UNSPEAKABLE The Tulsa Race Massacre

Music and sound effects accentuate the moods in this nonfiction picture book about the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921. January LaVoy narrates with a range of emotions. She opens cheerfully, detailing the thriving Black community's prosperity, reading the repeated refrains: "Once upon a time in Greenwood . . ." and "Once upon a time on Black Wall Street . . ." City sounds and bright music play. Then the listener hears the ominous thud of an elevator landing and its metal grate opening--the beginnings of a racially motivated massacre. Tense music and the sounds of chaos punctuate the ensuing violence. Against a background of discordant music, LaVoy somberly details the aftermath--hundreds dead, thousands homeless, Greenwood in ruins. Her voice turns optimistic, however, reading the author's exhortation to "choose hope." The author reads the illustrator's and author's notes. L.T. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2021]