Great book for kids on a difficult subject. As with most kids books I think it works best in print, though. It was difficult to read on my phone.

"Race Cars" masterfully uses a metaphor of different color race cars to explain privilege in a way that is easy to understand for children...and perhaps...adults. The author begins the book with a set of instructions for the adult reader to help translate the concepts and finishes with discussion prompts. Developmentally, children begin noticing race-based differences before they have celebrated their 1st birthday and by 4 years old they may have internalized bias and have begun imitating how their adults treat people of a different race. By age 12, children have a complete set of stereotypes about every racial, ethnic, and religious group in society. Our guidance is especially is especially crucial during this impressionable time. I'm 42 years old which means I've been noticing, internalizing and imitating for many years. I also know that I'm constantly working to pull out internalized bias and stereotype-based constructs and replace them with equitable examples and behaviors. Resources like "Race Cars" are also helping me shape what my children are internalizing. Please check this book out! Please ask your library to order it for their shelves!

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review! The words and opinions are my own. :)

4★
“For as long as anyone could remember, every year when the big race came around, a white car would win the race. A white car would win fourth place, third place, second place, and first place.
Until last year…”

Last year, Chase won! Chase and Ace have been best friends forever.

My Goodreads review includes an illustration with the caption:
“This is Chase. Chase is a black race car. - - - This is Ace. Ace is a white race car.”

My Goodreads review includes an illustration with the caption:
“They live in a world with lots of other race cars. Big ones, small ones, short ones, tall ones, old ones, new ones, brown ones, blue ones.”

So far, so good. Lots of diverse friends. Ace and Chase are so excited when they are finally old enough to compete in the annual race! And guess what? Chase came in first and Ace was fourth. Ace is delighted.

My Goodreads review includes an illustration with the caption:
“Ace was so happy for Chase, and Chase was so happy for Ace. They loved to race and did not care about place.”

This phrase is repeated later in the story. The friends are loyal to each other. Meanwhile, the race committee is less than pleased., except for Grace, who kept quiet. Who is this committee? You might well ask.

“No one had ever seen them, but everyone knew who they were. They were a group of white cars that made all the rules for the annual race-car race.”

You will see here that Grace has pink wheels and little vibration lines shooting out from her car character.

My Goodreads review includes an illustration with the caption:
“Grace was the youngest committee member, and the only girl! But she didn’t say anything because everyone else felt so strongly.”

The committee, in their wisdom, decided to skew the odds by forcing black cars to take the long way around the river.

My Goodreads review includes an illustration with the caption:
“The bridge is for white cars only.”

NO! Chase followed the rules and sped around the long way and still managed to come in second place behind his best friend, Ace.

My Goodreads review includes an illustration with the caption:
“‘I must be getting much faster,’ thought Ace. He drifted off to sleep dreaming of next year’s race-car race.”

Chase is getting worried but is determined to keep trying harder. Next year, the committee has another surprise for him. Before he even gets to the restricted bridge, he is stopped at the top of the mountain for an identification check! He sees that no white cars are stopped. He is delayed so long, that he doesn’t place at all when he finishes the race.

“Chase was happy for Ace, but they were both upset about Chase’s race. They loved to race and did not care about place, but the committee had just announced a new rule. Cars that did not place this year could no longer race next year...”

At the committee meeting, a couple of other members join Grace in protesting that the new rule is unfair, but nobody listens to them.

Next year, Chase goes along to watch and cheer on his friend. Ace takes off at great speed, zips around the usual course – around the track, through the cornfields, up the mountain, through the magical forest. He notices a fork in the road with a sign pointing straight ahead for white cars and down a side track for black cars.

My Goodreads review includes an illustration of the winding road through the forest.

He is curious about where Chase has been racing. He gets lost! The committee is worried. They need the fastest car to find him – but ACE is their fastest car! At last, Grace speaks up

“‘The fastest race car is Chase, even though we did not ever let Chase have a fair race,’ said Grace. ‘Take down those unfair signs! If we let Chase race at his fastest pace, he will definitely be able to find Ace!’”

Chase is still upset about not being allowed to race but he takes off at top speed, meets Ace, and they race back and finish together.

This is the kind of simple, direct story that encourages questions all the way through. For teachers or other older people reading with children, there are author’s and editor’s notes, as well as many discussion notes.

Each time we see the committee, there are another couple of “members” who have the vibration or noise lines shooting out around them to visualise their growing sense of injustice. I think anything that helps children talk about and discuss race is worth trying.

Thanks to NetGalley and Quarto’s Frances Lincoln Children’s Books for the copy for review from which I’ve copied a few illustrations.

I read this with my son who is three. I felt that it was a simple way to explain racism, white privilege and prejudice. How the system is stacked and unfair. These types of books are a great way to begin the conversation young and help our kids help create change.

