I first learned of the Tulsa Race Massacre from an excellent history teacher when I took African American history in high school. Recently the massacre has received newfound attention after the release of the hit HBO show Watchmen and during the summer of 2020. As a result, many Americans may have learned about it for the first time in the last year. If fully grown adults are just finding out about it now, then it is safe to assume that most children are oblivious about it as well. Carole Weatherford and Floyd Cooper have produced a new children’s book about the massacre just in time for the 100th anniversary of the horrible event in June 2021. Their book is filled with beautiful illustrations, the people portrayed in it look lifelike. It also contains very specific historical details such as the incident that led to the massacre, the notable people involved, and it highlights some of the important establishments in Tulsa at the time. The Author’s and Illustrator’s notes both contain more historical information about the massacre at the end of the book. Cooper even has a personal connection to it. This book will be great for both children and adults to read so that they are knowledgeable about this important and tragic event in American history.

Incredible book! Although it is written for young readers, readers of any age can read and learn about the Tulsa Race Massacre. The author and illustrator do a wonderful job of being sympathetic to its target audience. I enjoyed it immensely and recommend it to all.

This book touched a special place in my heart. Growing up near Tulsa, I had learned about the Greenwood district and the tragedy that happened there. It is wonderful to see these events now represented in literature. This book was a great representation of the race riot and the park that is now there. It will definitely be purchased for my elementary library.

Floyd Cooper's illustration work pairs beautifully with Carole Boston Weatherford's words in this powerful text. Unspeakable is a well-composed and enriching historical picture book, well-crafted and engaging. I loved this book and am thrilled at the possibilities for sharing with young readers and building literacy experiences around this text.

This is a very powerful book, reflecting not only the personal connections of the author and Illustrator to the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, but also its deeply affecting words and illustrations. All of this is well supported by both an author’s note and an illustrator’s note. This is a story that should be shared and discussed with young readers as it not only recounts a story that is often not told, but it deals with issues that are relevant today.

Very important story that is long past due. Astonishing illustrations from Floyd Cooper. So glad to see this book coming out into the world.

Such an important history lesson.
I cannot thank you enough for educating me on this as I must admit I had not heard of this terrible incident that occurred in Tulsa all these years ago.
This picture book shows us the before and after of a racial attack that took place in 1921 and it was hard to read.
Hard, but important and so I urge all of you, big and small, to read it and learn about our history.

I very much appreciated the author's and illustrator's notes at the end of the book as well as the political and societal context this horrible event took place in.

Important. Pungent. Sad.
Read it.

Rating: 5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐!!!!!!!!!
Book: Unspeakable-The Tulsa Race Massacre
Release Date: February 2, 2021
Author: Carole Boston Weatherford
Genre: Children’s Nonfiction, History

Black Wall Street. That was the name of the area of Tulsa, Oklahoma where wealthy, prominent, and talented black folks lived and thrived. That was until the massacre of 1921 all because one white teenager accused a black teenager of assault during an elevator ride. This led to rumors and lies that the Black community were going to attack the white community which sparked the burning of this wealthy, black-owned, black-filled town. Hundreds of deaths and the displacement of thousands more.

You want to know the astounding part?! It took seventy-five years for there to be an investigation. It took that long to uncover that the police conspired with the white community to rid the wealthiest black community in history. You may have heard this story. You may know more than what this book presents. But this book, Unspeakable, is so fitting to read to all ages, all races, all socioeconomic status.

I really enjoyed the vibrant, lifelike illustrations. The story comes to life in a way that children of all ages should be able to understand. It should spark discussion about how what happened so long ago is not too far than what is happening in the streets right now- but without being silent for seventy-five years. I encourage you to read this book yourself as an adult, read it to your class as a teacher, read it to your kids as a parent, read it to your library book clubs as a librarian; no matter your title, this book should be read and discussions should be had.

