As an agency, Bridgetown Baby is deeply committed both to confronting bias within ourselves and dismantling the systemic racism that literally and figuratively stifles the potential of our BIPOC* community members. The work starts with us; it continues with our children - and we are their most important teachers. Each month, we'll be sharing resources for talking with kids about bias and celebrating differences.

If there’s anything we’ve learned since last summer, it’s that deep listening, true connection and moving beyond good intentions are key to healing the wounds from generations of systemic racism.

Some books we’ve profiled in this series tackle this lesson head-on, while others model curiosity, connection and encouragement to celebrate what makes each person in this world unique. A New Kind of Wild, by Zara González Hoang, is just that kind of story.

When Ren moves from the edge of the jungle to the big city, he is lonely and misses the magic he found in the landscape of his home. Though Ava, his new friend in the city, tries to help him see the very different enchantment she experiences in her urban home, they can’t see eye to eye. Good intentions are not enough. But when Ava spends time to listen and understand Ren’s experience, that connection allows her to truly make Ren welcome, and they are each able to find and celebrate their own kind of wild in their shared home.

You can search out this lushly narrated and illustrated book at Portland’s AAPI-owned Green Bean Books, or find it at Powell’s.

*Black, Indigenous, and People of Color