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First Conversations Boxed Set #1
  • Published: 25 November 2025
  • ISBN: 9780593891049
  • Imprint: Rise x Penguin Workshop
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 120
  • RRP: $105.00

First Conversations Boxed Set #1

3 Books on RACE, GENDER, and CONSENT

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Based on the research that race, gender, consent, and other important topics should be discussed with toddlers on up, this read-aloud series offers adults the opportunity to begin important conversations with young children in an informed, safe, and supported way.

This boxed set of three First Conversations books is perfect for families and teachers looking for topic-driven books that offer clear, concrete language and compelling imagery to introduce the concepts of race, gender, and consent.

While young children are avid observers and questioners of their world, adults often shut down or postpone conversations on complicated topics because it's hard to know where to begin. Research shows that talking about tough issues from the age of two not only helps children understand what they see but also increases self-awareness and self-esteem, allowing them to recognize and confront things that are unfair, like discrimination and prejudice. These titles offer a supportive approach that considers both the child and the adult. Stunning art accompanies the simple and interactive text, and the back matter in each book offers additional resources and ideas for extending discussions.

Includes three hardcover picture books:

  • Our Skin: A First Conversation About Race
  • Being You: A First Conversation About Gender
  • Yes! No!: A First Conversation About Consent
  • Published: 25 November 2025
  • ISBN: 9780593891049
  • Imprint: Rise x Penguin Workshop
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 120
  • RRP: $105.00
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About the authors

Megan Madison

Dr. Megan Pamela Ruth Madison (she/her) is a political educator and a lifelong student of radical Black feminism. She earned her PhD in Social Policy from Brandeis University. As a scholar-activist, her approach to research and practice is guided by the Sociopolitical Ecology of Development, a theoretical framework that she developed as a part of her dissertation. Megan has served on the boards of the National Association for the Education for Young Children and Jews for Racial and Economic Justice. With Jessica Ralli, she co-authors First Conversations–an award-winning series of anti-bias books for young children and their grown-ups.
portrait photo of Megan Madison

Jessica Ralli

Jessica Ralli is the Early Literacy Programs Coordinator at Brooklyn Public Library where she develops & manages grant-funded programming including Books Unbanned Storytimes. She has an M.A. in Early Childhood Special Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, and has taught in museums, schools, and libraries. Jessica is a contributor to School Library Journal, and in 2020, she received the Library Journal Movers and Shakers Award for her advocacy work in libraries. Jessica is currently co-authoring the award-winning First Conversations series with Megan Madison, published by RISE X Penguin Workshop.
JR