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Few subjects give parents pause like talking about racism.

For black families,Watch Soul Online the topic can be painful and often involves the upsetting task of explaining to children how they may be viewed differently by just about anyone — but specifically law enforcement.

White parents, on the other hand, may avoid the subject altogether, fearful that they'll say the wrong thing or worried that acknowledging racism could somehow encourage their children to become prejudiced.

A new kids' book authored by three child psychologists aims to give all parents, regardless of their racial or ethnic identity, tools for having these tough conversations. Something Happened in Our Town: A Child's Story about Racial Injusticetakes place in the wake of a police shooting that leaves a black man dead, and the reader watches how conversations about the tragedy unfold in different households.

But Something Happened in Our Town, which was written for children between the ages of 4 and 8, doesn't stop there. Instead, it explores the roots of racism in America, the importance of actively fighting for social justice, and how kids can respond to the prejudice and exclusion that creeps into their classrooms. Several pages of guidelines at the book's end provide tips for how parents and caregivers can talk about racial bias and injustice.

"We hope that the book will spark conversations between parents and children," says co-author Marianne Celano, a professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Emory University.

When parents take on these subjects, Celano adds, it sends a clear message: "I’m here for you to talk about these things. I’m not afraid to talk about these things."

Something Happened in Our Town, which is published by the American Psychological Association and available through booksellers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Walmart was originally scheduled for release in June.

The APA pushed its release date to May 1 following a string of police-involved shootings, including the March 18 death of Stephon Clark in Sacramento. Clark, an unarmed black man, was shot multiple times in his grandparents' backyard by officers looking for someone suspected of breaking into cars. Clark was not the culprit.

The idea for the book itself, however, took root in the months after Donald Trump's election.

Celano and her co-authors, Marietta Collins, director of behavioral medicine at the Morehouse School of Medicine, and Ann Hazzard, a retired associate professor of pediatrics at Emory University, spoke at length about how to craft the complex narrative at the heart of Something Happened in Our Town.

They consulted research about how kids develop ideas about racial bias as well as how and when parents of different racial identities speak to their children about racism. In one survey of more than 100 white mothers, 70 percent of respondents said they intentionally avoided conversations about race.

"We strongly believe the color-blind approach is not helpful, and parental silence conveys naiveté at best and at worst collusion with oppression," says Celano.

Yet she also understands the delicate balance parents must manage in developing confidence to discuss difficult subjects, following a child's lead, and addressing controversial events when they happen.

Collins recommends parents read and ponder Something Happened in Our Town before sharing it with a child. Both Collins and Celano know the subsequent conversations might be uncomfortable, but they believe those uneasy moments can build to something greater: creating communities that are fair, inclusive, and just.

For example, when a white girl and her mother in the book discuss the shooting, it leads to insights about patterns of injustice, and how she can insist on fair treatment for all kids. Meanwhile, when a black father shares his anger about racist behavior, he tells his son: "I'm mad that we're still treated poorly sometimes, but I can use my anger to make things better. Black people have a lot of power if we work together to make changes."

Whatever this discussion looks like in your household, it's just a first step.

"Make sure you have a conversation with your child," says Collins. "It opens the door to them coming back and asking more questions."

UPDATE: May 1, 2018, 3:50 p.m. PDT This story originally stated that Stephon Clark was shot by police eight times. That statement was based on the results of a previously released private autopsy ordered by Clark's family. A new autopsy released Tuesday by the Sacramento police says he was shot seven times. The wording in this story now states that Clark was shot multiple times.