The Talk

Named one of Publishers Weekly's Top Ten Best Books of 2023
Longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction 2024
New York Public Library's Best New Comics of 2023 Top Ten Pick

Darrin Bell was six years old when his mother told him he couldn't have a realistic water gun. She said she feared for his safety, that police tend to think of little Black boys as older and less innocent than they really are.

Through evocative illustrations and sharp humor, Bell examines how The Talk shaped intimate and public moments from childhood to adulthood. While coming of age in Los Angeles--and finding a voice through cartooning--Bell becomes painfully aware of being regarded as dangerous by white teachers, neighbors, and police officers and thus of his mortality. Drawing attention to the brutal murders of African Americans and showcasing revealing insights and cartoons along the way, he brings us up to the moment of reckoning when people took to the streets protesting the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. And now Bell must decide whether he and his own six-year-old son are ready to have The Talk.

Author: Darrin Bell
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Holt Paperbacks
Published: 05/21/2024
Pages: 352
Weight: 1.7lbs
Size: 8.43h x 5.98w x 0.87d
ISBN: 9781250349958


Award: 2024 Alex Awards Winner - Adult/For Young Adults
Award: 2024 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence Finalist - Nonfiction