Early years educators play a vital role when it comes to creating an inclusive society which embraces and celebrates difference, and challenges racism, stereotypes and prejudice. Early years practitioners should take the development of racial and cultural identity as seriously as they do literacy and numeracy, say the authors of this important, articulate, and at times challenging book. However, talking about race can be uncomfortable, and practitioners may shy away from it for a number of reasons, often through a fear of getting things wrong, feelings of awkwardness, or a concern that even discussing race makes you racist.

Let’s Talk About Race in the Early Years will give readers a strong foundation in race and racism, and is packed with case studies and practical advice – as well as opportunities for reflection and evidence-based background on issues such as cultural appropriation, unconscious bias, race and representation, and developing an inclusive learning environment.

Stella Louis and her daughter Hannah Betteridge unpack and challenge a number of beliefs in this book, such as the belief that young children cannot hold racial prejudices, or the belief that “colour blindness”, where a practitioner “does not see race”, is an appropriate approach.

Liz Pemberton, director of training company The Black Nursery Manager, and musician and education consultant Professor Nathan Holder also contribute their voices to the book, while educationalist Laura Henry-Allain, author of the JoJo and GranGran books, provides an introduction. 

Let’s Talk About Race in the Early Years is not always an easy read, and nor was it easy to write say the authors, who found the process “cathartic at times and triggering at others”. Some readers may find themselves agreeing strongly with much of what they read, then coming up against their own preconceptions, bias and feelings of defensiveness, which goes to show just how important and necessary a topic this is.

For me, this was particularly evident in the chapter about music, which mentions Five Little Monkeys and Land of the Silver Birch as problematic songs despite the fact they have no derogatory language in. Having sung the former many times to my two boys and grown up loving singing the latter at Guide camps, it was difficult to hear this, but I learned something I didn’t know before after Googling the background to both songs.

The authors express their hope that some day a world exists where this book is no longer needed – until then, early educators have the power to support every child to love the skin they are born in, learn that there is beauty in difference and work to prevent racist attitudes from ever even forming.