Does it matter that little Tony is black?
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Re: Does it matter that little Tony is black?
In this context then , in order to redefine the concept of superheroes the author uses Toni who is black to perhaps address the racial stereotype to make it clear that being a superhero is not about colour, age or possessing supernatural abilities or powers. Heroism is embracing your individuality and doing ordinary activities extraordinarily well
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I agree. The author made it fairly clear, at least to me, that super powers would be discussed in a later book. This book is about what Toni enjoys while he’s not saving the world.joshfee77 wrote: ↑14 Jul 2018, 02:24 I think it's great to see a young superhero who breaks the stereotypical "white superhero" mold. While his activities may be relatively mundane in this book, that doesn't preclude a sequel where he busts out some real superpowers. I don't think the author intended to imply that the only superpowers a black kid could have would be doing chores around the house.
- Christina Rose
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Yes! The question surprised me, as well. I’d like to think that children reading the book would simply enjoy the illustrations while learning to read as I’m guessing the author intended.Samanthajayne12 wrote: ↑15 Jul 2018, 05:28 When reading this book I never even considered anything about the colour of the children. I was completely focused on the message the story was given. It's such a shame that questions like this have to be asked!
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I do agree with you that representation matters.Thedogmoxie wrote: ↑15 Jul 2018, 17:19 Sometimes it is just nice to see yourself represented in a book. As a young child’s of color, most books did not have characters that looked like. The lesson in this book is that he can be a superhero by helping. I don’t think he is meant to have superpowers. So to the question “Does it matter?” I think the answer is yes. It matters because representation matters.
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I am also hoping that Toni gets to save the world when he grows a little bigger too.
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I agree with the general notion that Toni being Black wouldn't matter to children. It would be a wonder if children notice the racial inclusion in a superhero book. But being an adult, I guess we'll have opinions on the race and color of the 'superhero' in question. Toni doesn't have superpowers but he is considered one by doing daily chores and helping out his mother. I think it provides a great message overall.Bianka Walter wrote: ↑01 Jul 2018, 11:31I totally agree. And you're right, it would be interesting to see how many kids commented on Toni's colour - if anycristinaro wrote: ↑01 Jul 2018, 11:20I guess my cultural conditioning and scholar training are to be blamed for my observations.Bianka Walter wrote: ↑01 Jul 2018, 10:30 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![]()
It could be interesting to show the book to a number of children and see what happens. We learn about racial distinctions in time, so it's a good idea to have a black superhero to make sure we get rid of any prejudice and misconceptions.
Really interesting question though!

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cristinaro wrote: ↑01 Jul 2018, 05:33 Tony is a jovial little black kid always with a broad smile on his face. He is engaged in the typical activities of a kid his age.
Is he meant to defy the superhero stereotype especially since he does not seem to be doing anything extraordinary?
Did you feel the book undermines the myth of the white superhero and carries a message of inter-racial tolerance?
My fear is the message could be exactly the opposite. Little black kids can only do ordinary things like helping their mother, sweeping the floor or dusting the furniture. The superpowers still belong to the little white kids. I am wondering if Tony will actually have some superpowers in the next books of the series. What do you think?
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An exceptional point! You only need to watch a group of children playing to see that they don't see race / gender the way that adults do. We are not born prejudiced, this is learned, mostly from parents and other adults in their lives.Bianka Walter wrote: ↑01 Jul 2018, 10:30 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![]()
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