black is brown is tan

The children's book black is brown is tan was written by Arnold Adoff and illustrated Emily Arnold McCully. This heart-warming story is about a loving family that consists of a dark-skinned mom, a light-skinned father, their two beautiful bi-racial children and their extended family.

black is brown is tan is a multicultural picture book written in the style of a narrative poem. Arnold Adoff chooses a form of writing that is completely new to me. All of the story is written in lower case letters and in a block pattern.

Each page leads the reader into a story within the story about each member of the extended family. Ms.McCully's illustrations stay true to the story by her use of different shades for the family member's various skin tones. The colors are bold and soft at the same time due to her use of watercolors without the use of hard lines.

This book is one very close to my heart. I am an African American woman with two beautiful bi-racial children. I have raised my children to be proud of who they are and where they come from. This book is one that I believe will help families of mixed races show their children that their family really isn't any different than any other family. Love is love, no matter the color.

Reflective Reading

• What is your family like?
• Do you have people of different races/ethnicity's/cultures in your family?
• Who are the members of your family?
• Do you know your family's history?

Active Reading

I believe a good way to answer these questions would be to create a family tree. You can use family photographs, talk to your grandparents about your family history and/or do research at your local library.

Another way to show your family pride is by making life-sized cut-outs of your family members. You could get large pieces of paper (or fan out a large cardboard box) and trace each family member. The whole family could color each other tracings and hang them up in the house. If that's not an option, a chalk drawing on a sidewalk would be just as fun.

In any case, you should get to know more about your family because it will help you get to know a bit more about yourself!

Adoff, Arnold. (2001). black is brown is tan.HarperCollins Publishers.