text to kick off a unit on All American Boys by Reynolds and Kiely. The illustrations are engaging, and even though the story stands by itself, the end matter makes the book even more appealing for classroom, library, and home use. Thank you Net Galley and Flyaway Books for an ARC of this book. It will help create a better world.

This was a beautifully illustrated picture book about a young boy who tried to understand- but wasn’t ready to talk about- the senseless killing of people who were different or for the color of their skin. Over time, as Jeremiah learned more and more about these senseless killings, he was finally able to talk to his parents about it. With his parents guidance, Jeremiah leaned what can be done to make a difference and bring about positive changes such as voting, organizing marches, speaking out against injustices, and praying.

At the end of the story the author provided a detailed discussion guide and resources for use at home or in the classroom. Highly Recommended!

An ARC was given for an honest review.

This book is beautifully done, and despite how it hurts to know that there are children like Jeremiah in this story, who see themselves in these news stories and cannot understand why this is happening to people like them, there is hope here. There is hope in seeing that people are still trying to make it better, and hope in having books like this that give us tools to make the world a better place. Excellent and well worth a place in any collection.

I would like to thank you for this gifted copy.

I appreciated the topics that were brought up and the point of view from a young black boy named Jeremiah, how he saw the world and the difficult events that played out. It highlighted a lot of the crimes and violence against black individuals. There is fear and worry that children have when they hear about shootings and death. They have to know that there is something that they can do, and this book maps that out too, and also it acknowledges what is going on in the world.

For Beautiful Black Boys Who Believe in a Better World is an great picture book. I think it would be a good fit at the elementary level.

A simplistic way to introduce police brutality against Black men to young children, with a message of hope at the end.

A nicely illustrated picture book to begin a conversation about the Black lives matter movement and why it came about, and to offer hope to the next generation that some day soon these conversations will be about history and not the present.