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THE COLOR OF YOUR SKIN

Name: THE COLOR OF YOUR SKIN
Author: Desirée Acevedo
ISBN: 978-84-18302-40-4

by Desirée Acevedo ; illustrated by Silvia Álvarez ; translated by Jon Brokenbrow ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 1, 2021

Well meaning but poorly executed.

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A young girl questions the labeling of a skin-colored pencil when the hue doesn’t represent herself or those around her.

While drawing at school, Vega is approached by her friend Alex. He asks to borrow her “skin-colored pencil.” This is a Spanish import, and many literal-minded young readers in the United States may be puzzled, as “flesh” has not been a Crayola color since 1962, when it was renamed “peach.” Nevertheless, they will understand how Alex’s request prompts Vega to question both the label and the concept of a universal skin color as she reflects on the skin tones of the people in her community. While each individual is depicted with a unique complexion, none embodies the “kind of light pink” that matches the skin-colored pencil. Both children wonder about the origins of the label since neither they nor the people in their community share that particular skin color. Vega, who presents White, posits that “the person who discovered it must have…forgot[ten] to add the rest of the colors.” This simplistic reasoning mischaracterizes the label as a harmless error, completely avoiding White supremacy, racism, and colorism as potential factors. Sidestepping these points diminishes the empowering message of inclusivity the book has tried to convey. Later, both children work together to create art with “all of the pencils and crayons and paints they thought could be ‘skin color,'” which includes six different shades but omits any dark brown ones.

Well meaning but poorly executed. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2021

ISBN: 978-84-18302-40-4

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Cuento de Luz

Review Posted Online: Sept. 23, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2021

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS

- BOOK REVIEW
THE QUILT OF OUR MEMORIES
by Desirée Acevedo ; illustrated by Victor Jaubert ; translated by Jon Brokenbrow

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: June 21, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
A PERFECT PLACE TO PLAY
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Jim Valeri

- BOOK REVIEW
ON THE FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Sarah Jennings

- BOOK REVIEW
FIVE LITTLE BUNNIES
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

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MANGO, ABUELA, AND ME

by Meg Medina ; illustrated by Angela Dominguez ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 25, 2015

This warm family story is a splendid showcase for the combined talents of Medina, a Pura Belpré award winner, and Dominguez,...

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Abuela is coming to stay with Mia and her parents. But how will they communicate if Mia speaks little Spanish and Abuela, little English? Could it be that a parrot named Mango is the solution?

The measured, evocative text describes how Mia’s español is not good enough to tell Abuela the things a grandmother should know. And Abuela’s English is too poquito to tell Mia all the stories a granddaughter wants to hear. Mia sets out to teach her Abuela English. A red feather Abuela has brought with her to remind her of a wild parrot that roosted in her mango trees back home gives Mia an idea. She and her mother buy a parrot they name Mango. And as Abuela and Mia teach Mango, and each other, to speak both Spanish and English, their “mouths [fill] with things to say.” The accompanying illustrations are charmingly executed in ink, gouache, and marker, “with a sprinkling of digital magic.” They depict a cheery urban neighborhood and a comfortable, small apartment. Readers from multigenerational immigrant families will recognize the all-too-familiar language barrier. They will also cheer for the warm and loving relationship between Abuela and Mia, which is evident in both text and illustrations even as the characters struggle to understand each other. A Spanish-language edition, Mango, Abuela, y yo, gracefully translated by Teresa Mlawer, publishes simultaneously.

This warm family story is a splendid showcase for the combined talents of Medina, a Pura Belpré award winner, and Dominguez, an honoree. (Picture book. 4-7)