Shades of Black: A Celebration of Our Children

I have to respond to the unfavorable reviews calling it racist (or, as they put it, reviving the one-drop rule) to describe white-looking mixed-race kids as "black." I am mixed (50/50 African and European, so classified by most North Americans as black). My husband is white, and my son is also completely white-looking, as far as anyone I've met can tell. (People are often very surprised that he could be my son.) There are really, really good reasons to encourage a black identity in kids like my son. First off, the white-looking kids in these pics probably have siblings, parents, grandparents and cousins who do "look black"--it's not racist for them to want to be part of all the cultures that comprise their family. Kids who "look white" may have cultural connections that most uninformed observers would not suspect. That's not the one-drop rule: it's life in the 21st century.By contrast, there's no need for special positive reinforcement of white identity--he gets that in the hundreds of other kids' books he has where the main characters (or all the characters) are white. He gets that from the culture, when people compliment his white features (such beautiful blond hair! such lovely green eyes!). If mixed parents like us didn't offer positive reinforcement of black and African culture and identity, a child who looks ours could go through life completely ignoring the part of his heritage and culture that comes from his African grandmother, aunties, uncles and cousins. He could absorb mainstream cultural values that valorize white as good and normal--and devalue blackness as deviant, bad or simply invisible. I'm surprised and delighted to find a book that encourages kids of all "shades," including his, to feel good about their black culture and identity.Talking about race is a bit like sex ed. We have to do it even if it feels uncomfortable, bc if we say nothing, our kids will pick up erroneous facts and objectionable values from mainstream culture, their peers and maybe even their schools. Racism doesn't go away if we just ignore it. Teaching racial equality goes against the current, but it's worth it.

I used to read this in my classroom when I taught preschool. I recently bought this as a gift for a young mother starting a library for her newborn. The book comes in paperback and hardcover and board book. The Pages are full of actual photographs of beautiful human children of all colors. Rich text describes many shades of black. This is a must have book for any family or classroom teacher who wants to emphasize the beauty of black.

Love the book and the fact that it's printed on cardboard and not just paper. I wish I had paid more attention to the size because the book is pretty small and i couldn't use it for a read aloud with a group of students. I was able to get each student their own book and it worked much better that way. A great addition for any child's library!!

Good book

I love this bookWhile I purchased this book for the benefit of some of my students with racial identity issues, I found that all children seem to love it.It conveys such a wonderful message without browbeating. No one can "make" a child have positive self-esteem. I can tell a child all day that he or she is beautiful, intelligent, or talented but he or she won't necessarily buy into the idea. It is more important to SHOW children. This book celebrates diversity and not by chanting about beauty but by photographing children beautifully and articulating their gorgeous attributes. I cannot put into words the delight I see in several children's faces when discovering a child that resembles him or her in this book. Children loves saying that's MY HAIR or MY EYES ... with delicate streaks of amber. I found that Caucasian children enjoy the book as well with ravenous curiosity and enjoy the vocabulary that is relevant to their individuality.The book creates an appropriate forum for discussing ethnicity and pulls children away from the horrid question, "What is you?"

Whether you buy the board book or the picture book, you will be intrigued by the wide range of beautiful Black children featured. Black doesn't just mean dark skin and kinky hair. Skin tones cover a broad palette, hair can be of varied textures, eyes can be the color of gemstones. As the book says, "All of my hair is good," and this book presents positive text and full color photographs that show that whatever shade your skin is and however your hair is combed, it is all good.

I bought it for my daughter"s 2nd birthday and its her go to bedtime book for me to read to her.

When my first grandchild was born, I couldn't wait to start reading to her. She is now 4 years old and she loves to read. This book became her favorite and her dad's favorite. He would read it with such dramatization and conviction.She loved it. Now they can both present the book to me just by looking at the pictures. How's that? They KNOW the book content. To celebrate all hues of our African heritage is MAGNIFICENT! All shades of black are beautiful.....a human rainbow of God's magnificence. A few weeks ago my grandson was born. Can't wait to start reading this book to him. Or maybe his sister will be presenting it to him. Priceless!

I love this book. This is the second time I am buying it first time for my child second time for a friend's child. Great inclusive book no matter what shade of black you are. My child loves the pictures of the children and the descriptions.

I read this book to my ds often and he marvels at the different faces of other children and especially that he can identify himself in some of the children. I donated one to his Nursery to help the staff and children get to know other children as well when I realised some of the staff were ignorant despite being a multicultural society!!

This is a great book for young children who question there colour or wish to be white. I love that it celebrates every shade of black and also describes the different hair textures in children of African decent no matter where in the world we live now. It is American but its a great tool.

I love this book and wish I had it growing up as a kid. What's great is that it celebrates all the different shades of black skin as well as hair textures and eye colours. What a great way to boost a young child's self esteem.

This book was a christmas gift and seems pretty hard wearing.It is essential for children to see a diverse range of images and I will give more feedback once I have spent time with the book and my Godson.