"This mighty, moving picture book for all ages tells truths about slavery with bold poetic power"
March 2023 Book of the Month
Companion to the brilliant The Undefeated, Kwame Alexander’s Unspoken achieves the seemingly impossible, beginning with the question: “How do you tell a story/that starts in Africa/ and ends in horror/An unbelievable story/about evil plans/and big guns/hiding in the night/waiting”.
Presented as a teacher talking to their pupils about slavery, this bold, poetic masterwork speaks to multiple ages. Add to that Dare Coulter’s powerful illustrations — portraits and scenes that speak to the soul — and you have a tremendous book that will be appreciated and treasured for years as a testament to truth, bravery, struggle and survival.
We learn of the “sly men from cold places” who shackled African people in their ships, and the unpaid, backbreaking labour Black children were forced to do while their white counterparts “ate their candy/and played tag/before school”. We read of “families torn apart, sold like cattle”. And we also bear witness to fighting back, standing up and speaking out, before the answer to that opening question is presented – the story is told “by being brave enough/to lift your voice”.
| Suitable For: | |
| Other Genres: | |
| Recommendations: |
How do you tell a story that starts in Africa and ends in horror? About strength and pride and refusing to be broken? One that still hurts and still loves?
A powerfully moving, poetic exploration of the story of slavery: from Africa to the tall ships, from back-breaking work in a strange land to resilience and eventual emancipation, Kwame Alexander tells the story that's hard to hear.
Told through the lens of a teacher speaking to their young pupils, and in multiple art styles from award-winning artist and sculptor Dare Coulter, the story of slavery becomes one that you can tell with the bravery to lift your voice.
A must-read for all children and adults alike, and the perfect companion to Kwame Alexander's award-winning picture book The Undefeated.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Unspoken and determined it is suitable for children aged 5-8 years old
Unspoken features in the following genres: Books of the Month, Recommendations, Featured Books for 5+ readers, History, Children’s / Teenage: General interest, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, PSHE: Multiculturalism, Diversity and Inclusion, Personal Social Health Economic (PSHE), Star Books, Featured Books for 7+ readers
Unspoken is available in Paperback, Hardback
Unspoken was written by Kwame Alexander and published by Andersen Press Ltd
Unspoken has 56 pages
£8.09
.jpg)
.jpg)
