Mia Wenjen has written a powerful piece of history as a picture book.

Simon Tan set out to take back a racist slur in his band name but the refusal of the trademark based on it being "racist" or "offensive" brought him into a legal battle that went all the way to the Supreme court.

With haunting illustrations and gorgeous lyrics on each page, this book is a must for teaching kids about our justice system: a great addition to any collection.

Thank you to Net Galley, Publisher Spotlight, and Red Comet Press for the DRC! All opinions are my own.

Rock-’n-roller and self-described troublemaker Simon Tam wanted to follow the lead of Richard Prior, who embraced the n-word, and gay leaders, who embraced the onetime slur queer, in order to rob the epithets of their power to wound. Tam named his all-Asian band The Slants “as a way to take ownership of the hurtful words and give them a new meaning,” writes author Mia Wenjen in this inspiring picture book.

Tam wanted to trademark the name. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, knowing a slur when it saw one, rejected the band’s application for a trademark of The Slants. The picture book defines words for the younger set, as it details Tam’s eight-year battle to trademark his band’s name. The case made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court. “Would the court allow Asian Americans to reclaim a racist insult for their own — and allow The Slants to turn a negative into a point of pride?” In 2017, the High Court unanimously sided with The Slants in the case, with Justice Ruth Bader Ginzberg giving Tam a shout-out. The picture book ends with information on anti-racist resources and the lyrics to “We Sing From the Heart,” The Slants’ anthem detailing their fight.

Tam’s forward, Wenjen’s prose and Victor Bizar Gómez’s illustrations, with their Works Progress Administration era style, combine to make a picture book that will probably delight adults even more than children — which, considering how much tweens and teens will love We Sing From the Heart, is really saying something.

Let me give Simon Tam the last word: “Tell your story, sing your songs, and don’t be afraid to make some trouble.”

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, Publisher Spotlight and Red Comet Press in exchange for an honest review.

Really prettily laid out book. The presentation and story reminded me of Carole Boston Weatherford. Definitely one to order for the library.