Unspeakable

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.

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.

Beautifully written and beautifully illustrated. Another remarkable book written by Weatherford. Unspeakable tells the little known story of the Tulsa Massacre, often referred to as the Tulsa Race Riot. Using "Once upon a time," throughout the poetry, evokes the mythical quality of this true story denied the light of day until 70+ years after the fact. I would highly recommend everyone, young and old read this story. I will recommend this book be ordered for our library, and highlight it in a social justice reading group/program.

This beautifully illustrated story tries to do many things for the size and length of the story. It tells the story of Greenwood, the Black Wall Street in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It shows that this is not an isolated event through its minimal discussion of the alleged assault and its explanation of the black community's response to protect the accused. It tells of the importance of remembering what is forgotten and the importance of memorials.

I appreciate that it focused on the story of the black community as a whole rather than the imposed narrative of a crime against a white woman. By putting the elevator ride in its proper context, there is not the need of parsing innocence and guilt (if he steps on her toe, then it is legally assault) and instead reveals the tensions in the community, and by extension, the country. It also does important work talking about memorialization and its importance. There are so many conversations this could start! And that's one thing that good children's literature can do. This is a good learning tool, but is a better springboard.

This book is beautifully done and thoughtfully presented. The backmatter provides further context, but the horror of what was done in Tulsa is explained in a way that is certainly appropriate for elementary school students learning about the history of the US. The illustrations are beautiful.

This history is unspeakable. Except it is our duty to remember and reflect on what happened. This is a book that will absolutely be finding a place in my classroom library.

This stunning picture book is filled with incredible illustrations and address a horrific event in Oklahoma history in a way that is appropriate for elementary students. While this picture book targets upper elementary, this is a must have book for every school library, no matter the grade levels. Weatherford examines the atrocities of the Tulsa Race Massacre in a context that allows readers to understand and access the fear and tragedy surrounding the event and looks at how the city has begun to heal and work toward reconciliation 100 years later. Highly recommend for all school and public libraries.

Unspeakable is one of those books that every child should have in their local library. This very important picture book gives readers a look at a historical event that has not been widely taught until recently, and even with its adoption into certain school curriculums, not every student will hear about it.

This book is about the Tulsa Race Massacre, NOT riot. The book's backmatter provides reasoning for calling it a massacre as opposed to a riot. In 1921, Greenwood, Oklahoma seemed like an idyllic place to live. It was the wealthiest black community in the country, and was known as "Black Wall Street". Unfortunately, this picturesque community was shattered by a single incident involving a 19-year-old man and a 17-year-old woman. Claims that he had assaulted her were spread through the community. While the book does not go into some of the more intense accounts that have been given this book really touches on how the Black community was not supported by their local law enforcement and shows the terror and destruction that was allowed to reign down on Greenwood.

This book does not shy away from what happened during the massacre, and it mentions the devastation in an accessible way for kids. I believe that this book will be an important tool in facilitating discussions with young children about race.

The illustrations in this book are amazing, and they alone could tell the story, it's no wonder the illustrator has received such high honors in the children's book world.

I hope to see this on many ALA and State Book Award lists in 2021!

Text and illustrations join together seamlessly to introduce the youngest readers to the Tulsa Race Riots, but do it in such a way that all readers— middle school, high school— will connect with this too-long-overlooked event in our country’s history. The Author’s Note and Illustrator’s Note at the end fill in details and allow readers to see why this recounting is so personal to both of them.
Highly recommended.

Thank you, Carolrhoda Books and NetGalley, for the electronic ARC.

A portrayal of the Tulsa Race Massacre and the destruction of the Greenwood "Black Wall Street" area of Tulsa. Stunning illustrations that pair with the text.

Unspeakable is an incredible children's non-fiction picture book that simply yet devastatingly tells the history of the Tulsa Race Massacre. I love the setup using "Once Upon a Time..." to describe the flourishing community before it was burned to the ground. This history is embarrassingly not often taught in schools, even along side Civil War and Restoration history courses.

I grew up in the American South and don't remember learning about this until adulthood even though we studied the Civil War at much younger ages. Even then, I only heard about it in passing and didn't truly see the massacre for what it was until I did research after reading "Red at the Bone" Jacqueline Woodson. I feel like these two books pair well together and should be used in classrooms to help teach this erased history.

The illustrations are lovely and stylized to capture the feel of 1920s America. I enjoyed that my ARC ebook version had colored illustrations, as often times ARCs and eBooks have black and white proofs.

I also loved reading the author's notes at the end, especially the illustrator's blurb about his grandfather whom the book is partially dedicated to. I feel like there's a story of his own bubbling in those paragraphs. There are also real photographs of the aftermath at the end, which I think helps bring to light how true and horrific the events were.

This book belongs in elementary schools and history classrooms across the country. It is both heartbreaking and stunning.

(For goodreads- I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

I was very impressed with this book. I am aware of my own personal lacking when it comes to history and being able to share this sobering moment with my kids in an approachable way. I will be sharing this book with my 5th grade class alongside our current discussions on race and reconciliation. The illustrations were powerful and incredibly well done. .

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.

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.

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

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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.

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.