Something Happened in Our Town: A Child's Story About Racial Injustice

by Marianne Celano PhD, Marietta Collins PhD, Ann Hazzard PhD, Jennifer Zivoin (Illustrator)

Overview

A Minneapolis Children’s Theatre Company Original World Premiere Production
A NEW YORK TIMES and #1 INDIEBOUND BEST SELLER
American Library Association's Office of Intellectual Freedom's Top 10 Most Challenged Books 
A Little Free Library Action Book Club Selection
National Parenting Product Award Winner (NAPPA)

Emma and Josh heard that something happened in their town. A Black man was shot by the police.

"Why did the police shoot that man?"

"Can police go to jail?"

Something Happened in Our Town follows two families — one White, one Black — as they discuss a police shooting of a Black man in their community. The story aims to answer children's questions about such traumatic events, and to help children identify and counter racial injustice in their own lives.

Includes an extensive Note to Parents and Caregivers with guidelines for discussing race and racism with children, child-friendly definitions, and sample dialogues. Free, downloadable educator materials (including discussion questions) are available at www.apa.org.

From the Note to Parents and Caregivers:

There are many benefits of beginning to discuss racial bias and injustice with young children of all races and ethnicities:

• Research has shown that children even as young as three years of age notice and comment on differences in skin color.
• Humans of all ages tend to ascribe positive qualities to the group that they belong to and negative qualities to other groups.
• Despite some parents’ attempts to protect their children from frightening media content, children often become aware of incidents of community violence, including police shootings.
• Parents who don’t proactively talk about racial issues with their children are inadvertently teaching their children that race is a taboo topic. Parents who want to raise children to accept individuals from diverse cultures need to counter negative attitudes that their children develop from exposure to the negative racial stereotypes that persist in our society.

Order the companion books, Something Happened in Our Park: Standing Together After Gun Violence and Something Happened to My Dad: A Story About Immigration and Family Separation. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781433828546
Publisher:	American Psychological Association
Publication date:	04/04/2018
Series:	Something Happened Series
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	108,827
Product dimensions:	8.20(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Marianne Celano, PhD, ABPP, Marietta Collins, PhD, and Ann Hazzard, PhD, ABPP worked together for over two decades as Emory University School of Medicine faculty members serving children and families in Atlanta. All three psychologists have been involved in community advocacy efforts focused on children's behavioral health and social justice. Dr. Celano and Dr. Hazzard have developed and utilized therapeutic stories in individual and group therapy with children and teens. All three authors valued story-time with their children, who taught them important lessons about what children need from adults. This is their first picture book for children.

Jennifer Zivoin has always loved art and storytelling, so becoming an illustrator was a natural career path. She has been trained in media ranging from figure drawing to virtual reality, and earned her bachelor of arts degree with highest distinction from the honors division of Indiana University. During her professional career, Jennifer worked as a graphic designer and then as a creative director before finding her artistic niche illustrating children's books, including Something Happened in Our Town, Did You Hear?, and A World of Pausabilities. She lives in Indiana.Visit her at www.jzartworks.com. 

Editorial Reviews

A NEW YORK TIMES AND #1 INDIEBOUND BEST SELLER

#6 on American Library Association's Office of Intellectual Freedom's Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2020

A Little Free Library Action Book Club Selection

National Parenting Product Award Winner (NAPPA)

NCSS-CBC 2019 Notable Social Science Trade Book for Young People

Mentioned in The New York Times—"These Books Can Help You Explain Racism and Protest to Your Kids"

Mentioned in USA Today—"Looking for books about racism? Experts suggest these must-read titles for adults and kids"

Featured on Today—“10 books to help you discuss anti-racism with children and teenagers”

Featured in Forbes—"Why Kids Of All Races Need to Know How to Talk About Race"

Featured in Glamour—“10 Books to Help Talk to Your Kids About Racism, as Recommended by Black Authors”

Mentioned in Brit + Co—"24 Books That Can Help Parents Talk to Kids About Race"

Mentioned in Fast Company—"5 ways to support Black Lives Matter protesters—even if you can't join a protest"

Mentioned in Chicago Sun-Times—"43 must-read books about racism for adults and kids"

Mentioned in U.S. Catholic—"Required reading: A Black Catholic syllabus"

Featured in The Christian Century—“Talking to white kids about what whiteness means”

“Written by three psychologists, this is a great educational resource for parents… how to talk to children about race and racism and trauma, how to identify and counter racial injustice.” —Vogue

“Does an admirable job showing two families’ reactions to a police killing… important for library collections.”—School Library Journal

“This book provides the necessary framework for talking to children about racial injustice.” —Women’s Day

“Provides an unflinching look at how families can and should talk about racism…Explores the roots of racism in America, the importance of actively fighting for social justice, and how kids can respond to the prejudice and exclusion that creeps into their classrooms… Whatever this discussion looks like in your household, it's just a first step.”—Mashable.com

“This beautifully written and illustrated book tackles a difficult subject with grace, helping families share conversations about racism and discrimination.” —What’s Up Moms

“This book helps children grapple with one of the most disturbing and troubling issues in our society today, police shootings of people of color, and helps them to identify and counter racial injustice.” —Mommy Poppins

"This is a difficult subject, and I think this book handles it well. The language is age-appropriate and gentle. The illustrations are beautiful, and the message is positive: kids can start a 'better pattern' by including kids who are different than themselves." —Five Star Review, San Francisco Book Review

"This book is a must-read for kids and parents, it offers great examples of how to talk to kids about race." —Kids & Race

“Something Happened In Our Town respectfully and honestly deals with a paramount social problem, and is worthy of the highest recommendation for public, school library, and family picture book collections.” —Children’s Bookwatch

“This story will open up the doors to some important and heavy issues that children are exposed to in today’s society. Issues of race, discrimination, stereotypes, racial profiling, entitlement…” —Lulu’s Book Journey

“Right now, parents are looking for more children’s books that accurately depict the world their kids live in today. They also want a book that helps them discuss the tough issues that they would otherwise feel uncomfortable talking about. This is that book….The lesson of compassion and tolerance will touch anyone’s heart….This beautifully depicted picture book is a must for parents, teachers and librarians a like.” —cup of tea with that book, please

“In this beautifully written and illustrated children’s book, children will learn about racial injustice as it happens today.” —Medium

From the Publisher