A locally made children’s book that just hit the shelves tackles racism in a way that many kids will understand.

Thom Van Dycke and Jermaine Loewen (photo credit: arithelion.com)“Ari’s Awful Day/Mainer’s Move” is about a young bear who moves to a neighborhood of only lions. Steinbach author and illustrator Thom Van Dycke says the story is based on the life of his friend Jermaine Loewen, who is a co-author of the book.

“Jermaine an orphan from Jamaica who was adopted into a Mennonite home and lived in Arborg, Manitoba,” describes Van Dycke. “And, as one can imagine, he grew up in a pretty homogeneous community where he was really the only kid of color for quite a while. He has a remarkable story of how it felt to be that kid who was really really different.”

Loewen’s life path was largely influenced by hockey, a sport played predominantly by white people. He is famous, in some circles, for being the first Jamaican-born player ever selected in the NHL draft and currently plays with the Fort Wayne Komets in the ECHL. This background informs much of Van Dycke's tale.

Throughout the pages, Ari the lion and Mainer the bear are made to deal with conflict on the ice. The book has two titles because it is told from two perspectives. In the first half of the story, Ari is forced to come to terms with the fact that the new kid in town may be better than him at hockey. Meanwhile, in the latter pages, Mainer faces the challenges of being different from his peers and trying to find belonging. Both characters have preconceived notions of the other's species and must open their minds to accept each other.

“I think it is a good balance for kids to see both sides that we all bring prejudice to the table,” offers Van Dycke who says the book delicately addresses racism without ever mentioning the word.

Interestingly, selling copies of the new book is not Van Dycke 's primary goal. In telling this story he says he hopes to shed light on young people's internal biases and spread kindness. Indeed, on his website, Van Dycke has begun an online kindness club with occasional challenges prompting its members to put the lesson of the book into practice.