Thank you to @NetGalley @LernerPublishingGroup for an advanced copy of @Unspeakable

#Unspeakable #LernerPublishingGroup #NetGalley #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #AmazonReads #childrensnonfiction #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic

In 1921, baseless rumors started by a white woman about an encounter with a Black man in an elevator led to the violent destruction of Greenwood, a flourishing Black community in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Over 300 Greenwood residents died and many survivors fled. Carole Boston Weatherford’s brief text is packed with cogent facts and vivid feelings, while it’s impossible to look away from Floyd Cooper’s intense, painterly illustrations. It’s a stunning look at an important event that has been omitted from most texts about United States history.

One small quibble: I felt uncomfortable and conflicted with the author’s repeated use of the phrase “Once upon a time” to describe Greenwood’s past. I’m sure the words were chosen carefully and after a number of editorial conversations, but nothing about what happened at Greenwood was a made-up tale and I didn’t want young readers to make that erroneous connection.

The powerful and chilling story of the worst racial attack and massacre in US history against the Greenwood community in 1921 (known as the Tulsa Massacre). The story is told simply and with evocative illustrations. A much needed history lesson that will be a good basis for discussion in classrooms about racism, history, and how to achieve reconciliation.

Mr. Cooper's use of rich browns and other colors give this true story a lush feel. You can see the success the town had built for itself and feel the horrors when the massacre occurs. Weatherford's author's note provides more information to young readers, I hope it is not overlooked. The story is a somber one, yet one that is in many social studies standards but not covered.

Unspeakable does an excellent job of explaining the significance of the Tulsa neighborhood of Greenwood, the events surrounding the Tulsa Race Massacre, the impact of the incident, and how long it took for it to be officially acknowledged or investigated.

The book lays out the appalling but somehow nearly forgotten incident in US history in a thorough but age-appropriate way.

The illustrations have a distinctly Art Deco style, perfect for the time period and subject matter, and depict the tension of the conflict without actually showing any violence.

In the 1920's Greenwood was a thriving Black community in Tulsa, Oklahoma. There were movie theaters, schools, libraries, a hospital and hotel, and close to 200 businesses. Life was good until a Black man was accused of assaulting a white teenager. Tulsa's white residents destroyed Greenwood while the police did nothing to stop them. This beautifully illustrated book is full of details on the story that many wanted to be left of American history books.

I'm so glad that the Tulsa Massacre is finally getting the attention it needs.

This book is very accessible to kids and shows the horrors of what happened without being too graphic or overwhelming. It is a good introduction to larger conversations of race and oppression in America (and around the world). The story is also beautifully illustrated.

This was an amazing picture book about a part of American history that I previously knew nothing about but now wish to learn more. It tells the true story of the Tulsa Race Massacre in Oklahoma, not long after the end of World War One, where hundreds of African American people were killed and many thousands more left homeless, after a mob of white locals looted homes and businesses and burnt them to the ground. Police did nothing to protect the victims and there wasn't even an official investigation until 75 years later.

This story is told in a way that is accessible and so engaging that it is hard to put down. The illustrations are amazing and focus on the faces of the characters, as much as, if not more than, the setting and are so powerful in conveying the feelings of the people.

This is an excellent book about a terrible event, with a message that should be widely shared.

I've been trying and failing for some time to find a way to talk about this book in some cohesive way, so I'm just going to start writing down my thoughts and hope I land somewhere. I think this is about as bearable and accessible of an account of the Tulsa Race Massacre as could possibly exist. It manages to convey the events in a very clear-eyed way, while still allowing space for the raw emotion of it.

We spend a large portion of the book considering the beauty of the community of Greenwood as it was before May 31, 1921, the marvelous achievement and perseverance of this group of people who were determined to pull together and form a nurturing, thriving society on their own terms. We find out in the end notes that illustrator Floyd Cooper grew up hearing stories of his own grandfather's childhood in Greenwood, and I feel like this closeness to the subject is evident in every page; this is the absolute best work I've seen from Cooper, bar none. The subtleness and breadth of humanity he renders here is breathtaking.

