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Brown Like Me is a fun and inventive way to encourage
young children in multi-racial families to take pride in themselves
and their appearance. The little girl, Noelle, is an African American
adoptee raised in a Caucasian family. She identifies the color of brown
in everything around her - brown leaves, brown sand, brown eyes, and
brown skin - ending with the words, "I am strong brown." It is easy
to reinforce this concept by finding brown with your child in their
everyday world. |
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In Black, White, Just Right, a mixed-race child celebrates
the rich inclusiveness of her life in a joyful picture book. Mama's
face is chestnut brown, Papa's face turns pink in the sun, the child's
a little dark, a little light, "Just right!" Each double-page spread
shows how members of the family are individuals with likes and dislikes,
hobbies and habits that move beyond stereotype. Mom orders vegetarian;
Dad orders ribs and bagels; the child likes it all. |
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In The Colors of Us, Lena discovers that she and her
friends and neighbors are all beautiful shades of brown. "I am the color
of cinnamon. Mom says she could eat me up," says Lena. Then she sees
everyone else in terms of delicious foods: Mom is the color of French
toast. Lena's friend Sonia is the color of creamy peanut butter. Isabella
is chocolate brown like the cupcakes they had for her birthday. Lena's
best friend, Jo-Jin, is the color of honey. Katz wrote and illustrated
the story in affirmation of her adopted Guatemalan daughter and her
friends, and the diversity that surrounds them. The message is heavy,
but it's made palatable by the loving words and the brightly colored,
lively illustrations |
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In Colors Come from God, Just Like Me, Forche has
produced a book that speaks to the needs of all children to feel acceptance
and pride in who and how they are. Using the book of Genesis (with biblical
references cited on each page), she stresses the variety in all creation.
Of obvious interest to African American children ("God made me a beautiful
brown" is a leitmotif), the book so employs the rainbow theme that it
can speak to every child. Unfortunately, Cox's large watercolor-and-ink
illustrations, while workmanlike, are not up to the job at hand. |
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In Families are Forever, a little girl named Rain,
her "forever family" album begins with her adoptive mother's trip to
China to meet her. Told from Rain's point of view when she's "almost
six," this sweet tale is graceful and eloquent: "Our eyes were different,
but we could both see. Our lips were different, but we could both smile."
There's no question that it was love at first sight: "I could see love
in her eyes. So I gave it right back." Bridging both the generation
and culture gap is Bo, the cuddly stuffed hippo who was once the mother's
toy and now is a companion to Rain. This story presents a reassuring
way to talk to young children about adoption: "Mom always says I was
the best present she ever got." |
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Happy to be Nappy is a rhythmic read-aloud that,
on the surface, is all about hair: nappy, plaited, long, short, natural,
twisted, "soft like cotton, flower petal billowy soft, full of frizz
and fuzz." Comb through the surface and find a celebration of childhood
and girls and the freedom to express individuality. The rituals implied
in the book are rooted in the traditions of hooks's own childhood, when
"doing" hair was just as much an excuse for girls to laugh and tell
stories and just be together. Going still deeper is the much-needed
message encouraging girls to love and accept themselves (and others)
just the way they are. |
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Happy Adoption Day, inspired by a friend's tradition,
was created as an original song for those who might like to mark a special
anniversary in their family's life?adoption day. His thoughtful lyrics
(the score is included, of course) emphasize the joy and wonder of the
event?"Out of a world so tattered and torn,/ You came to our house on
that wonderful morn/ And all of a sudden this family was born"?and there's
a rousing chorus just right for a festive party. |
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In A Koala for Katie, preSchool-toddler Katie thinks
a lot about babies. She wonders why she was never in her adoptive mother's
belly and wants to know why her birth mother didn't want her. When she
sees a mother and baby koala at the zoo, she wants a toy koala. At home,
she plays out her questions. When her mother kisses her goodnight and
says, "'I like your baby,'" Katie replies,"'I'm really her mommy now.'"
This gentle story presents a few very important concerns of adoptive
families in an even, nondidactic manner. |
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I Love You like Crazy Cakes is a sweetly sentimental
picture-book played out like a love letter to the author's adopted Chinese
daughter. As she recalls the events leading up to their first meeting
("I had been waiting for you my whole life")Athe letters to foreign
officials, the baby picture she received, the flight to China with other
excited soon-to-be parentsAand describes their joyous homecoming, she
taps into a well of genuine emotion, not surprisingly, since her account
is based on her own experience. |
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In I Love My Hair, a young African-American girl
describes the familiar mother-daughter nightly ritual of combing the
tangles out of her hair. When she cries because it hurts, her sympathetic
mother tells her how lucky she is to have such beautiful hair. Imaginatively,
the woman goes on to say that she can spin it into a fine, soft bun
or "plant rows of braids" along her scalp, prompting her daughter to
think of other wonderful things she likes about her hair. |
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Mama Rocks Papa Sings is an exuberant story in rhyme
that captures the vibrant spiritual nuances that imbue the lives of
the Haitian people. Mama and Papa live all alone until a baby comes
along to share in their home. Little by little, their humble house becomes
the daytime haven for many children whose parents work. The youngsters
spend their time swinging on tires, playing near the sea, lying in hammocks,
and observing nature's tiny creatures. There are trips to the market
and lots of hugs, dancing, singing, and afternoon naps. Realistic scenes
show the chopping of sweet sugarcane with sharp machetes; families without
enough to eat; thatched houses; outdoor wash tubs; and goats, pigs,
and chickens in the yard. |
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In Running the Road to ABC, the joy of learning shines
through in this lyrical, freewheeling tale of a group of Haitian children
on their way to school. Leaving at dawn, these barefoot students race
through the countryside and town to their school to learn to read and
write another letter, sound, word, line, and page in the "great and
beautiful books on the Road to ABC." The text flows along with the youngsters,
evoking the sounds of the early morning and the shapes of the varied
terrain over which they travel. Details of the town with its bread sellers
and horse tamers provide another memorable backdrop to the children's
passage. This rhythmic, richly descriptive account of a "day in the
life" of these young Haitians takes readers into this activity as they
follow along. |
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Seeds of Love is a story about a big sister waiting
for her little sister to be brought home. It is written from the perspective
of the big sister and discusses the questions and concerns she has regarding
her sister and the time needed to go get her... "I didn't know babies
came from airplanes." "You will be gone for such a long time." "Who
will take care of me while you are gone, and will Grandma know to cut
the crusts off of my bread like you?" |
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In Selavi, Landowne uses softly rendered, uncluttered
pictures and simple text to tell the story of a homeless boy and his
friends. The book opens with Sélavi's evocative words, "Not so long
ago and not so far away, people with guns could take a family, burn
a house and disappear, leaving a small child alone in the world." He
joins other children living on the streets of Port-au-Prince and helping
one another survive until repressive authorities force them to seek
protection at a church meeting. Even the orphanage set up to help them
proves unsafe when their murals are destroyed and their new home is
burned down. Despite all the difficulties, the children continue to
speak out about their needs, eventually establishing a radio station
in a rebuilt orphanage. The book deals with complex issues over an extended
period of time, so some story transitions are short on details. What
does come through are the feelings of fear, anger, and solidarity that
bind the youngsters together. |
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