cover image Intersection Allies: We Make Room for All

Intersection Allies: We Make Room for All

Chelsea Johnson, LaToya Council, and Carolyn Choi, illus. by Ashley Seil Smith. Dottir, $18.95 (56p) ISBN 978-1-948340-08-3

With a foreword by civil rights advocate Kimberlé Crenshaw, who coined the term intersectionality, this celebration of solidarity, allyship, and community is spoken in the voices of children of varying backgrounds, abilities, and identities. Paper cutout–style images in bright colors show the children in empowering moments, described in upbeat, rhyming verse. Alejandra uses “a chair, but it doesn’t define me/ Instead, it allows me to zzzip/ glide/ and/ play.” A child called Kate, whose “friends defend my choices and place,” prefers a red cape to “skirts and frills.” Gloria, who speaks Spanish and English, describes herself as “a daughter, a partner, and an entrepreneur,” and Heejung, born in Seoul, helps her mother by “translating for her one word to another.” Spreads show allies helping each other in daily life, asserting their individuality, and standing together during protests, while repeating text urges readers to “make room for all.” Back matter and a discussion guide invite readers to learn more about intersectionality as a framework for understanding themselves, their peers, and their broader communities. A welcoming resource for conversations about equality and social justice that shows readers how identities are made up of myriad influences. Ages 6–12. [em](July) [/em]