The confident Black narrator of this book is proud of everything that makes him who he is. He’s got big plans, and no doubt he’ll see them through–as he’s creative, adventurous, smart, funny, and a good friend. Sometimes he falls, but he always gets back up. And other times he’s afraid, because he’s so often misunderstood and called what he is not. So slow down and really look and listen, when somebody tells you–and shows you–who they are.

The book is told in the fist person as young Black males talk about their achievements, dreams and curiosity. Near the end of the book, one of the images also show Black men who have been mentors and role models—African ancestors, men who were enslaved and became sharecroppers, Pullman porters, Barack Obama.

The text is almost like poetry. This seems connected to the author’s past job as a greeting card writer.

If you read the news often, you will know some of the names on the dedication page that the author dedicates the book to. They are all Black boys or young adult males who were killed in presumed racist incidents.