In a time when there is increasing notice of which voices are being heard or silenced and which faces are being shown or neglected in children's literature, Alphabet Rockers are moving their message into picture books. This "intergenerational group creates brave spaces to shape a more equitable world through hip hop" and has now written a book addressing some of those inequities.
Young people from different cultural backgrounds, racial and gender identities, and other characteristics that society uses to pigeonhole individuals are shown in the pages as their challenges are addressed. Situations that arise every day such as having their names mispronounced or laughed at, invasive questions asked about their gender, or the struggle of indigenous youths to claim their history and culture are illustrated in vibrant colors throughout the pages. Repeated refrains of "you are not alone" transition readers from one scene to the next.
The characters speak directly to the reader asking, " Have you ever felt like people didn't get you?" Questions like that pull the reader in, encouraging them to empathize by remembering their own hard times. The most powerful may be "When I say something is unfair to me, but you say it's fair to you, what does that make it?" Just that one sentence can open up a dialogue about fairness and equity that could lead to better understanding between friends and classmates.
For more information about the Alphabet Rockers, visit their website https://www.alphabetrockers.com/ and don't forget to check out the You Are Not Alone video.
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