Reading Not My Idea and then discussing it helps both children and adults engage whiteness and challenge white privilege. It’s a catalyst for social change. —THE PROGRESSIVE MAGAZINE
The book not only helps children become aware of racism, it also empowers them to work toward justice and cultivates activism...appropriate for younger kids as well as older ones, making it a great tool for family discussions. —THE STRATEGIST White families may appreciate Not My Idea: A Book About Whiteness for helping children understand their personal privilege and how their choices can either contribute or dismantle white supremacy. —HUFFPOST
An honest explanation about how power and privilege factor into the lives of white children, at the expense of other groups, and how they can help seek justice. —THE NEW YORK TIMES
As someone floundering to find the right words to engage in conversation, I appreciate this book because it provides very clear and specific language to talk about white privilege. —THE CHRISTIAN CENTURY Very blunt, but not harsh. Incredible resources for a parent/caregiver to use with their children who may be having questions about race and racism. —THE MINING JOURNAL
Higginbotham was named one of People Magazine’s "25 Most Influential People in 2018" and as more and more schools adopt her book she could end up being the most influential person among elementary school kids in America. —GIANTFREAKINROBOT.COM
This book does a phenomenal job of explaining how power and privilege affect us from birth, and how we can educate ourselves...Not My Idea is an incredibly important book, one that we should all be using as a catalyst for our anti-racist education. —THE TINY ACTIVIST
In her brilliant square picture book “Not My Idea”, Anastasia Higginbotham skilfully argues and explains in a child-friendly way, why 'Racism is a white person’s problem and we are all caught up in it – mostly by refusing to look at it.' The author not only informs children about white supremacy and the oppression of people of colour, she also comforts them and encourages them to make a difference, no matter how small they are. —WHITE RAVEN SELECTION 2019
A much-needed title that provides a strong foundation for critical discussions of white people and racism, particularly for young audiences. Recommended for all collections. —SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL (*Starred Review)
A necessary children's book about whiteness, white supremacy, and resistance… Important, accessible, needed. —KIRKUS REVIEWS
A timely story that addresses racism, civic responsibility, and the concept of whiteness. —FOREWORD REVIEWS
For white folks who aren’t sure how to talk to their kids about race, this book is the perfect beginning. —O MAGAZINE
Quite frankly, the first book I’ve seen that provides an honest explanation for kids about the state of race in America today. —ELIZABETH BIRD, librarian
I am in love with Not My Idea, and with Higginbotham’s direct, radical, compassionate approach to talking about whiteness, racism, and the need to tell painful but important truths. —KATE SCHATZ, NYT-bestselling author of Rad American Women A–Z, Rad Women Worldwide, and Rad Girls Can
Anastasia Higginbotham is a children's book author and illustrator, not an athlete, but to teach kids to stand up against racism, she's taking a knee next to Colin Kaepernick. —FORUM
Higginbotham is silently asking her readers to be more aware of everything around them...she is able to take control of the narrative and answer questions that expand on what little the child can gleam from adults. —MEL SCHUIT, blogger at Let's Talk Picture Books
Anastasia’s books are works of love and urgency...She’s doing the work that few have tried. —GREG O'LOUGHLIN, founder of The Educators' Cooperative
MORE ABOUT the critically acclaimed Ordinary Terrible Things series by Anastasia Higginbotham:
It’s that exact mix of true-to-life humor and unflinching honesty that makes Higginbotham’s book work so well…—PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (*Starred Review) Author/illustrator Anastasia Higginbotham is a book creator who doesn’t shy away from tough topics. She tackles them directly in the “Ordinary Terrible Things” series, published by Dottir Press. These kid-friendly books can help start important conversations. —CITIZEN TIMES A beautiful assemblage of a book—as if Romare Bearden himself rose from the dead and created a sequel to Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.—COURTNEY E. MARTIN, columnist for On Being
★ 08/01/2018
Gr 4–6—In this call to action, a young white child catches news fragments of a police officer shooting an unarmed black man. They witness their family members' discomfort, avoidance, and eventual dismissal of the shooting (and the resulting protests) while claiming, "We don't see color." The child's confusion leads them to the library for answers about the history of racism in the United States. Ultimately, they vocalize feelings of frustration to their parent. Told in second person to an assumed white audience, the text intersperses firm declarations that the structure of whiteness oppresses people of color with gentle reassurances that growth and change are possible—when bolstered by honesty and accountability. Higginbotham's trademark collage connotes the sweet simplicity of homemade crafts sharpened with the candor of radical zines, and adds layers of meaning that can serve as conversation starters for keen-eyed readers. A page discussing economic oppression, for example, depicts white hands with shirt sleeves made of U.S. dollar bills. The inclusion of a relatable narrative alongside age-appropriate language and direct explanations make this an essential text for young readers, and adults, unfamiliar or uncomfortable with the role of white people in dismantling racism. Back pages include an activity section that is visually rich but structurally vague; each page reads more as a discussion point than an exercise. In an image depicting racial profiling, the security guard closely observing a black child also appears to be a person of color; in a book on whiteness, this feels like detraction from an otherwise consistent message. VERDICT A much-needed title that provides a strong foundation for critical discussions of white people and racism, particularly for young audiences. Recommended for all collections.—Ashleigh Williams, School Library Journal
2018-06-25
A necessary children's book about whiteness, white supremacy, and resistance.Higginbotham's text includes both dialogue among white adults and a white girl grappling with her growing race consciousness and additional text that references and unpacks the ideas in that dialogue. The connective tissue between these two essential pieces of the book can be weak, but the book as a whole is sure to spark conversations, and its collage art and DIY aesthetic may encourage creative expression. The dialogue begins when the girl overhears snippets of a news story about a police officer (whose white hand is shown holding a gun) killing an unarmed black man. "Oh no, not again," says her mother, covering her eyes, and the girl asks "What? Mom. What ‘not again'?" Instead of responding, Mom turns off the TV and dodges questions, asserting, "Our family is kind to everyone. We don't see color." The girl grows increasingly frustrated and eventually seeks information independently while also asserting that she does see color and knows "that what that police officer did was wrong!" Precisely how she came to this raised consciousness isn't clear, and no adults seem sympathetic or overtly supportive. Narrative text directed at readers (perhaps also absorbed by the girl as she reads?) highlights white people engaged in anti-racist activism, and it avoids undermining itself by also placing historical and contemporary black activism at the center. Curiously, however, the text excludes people of other races from its discussion.Important, accessible, needed. (Picture book. 5-12)
