The book was at the top of the New York Times best-seller list and was chosen as one of National Public Radio's 100 favorite books for young readers. It received positive reviews from the School Library Journal and Publishers Weekly. Will Lloyd, writing in The Spectator, rejected its thesis that babies are taught to be either racist or antiracist. In 2021, Safeway grocery stores in Oregon temporarily pulled the book from sale following a customer complaint (the stores later returned the book to sale).