When we get to the events leading to the massacre itself, we have a deep sense of what was lost-- the people, the businesses, the homes, the ability to build and strive, the hope that the contributions that Black citizens had made to that point would lead to more respect or better treatment. At the same time, I don't think it is told heavy handedly. There is only so much you can boil this down; the word massacre is the only apt one, and can't be ignored, and must be explained. How can you do that while looking away from its truth? You can't. And this story looks at that truth unflinchingly yet tells it with as soft a hand as possible.

In the end I learned things I never knew, and I cried my eyes out over the depth of the betrayal and injustice. It's a hard story, but one that definitely needs to be remembered and discussed.

This is the first children’s book I’ve seen about the Tulsa Race Massacre and it’s really well done. The illustrations complement the text and treat the subject matter with care. The book also has great vocabulary such as Exodusters, furrier and coiffed. As a teacher, I would use this book to support my curriculum.

This book is STUNNING. Emotionally wrenching. Powerful. Oh my goodness--the illustrations are breathtaking and suit the proud, then tragic and infuriating, story and tone of the text.
AND! A Picture book about the Tulsa Race Massacre is so, so important. The topic and illustrations alone would justify purchase of this title. I've also been privileged to see Carole Boston Weatherford speak, and she's phenomenal.

That said, some of the language is clunky in a way that would make it difficult for me to choose as a read-aloud for class, either for young children or high school students (yes, I use picture books with my HS students). In general, I find calling people "whites" or "blacks" dehumanizing, and think "white people" or "black people" reaffirms humanity, for example. Reducing anyone to their skin color is...not great. (Flip it to other marginalized groups: we would NEVER say "the gays" anymore--we'd say gay community, person, etc. It would be a huge language red flag to write it any other way. Likewise when referring to women as "females.") "Blacks" and "whites" feels dated for a new book written for children. Example: On one page the text reads, "...where some say Black children got a better education than whites." (This is just one example in the text. "Blacks" and "whites" are used throughout the book.) The idea is IMPORTANT! But the author doesn't mean "whites," she means "white children." I do not object to the tone of the book...But that grammar isn't even parallel, and this book is geared toward young kids who are still learning. If I REALLY want my white students to be as enraged by this unspeakable massacre enacted by violent white supremacists as my BIPOC students, I need language that centers these were people...innocent people and violent, culpable people, both.

BUT. AND. I am a white woman reviewing a book describing one of the greatest tragedies and injustices leveled against black Americans in U.S. history. How much does the grammar/word choice really matter? Why nit-pick? How much does my opinion even matter when a book like this hasn't existed before? When this story NEEDS to be told? My opinion probably shouldn't count for much, but the words did pull me out of an immersive reading experience.

I teach high school, grades 9-12, ages 14-19. I often use picture books in my instruction, and do actively look for nonfiction picture books to supplement resources I provide for the history/social studies department at my high school. There is so much wonderful information here, but the language gives me pause (there are other examples than what I delved into above). I will probably buy this book anyway. I want to support the author and the publisher, but the telling left me wanting.

Thank you to Carolrhoda Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview this beautiful, wrenching, and important picture book.

Wow! I'm literally SO IMPRESSED with this little book about the Tulsa Race Massacre. Well written!! Easy for little kids to follow along. A very teachable moment in history that not everyone knows about. Beautiful illustrations!!

I definitely recommend this book to parents and teachers. It's a book that earns its keep.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in return for an honest opinion.

This books makes a good, historically accurate introduction for young students to learn about the Tulsa Race Massacre. As mentioned by the authors in the Author's Notes section, this is not taught in most schools in Oklahoma, let alone around the country. It's important for students to know about the history of their state, the good and the bad. Unspeakable presents the information in a familiar way that students will recognize from stories they've read by the repetition of "Once upon a time..." It gives the story a bit of a fairy tale feel but these events are all too true.

This is a title I will be adding to my school's library so my students can understand this piece of their own history.