We Are the Builders!

July 15, 2024
Lawyer and racial justice advocate Iyer has adapted her "social change ecosystem map"--a framework that explains how people can make a difference--into a picture book for young activists. It's Community Day, a chance for kids and grown-ups alike to volunteer. A guide named Ramla walks everyone through a variety of roles involved in effecting social change, including builders, caregivers, and storytellers. On each page, Ramla describes a different role and asks: Who wants to join in? These questions are posed to the book's characters, but they can easily be interpreted as a call to action for readers, too. The book's rhyming, often poetic text and its use of repetition make it a good read-aloud option. Iyer links some roles to specific actions, such as the experimenters, who upcycle old rags and bottles into backpacks. Others are described more abstractly, such as the weavers, who "find what connects / you and me." The backmatter offers thought-provoking questions for readers but doesn't explore these roles more in depth or include specific task suggestions. The watercolor and colored pencil illustrations are filled with details, inviting curious youngsters to find something new on each reread. The community is diverse; the only named character, Ramla, is a hijabi with dark brown skin. Though light on practical details, this book will inspire social justice-minded readers. (author's note, social change ecosystem map)(Picture book. 4-8)

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