Picture books

The picture book I chose for this week is "Grandpa, Is Everything Black Bad?" by Sandy Lynne Holman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GLCReDjvrU

I love reading this book by Sandy Lynne Holman because it teaches the little boy in the book named Montsho that everything black isn't bad and he learned about his heritage. The book starts off by the little boy saying all the things that are black that represent sadness or darkness and ask his grandpa is everything Black bad then he ask himself since I am Black too does that make me bad ?. The boy is questioning his own identity because everything that represents black to him is bad and he doesn't know if that makes him bad too or how others look at him as being bad. His grandpa explains to him that it isn't about the color of your skin that makes you bad or good but it what's inside of their hearts that counts. This book teaches the child about his heritage and where he comes from to make him feel comfortable in his own skin and be proud of the color of his skin. before reading the book the things to be aware about is for students to first understand what does heritage mean to them and do they know where they come from because it is important for students to know who their ancestor were and the place their roots come from. It is important to be aware of each others biases and stereotypes that we might have on certain things. This book gives students the opportunity to reflect on race and racism because it provides a opportunity for students to see how certain stereotypes can affect a Childs identity on themselves, such as Montsho he was a Black kid and everything that represents black is bad, so he started to believe he was bad too. But once he learned where he came from and how it was so important to be proud of the color of his skin he became more confident within himself. An activity that I would have is to have Have the students identify ways to change the negative images associated with Black or any other color. Discuss how different racists can be  displayed in the media. Using magazine clippings, create a collage embracing “the beauty of that culture” to redefine ways ads could be done.