Something Happened in Our Town

Beautiful illustrations and a wonderful tool for talking to kids.

This much needed children's book provides insightful historical and present day context regarding racial injustice in a manner that promotes compassion and willingness to work on these issues!

This book is a two parts book: the story and the "how to use it recommendations".

It is a short story that can help children accept and understand other children that are different.
Also, it can encourage children to stand up for others when it needed.

What I liked the most are the suggestions from the second part of the book. It is a very helpful tool for who wants to use this book in order to accept that persons that are different.

This book made me cry. It is very powerfully written and a great tool to use for hard discussions with kids. I will be buying a copy of this book and recommending it to everyone that I know!!

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This one is going to be an excellent picture book for bigger kids as well as littler kids. The story compares how two different families deal with the problem of a horrible event in their community. It's an excellent opener for a conversation with kids about how we deal with violence in our community and sadly, there seem to be a lot of opportunities to use a book like this.

This is a needed book in Children's lit today. A great book to read to start conversations about race, and injustice. It should be in all school libraries.

Do you have kids aged 4-8, or even older? If you do, you need this book.
This is a book parents require, to explain the racial violence and injustice that is so frequently seen on social media or even in the neighborhood.
The story starts with a police shooting where an unarmed black man is killed. Two children ask their families why it happened: the girl is white, the boy is black. So we get two different points of view and distinct emotions. But they both share the feeling of injustice.
The historical roots of racism that start with slavery are explained in a way that children can easily grasp. Parents teach the children empathy, tolerance, and pride in one’s color and race. They show the need to fight prejudice and exclusion.
Next day, this girl and this boy, who are friends at school, proceed by showing kindness and helping a new student of Muslim descent.
The authors are all psychologists who have worked with children and families. They give a precious resource for parents and teachers to use in opening up and making easier the conversation with children on the ongoing and tragic issue of racism in America.
You can find a “Note to Parents and Caregivers” in the end, with conversation guides and sample dialogues, child-friendly vocabulary and a list of related resources.
On the site of the American Psychological Association you can find Book Lists and Online Resources and Read Aloud Tips for Educators, related to this publication.
This is a book of the utmost importance for the new generations so that this sad violence pattern based on racism can end with them. This is a commendable work.

My daughter and I both loved this book. It is informative and addresses social/racism issues in a way that kids can easily understand. I think it is important to talk to your kids about how people of color are treated differently and this book is a great way to start the conversation. The guide at the end is extremely helpful when addressing some of your children’s questions. Highly recommend. Every parent should be reading books like this to their children.

This is a timely book aimed at children between 4 and 8 years of age. Immediately we learn of a police officer who has shot and killed a black man, wrongly suspecting that the victim was holding a weapon.

A young white girl comes home from school, having picked up some of the shooting details, and she processes the news with her parents. They share some of the history of discrimination and prejudice that people of color have faced in our country as well as demonstrating empathy and natural next steps.

Then the attention shifts to a young black boy having similar conversations with his parents, whose emotions are understandably raw and frustrated ("'I'm mad that we're still treated poorly sometimes, but I can use my anger to make things better,' said his father. 'Black people have a lot of power if we work together to make changes.'")

Both young children return to school with new knowledge of how to change the status quo. When a new student begins at their school from the Middle East with only a limited grasp of the English language, other students keep their distance but Josh and Emma are given an opportunity to reach out and both make him feel welcome. We end the story with hope that with knowledge and intentional actions, there can be continued progress in the future.

At the close of the book there is a note for parents/adults that offers additional advice and resources. This extended section will be especially valuable to parents and teachers having these conversations for the first time. The sample questions and answers are well thought out and researched and the dialogues explain gently but clearly how to model these conversations well.

An important look at racial inequality, with language and examples that are easy for children to understand. The pictures are beautiful and I think this book can help children reflect and take action in their own schools.

Something Happened in Our Town
A Child's Story About Racial Injustice
by Marianne Celano; Marietta Collins; Ann Hazzard

American Psychological Association

Magination Press
Children's Fiction
Pub Date 04 Apr 2018

I am reviewing a copy of Something Happened In Our Town through Magination Press and Netgalley:


In this beautifully written and illustrated children's book, children were learn about racial injustice as it happens today.


In there town something bad happens a man is shot by a Police Officer when a young girl tries to understand why this happened, why an innocent man was shot and her Mother goes on to talk to her about the pattern of racial injustice and pointed out that years ago even her family had slaves, but the Mother does her best to teach her young daughter that Something needs to be done to help stop the Injustice.


In another house Josh is trying to understand the same tragic event he wonders if Police can go to jail his Mother remains them they can but his Father reminds him that cops stick together so he probably won't. He talks about how many cops don't like Black People something Malcolm has a hard time understanding because his Uncle is a Colored Police Officer.

Josh's Father reminds him that if Black People worked together they can bring about change.


The following day a new kid named Omar comes to their school, while other kids don't invite him to play Emma and Josh do.


I give Something Happened In Our Times five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

Good take on racial injustice for kids. I liked that the parents actually sat and discussed the issue with their respective children.It also told both sides of the story, black and white. I think it should be used as a jumping off point to discuss racial injustice with kids in a classroom. I thought the illustrations were well done and tied the story together nicely.

I love the concept of this book and I feel that it addresses very important issues relevant to children today. I would love to see the finished project, especially the lay out of the parent guide in the back of the book! I especially enjoyed the illustrations and how they are a combination of history and present day! I believe this book will be a great resource for parents, caregivers, and educators to use in opening up and facilitating the conversation with children on the ongoing and ever so prevalent issue of racial injustice in America.

Children are more aware than ever about current news events. Each mobile notification brings instant access to stories from across the nation and world. How can we, as caregivers, address the critical issues that these stories often prompt? “Something Happened In Our Town: A Child’s Story About Racial Injustice” attempts to address this question. It is a fictional tale that follows two children talking to their families about an innocent man shot to death by police. One family is white, the other black, and they each grapple with the situation from their unique perspectives. The white family acknowledges the pattern of racial injustice in police shootings and uses the opportunity to teach their daughter to remember to be fair and inclusive to students from all backgrounds. The black family expresses frustration at yet another death and encourage their son to be proud of who he is and to try to help others learn to be more fair. It is a difficult topic handled respectfully and fairly by Celano, Collins, and Hazzard.

The authors are all psychologists who have worked with children and families and have interest in behavioral health and social justice. They have included an extensive note to parents and caregivers. It includes strategies for discussing racism with children. Developmentally appropriate vocabulary, questions, additional resources and sample dialog are also included.--Recommended.