"While Benjamin waits for his father to pick him up from school, he doesnt hear the screams of the kids playing dodge ball on the playground. The only thing he hears is, a word. The word. Earlier that day, Benjamin beat his friend James while playing handball, and James retaliated by calling Benjamin the word.
With soft, watercolor illustrations that compliment the text, Benjamin and the Word / Benjamín y la palabra is a gem of a picture book. When confronted with James epithet, Benjamin and the reader set off on a poignant journey to understanding and forgiveness. Exploring tough issues of bigotry, racial dualities, and cultural difference, Benjamin, James, and the reader will never be the same after bigotry on the playground.