A book to add to the growing list of titles that parents and teachers can use to discuss racism with children. I think making the leap from black and white cars to people of different races may be a bit too abstract for young readers without adult interaction. Still, an adequate tool to address issues of race.

Wonderful book for my preschoolers! Great way to introduce the idea of racism to little ones. I will definitely be using this book in my classroom.

'Race Cars: A children's book about white privilege' by Jenny Devenny takes a difficult topic and presents it for young readers.

Black car and white car like to race. They don't care who wins, but the cars that run the big race do. When black car wins, they add rules to make the race harder for black car to win. White car and black car are confused but both want to keep racing. But the rules get tougher for black car. Is this fair?

It's a simplistic approach to a very complex issue, but does it in a way that children can understand. I applaud the approach. There are discussion questions at the end to continue conversations.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Quarto Publishing Group - Frances Lincoln Children's Books, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

I applaud the author for tackling such a difficult topic for any age group to understand, let alone children. This would be best for third through fifth grades, I believe. It will be a good resource for starting important conversations. Highly recommended.

Such a great book to start teaching kids early about race and white privilege in a way that’s super accessible and really clever. Great illustrations and a very important message. Highly recommend!!

This touching picture book is an incredible starter to having difficult conversations about race with children. It follows two race cars, a black care named Chase and a white car named Ace, who are best friends and race together every year, Many parents might not know where to start, but this book with a gripping story and obvious analogies will be a great starting point, especially for young kids. Parents will find the guides and notes inside very helpful, and overall this is a must-have for white parents.

I received an electronic ARC from Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books through NetGalley.
Devenny presents a lesson in equity for younger readers. Two race cars - one white, one black - are friends and enjoy racing against each other. White cars have always won the annual race. In fact, white cars have always taken all the places. Then Chase won and the committee was upset that a black car had won. They changed the rules to make it harder for cars other than white ones. Chase still came in second the next year which led to more changes. This pattern continues until a member of the race committee becomes brave enough to speak out and others join her.
Informative text for adults is included before the story as well as questions for discussion at the end. A read together book for families to begin dialogue about equity and awareness. Readers will connect to cars and see the unfair changes in the race course to set up white cars to win. The illustrations add to the story and offer a clear look at the different paths cars must travel. Discussion about the application to broader patterns is helped by the information provided by the author.

This book is meaningful and important, but unfortunately, I feel as though it loses a bit of its effectiveness with the target audience as a result of the minimalistic and sparse style. Not just the illustrations, but the typography from page to page as well. As a nanny of three girls between the ages of 3 and 8, I don't think this is a book that I could get them interested in - not because the content isn't there, but because the appeal for children lacks severely.

Outstanding way to explains white privilege to children. A must read for parents, teacher and children.

To write a book about white privilege that cuts through our defenses and helps us see the systemic challenges others face is an enormous undertaking. To do this for children requires a gift. This book is a must read for children and will be helpful for their parents, teachers and other adults! This book should be in every classroom, library, Sunday School and home. Jenny Devenny created a must have book for 2021!

The publisher made a copy of this book available via Netgalley. This review is my honest opinion.

This is a terrific title helping children (and perhaps their adult caregivers) about the effects of privilege, using a more neutral race car analogy. It is a simple story with engaging and graphically pleasing illustrations. I also appreciate the conversation guides in the back to help adults who may not be used to talking about issues of race and privilege with young people.

Race Cars by Jenny Devenny is a book for children that addresses racial inequity by presenting a metaphor with two friends, a black race car and a white race car. The black race car encounters multiple obstacles the white race car doesn't. The discussion questions at the end are excellent and will promote productive discussion with children. I think I would have liked this more if it more directly addressed privilege instead of using a racing metaphor. I think its audience would be old enough to understand and identify discrimination.

Thank you Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books and NetGalley for providing this ARC.

This book should be required reading for adults who say “I don’t have privilege”. After reading it I sat and thought about where I can see white privilege in our systems today, such as voter suppression. Privilege is a sensitive conversation for so many people, and this book explains it so clearly and simply, without villainizing the white car, Ace. At the end of the story Ace realizes the privileges that helped him win the race, and has a better relationship with his best friend, a black car, Chase. I would love to see a sequel where Chase and Ace work together to find equitable solutions.

Race Cars by Jenny Devenny is an absolutely amazing book that I would highly recommend to anyone with children – would even recommend for adults to read as well. In my opinion, this book is a great resource to help young children learn about race and privilege on a level where they can understand. Loved the storyline and illustrations! #RaceCars #NetGalley

Race Cars is an amazing book illustrating discrimination and privilege to young children with the help of a trusted adult and two friendly race cars, Chase and Ace. Through the book, the reader is invited to explore the many ways that Chase is discriminated against just for being a "black car." Ace also comes face to face with his own white car privilege. Devenny provides discussion points for parents and educators that are helpful when talking through the book with a young child. Also, the rhyming throughout the book is fantastic and keeps such a deep topic engaging.