I CELEBRATE MY SKIN

Children of many skin colors appreciate both differences and similarities in this picture book.

A group of children enjoy all kinds of activities in beautiful outdoor settings, including a backyard with flowering trees crowned by a rainbow, a pine forest with waterfalls, and an African savanna. They run through a sprinkler, climb up to a treehouse, dig in a sandbox, have a picnic, splash in a brook, or play games like tug of war. They’re a diverse bunch, representing a wide range of ethnicities, skin colors, and hairstyles. While these differences are to be celebrated, it’s also important to remember what we share. For everyone, whatever the shade, skin protects your body, and everyone has eyes, ears, a nose, and so on; most importantly, we all have “a heart that beats and loves.” In her debut, Adumetey exuberantly expresses positivity around diversity, which isn’t limited to skin color (one kid uses a wheelchair; a father and son are Sikh; children wear various traditional clothing). She also provides helpful vocabulary choices for skin colors. Biswas, an experienced illustrator, uses an appropriately rich palette to convey not just the range, but the beauty of skin hues. The book includes a skin tones coloring page, a crossword puzzle, and a skin-tone matching game.

A joyful, imaginative celebration of diversity.