Does it matter that little Tony is black?

[palilogy]

It reminded me a bit of that kids book called The Snowy Day.
I remember studying that in a children's literature course.
I think it does matter - but (to me) it doesn't change a thing.

[Katherine Smith]

I think that having a black superhero that does ordinary things shows that we are all the same. I think that with each new book Tony will develop more powers which can help more people. I think that the myth of the white superheros revolves around the myth that only white people can help others when that is not true.

[Cristal2408]

While the book could be interpreted as "black superheroes don't do superhero stuff", there's to consider that doing good things in small doses is actually the way to be a real superhero. Being extraordinary in the ordinary is the right path to success and greatness. This book reflects that.

The racial thing is both separate and joint to the meaning. America just had its first black president and many minorities are starting to have a real voice in society. The book helps build a tolerance towards minorities and shows that not only can they be superheroes too, but that the way to do it is through small deeds.

It tells any child that if Toni can be a superhero, they can too.

Plus, having a child help at home because a book told him so, is better than having a child trying to jump through the roof wanting to be Superman... just saying, it has happened.

[juliecsa]

Personally, I don't view it as black kids can only do mundane tasks, but rather that black kids can do ANYTHING. I think it is important that Toni is black, because any and all representation is important. Kids should grow up being able to consume content with characters who are like them, and this book makes that a little easier for black kids!

[Britty01]

The fact that Toni is black didn't even register on my radar until this thread. So I obviously felt none of the above.
And I don't think it will for kids either. They just see another kid, it's us adults that notice the colour

I agree, that is often the case.

[ccranston]

This is an interesting question because when I think about superheroes, I think Batman, Superman, Spider-Man... All white men who do incredible things. Then there's Toni, who does normal things. I don't know if race has anything to do with it, but I would have liked to have seen what "superhero" things Toni likes to do, as well as the normal things. Maybe we'll see him be more of a superhero in the next book in the series.

[bclayton13]

This is an interesting question. I think it matters, I know many black kids who often didn't have many characters in their stories that looked like them, so something like Black Panther meant the world, and I think this would too. He doesn't have super powers, but so do many other characters in kid's books. After talking to my friend's kids, seeing only white characters made them feel like they didn't matter all that much, or that they couldn't be included. I think it's great that Toni exists just as he is.

[holsam_87]

My thought was that this is about encouraging kids to do helpful things and chores. It didn't crosd my mind that only white children would have the actual superpowers.

[JGBRMS]

We definitely need to stop seeing color and just see kids like kids do. I volunteer at a mixed race grade school, and see kids interact in a color blind manner. Tony engages in superhero activities but also other more "mundane" activities. It's a great lesson that real life is not all fantasy.

[FictionLover]

I don't know.

Being the parent of a son, I well remember when he found a Batman cape and began wearing it all the time. Those are very fond memories because children see the world with wonder in their eyes, and that is how I viewed this book. I think Toni believes he is a superhero in his super-life.

R.D. Base is the mother of a few boys, and it was my opinion that she was tapping into this wonder and joy. That's how I read it and that's why I really loved it.

[FictionLover]

As a black parent - and now grandparent - it didn't even occur to me that such a comparison could be made. I was focused on the lesson that even superheroes do chores AND enjoy it... In my review, I did mention Tony's color, but I did so as a positive -

I like that the hero in question is a boy of color. In a genre where the superheros have historically been fair-skinned, it's important for little African-American children to see heroes who look like themselves. Since Black Panther is making a splash at the box office, the timing is on-point for our little hero.

I agree. When I was reading to my son at that age, I remember how much he loved Peter from A Snowy Day. As a boy living in the south he loved the story about snow, since he hadn't seen any yet. I thought it was wonderful that Peter was a boy of color and the hero of a classic children's book. (This winter the US Postal Servie had Snowy Day stamps!)

It's important for all children to see people of color reflected in what they read.

[kfwilson6]

I agree with Bianka's initial statement that I wasn't even fazed by the color of Toni's skin. I hope children do not look at this book and notice either. When I was in elementary school I remember it was a primarily white school, and there was a brother and sister who were the only black kids I remember in my grade. I remember being friends with both of them, and I don't think the color of their skin was something I noticed at that time. Attitude, behavior, values, those are things that matter when you get to know someone.

I don't really like this question because I think it draws too much attention to something that shouldn't even be relevant about this book. Would you ask this question if the child were white? The only way I can really see it making a difference is to parents. Do you think white parents are less likely to buy this book because it is a black boy? Do you think black parents are more likely to buy it?

[LaurenHaupt]

No it doesn't. He was a cute kid and his smile was always captivating. My kids loved that book.

[gen_g]

This is an interesting question! However, I feel like this is now up to the parents/people reading the book to the child in question. The adult is the one responsible for the education of the younger masses, aka creating a colourblind society, and it is important to start it young. In other words, the adult has to let the child know that doing your daily chores is also a form of superhero activity, and it is not in any form inferior to other children with "actual superhero powers" (whether white or not).

You're right about the guiding roles of the adults and our implicit duty to create what you wonderfully call a "colourblind society." Changing the tone of our conversation, don't you think Tony already sets a very high standard? I mean, he seems to be liking an awful lot of things. I found myself thinking the author was pretty smart in choosing the pattern "to like" instead of "can". Imagine the following substitution: Tony can swim... read... dance..., etc. I think many readers have made this switch in their minds without being aware of it. It would make sense for Tony the superhero to be able to do a number of things rather than simply liking them.

I agree with you about the author being smart enough to choose that pattern! However, I would think that the large variety of things Toni is seen liking is merely the author's way of introducing various activities to children, just like how we would teach children to name a variety of colours, or even teaching them the numbers. (:

[KitabuKizuri]

The fact that Toni is black didn't even register on my radar until this thread. So I obviously felt none of the above.
And I don't think it will for kids either. They just see another kid, it's us adults that notice the colour

I'm sure the author would be surprised as well, sometimes our personal experiences lead us to read too much into things.