Reviews for Shades of Black

The average rating for Shades of Black based on 2 reviews is 5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2015-07-07 00:00:00 William Katter I am black. I am unique. Let's talk about racism! Ah, yes, I can see you heading for the exit already. That's okay, I totally get it. It's a rough topic. For those of you still with me: How do you teach a child about racism or tell him/her about it? I don't know. I don't have a flippin' clue. If you are related (biologically or not, parent or not or aunt or cousin or grandma or whatever) to a child who is (insert any race/ethnicity here), then you are going to have to deal with this at some point. And it crushes your heart. How can you even WRAP YOUR BRAIN around the fact that this child - this amazing, wonderful, funny, smart child whom you LOVE - is going to be hated and feared and taunted and made to feel like shit because they are black/Chinese/Indian/Jewish/Mexican/Puerto Rican/Thai/Vietnamese etc. etc. etc. etc. ad infinitum? And WHEN do you deal with this? Do you just wait until someone calls the child a _____ (<---insert ethnic/racial slur here)? And then tell the crying confused child about racism? Or do you do a pre-emptive strike - pulling the kid aside early, before it even occurs to him/her that his/her value is based on his/her skin color and/or ethnic makeup - and telling them, "Listen, Jack/Jill - people are going to hate you because you're black. It's just a fact of life."? I am NOT a fan of soul-crushing pre-emptive strikes, I do NOT think this is the way to go - but I never rarely tell anyone how to parent, so I mean... you've gotta do whatever you think is best. I do think talking with your child from infancy about race and preparing them as best they can for a hateful world is a smart and prudent thing to do. Your child is going to be called a racist slur. SHE/HE IS GOING TO BE CALLED A RACIST SLUR, there's no point pretending like this isn't going to happen. It is best (IMO) to speak to your child, talk to your child about race. I wish I could tell you that there is some place - some country, some town, some magical kingdom - where your adored child could live free and clear of racism and prejudice. But no such place exists. Anyone who tells you racism is dead or that we live in a post-racial society is fucking lying to you. Or they are very, very sheltered. Children are still often raised up by their parents to have racist attitudes, I have seen it with my own two eyes much more than I'd care to count. This book backs another way. A picture book that a.) recognizes racial identity (unlike the billions of children's books that just pretend race doesn't exist as a concept in our society) and b.) instills pride and acceptance of the way a child's skin/hair/eyes look. This is a more positive version of the pre-emptive strike I mentioned earlier. Instead of taking your little loved one aside and telling him/her "the world is going to hurt you," you are already arming him/her with some kind of knowledge and defense. I mean, the words "I am black. I am unique." are pretty fucking powerful, and they are repeated often in this book. It's got a great ring to it. ... The book is super-short and I'll break it down for you. The first part focuses on skin color. All shades of black are discussed from a kid who is "the creamy white frost in vanilla ice cream" to a kid who is "the midnight blue in a licorice stick." Yes, all the skin colors are compared to a food, which is being held by whatever kid is being discussed. (I fucking HATE when skin colors are compared to food. I'm trying to overlook this here.) The second part focuses on hair textures, which range from "the soft puffs in a cotton ball" to "the twisted corkscrew in a rope." Again, each page features an adorable child with whichever type of hair is being discussed. The book also clearly states "All of my hair is good." Which is a great message. The final part of the book focuses on eye color: brown, green, blue and black. Each child with each eye color is holding a precious stone which matches their eye color (for example, the little blue-eyed girl is holding handfuls of lapis lazuli). The final page is a picture of all the children together in a big group, laughing, and states: I am Black. I am Unique. I come from ancient Kings and Queens. When you look at me, what do you see? I am Black. I am proud to be me. This is a board book and suitable for kids as young as one and a half. I would go up to age 4, or maybe 5 depending on the child, but I don't know many five-year-olds who would think this is interesting. It's a "baby book." This book only covers black children. We definitely need ones that cover Indian, Latino, Asian, etc. children because judging people on what shade your skin is is NOT just a black thing. Dark Indians, dark Latinos, dark Asians etc. etc. etc. are also judged and hated. It would be great to have different editions of this book for all different kinds of backgrounds. Now. You have to do whatever you think is best re: raising or caring for your niece/nephew/grandson/daughter etc. etc. etc. in this sometimes harsh and judgmental world. I liked this book, but I know not everyone is going to agree or is going to want to go this route. I am not saying I know the answers or that I know a secret to making sure the child ends up happy and well-adjusted and prepared to deal with racists. A lot of people will probably shy away from introducing their kids to racial concepts at such a young age - whether the kid is white, black, whatever - and I don't have the authority to say "this is good" or "this is bad." YOU have to make that call. What I WILL say is that just because this book deals with black children doesn't mean it is only appropriate for loving relatives of black children. Any child of any race/background could be read this book or be introduced to this book. Let's not limit ourselves here. LOL :) Okay, enough seriousness. I'm going back to reading my thriller novel. P.S. Added pictures 12/28/2015

Review # 2 was written on 2013-10-22 00:00:00 Daniel Nowlan Shades of black is a beautiful pictorial depiction of African American diversity. The book is geared towards younger children, more specifically African American children. However, this book can be enjoyed by students of all races. This non-fiction book is full of photos, and there are sentences alongside the pictures. Sentences like "I am Black; I am Unique; I am the creamy white frost in vanilla ice cream" directs the reader's attention to the children in the photo. This book does not contain a traditional story-line with characters. However, the children, who are in the pictures, tell the story through their actions in pictures. For example, themes of confidence, unity, and diversity are placed in a positive light. This book also highlights the reality that differences are okay and beautiful. This is a great message for all children, because every child has something that makes them different from others. As a teacher, I will encourage my students to stand out and not conform to society's standards, because there is individuality in diversity. More specifically, this book can encourage African American students. Typically, the African American race is viewed in a negative light. At a young age, many African American children grow up seeing every other race portrayed positively in society but their own. They can relate to the children in this book, because they have similar skin hues, hair types, eye colors, etc. Furthermore, this book would primary be for younger students, who are in grades Pre-K through first. Students in these grades are typically visual learners, which is great since the book contains so many pictures. Students can interact with this book by drawing a picture that depicts their outer appearance. This will be a great activity for children to do, because it is important for them to become acquainted and content with how they look. This will help build high self-esteem. The author, Sandra Pinkney, is an African American female writer, who has won numerous awards. Her husband Myles Pinkney captured the photographs for this book. They work great together. They simplified the language of this book for the children; however, the meaning was not compromise. Lastly, the two of them can relate to the cultural group in this book, because they are apart of the African America race/culture.