This book can be used to teach students about all different shades of. Color of the skin talks about the color of human skin, which ironically does not exist. They range from picture books to young adult titles. The book offers practical guidance to early childhood educators including parents for confronting barriers of prejudice, misinformation, and bias about specific aspects of personal and social identity. Same family, different colors and millions of other books are available for amazon.
Racism is an ideology that says certain people, by virtue of their race, are either inferior or superior to others of a different race, with race usually being defined by skin color. Differenet expressions of different genes leads to different results, which is why different. But it actually touches on a pretty strong theme of childhood development. Tharps explores the impact on families when members have varying shades of skin color and the reaction in society when an individual has a. Natural selection then determines which skin color is the most favorable and over time will. This guidebook was created to help parents and children in.
Rashes can look very different on different shades of skin. Some talk about race directly like a piece of home, and some are simply about childrens everyday adventures such as airport. How this mom handles kids questions about skin color. When lena and her mom take a walk through their neighborhood, she notices that there are many different shades of brown skin, and she begins to see her familiar world in a new way.
Personally, i think a much more pertinent question is how you explain to kids why some people think having a different skin colour, or belonging to a different race is sufficient grounds to treat. This book could be used in classroom discussions about family, adoption, and skin color helping bring cultural awareness to the classroom. They would just be stuck in the situation, and it wouldnt be fair to them. When, last year, another high school student called his oldest. Because a persons skin color is an irrefutable visual fact that is impossible to hide, whereas race is a constructed, quasiscientific. Top ten childrens books with mixed race families mixed. This time, peel the lemons and return them to the basket without their protective skin. Kissingerauthor of the memorable rethinking schools article holding nylahas written a book that deals with skin color in a straightforward, scientifically accurate, childfriendly manner. Well, to be more precise, she actually asked if her skin was brown.
Through books, my kids can learn about the intricacies of anothers country, culture, emotions, and perspective. This guidebook was created to help parents and children in transracial homes learn how to thrive in and celebrate. Studies show that babies recognize differences in skin color and hair textures, says rebecca bigler, ph. Books about multiracial families, race, skin color for young children. I looked everywhere for a simple, informative book. One of the best childrens books about diversity, the colors of us is about a little girl named lena who wants to paint a selfportrait using brown paint for her skin.
Skin color is a polygenic trait, meaning there are numerous different genes that interact to determine what your ultimate phenotype appearance will be. In other words, the differences in eye or skin color can simply become a category of human variation or those differences can take on a particular negative significance. The colors of us is a simple yet colorful book about lena who walks through her community and describes the skin color of all the diverse groups of people with different flavors. Why do parents give children coloring books when they are. The colors of us, written by karen katz, begins with a young girl, lena, asking her mother for a plain brown color to paint a self portrait. If her skin color is different than yours, point out that her nose or her smile is similar and that you both like to read and play cards. For example, parents may extensively praise a daughters looks because. A couple weeks ago, my younger daughter, who is three years old, asked me about her skin color. This opens up new and exciting avenues for verbal communication. But when she and her mother take a walk through the neighborhood, lena learns. Another good title to discuss differences in skin color but honor that whats inside is what counts. This a sweet adoption book for parents of babies adopted from ethiopia, other african countries, as well as for parents adopting african american babies is a cozy way to welcome your adopted baby home. Like any word that ends in ism capitalism, communism, socialism racism is a system as well as an ideology.
Ask questions to help children increase their awareness of skin. Her mother explains to her that she will have to use more colors than just plain brown, that her skin is a mixture of colors that all skin is different. Its unique blend of the body as well as things that children love such as nature, delicious treats and even insects helps the child to gain awareness of the meaning of difference all the while enjoying themselves while doing so. Transracial adoption has become increasingly common, and many parents will be having conversations about skin color with their children.
Most children are a shade of skin color that is a mixture of the parents, although it is possible to favor one parent s coloring over the other. Skincolor matchups set out a number of nylon kneehigh stockings in various shades, tan, black, white, pink, yellow, and red. We share with you here an excerpt from the book antibias education for young children and ourselves. The result is a compelling portrait of the myriad ways skincolor politics affect. I love using books as a tool to initiate conversations with my children about a variety of topics. However, rather than rejecting the premises of traditional awareness about skin color, the book uses existing perceptions as departure points in examining the inherent characteristics and social trappings surrounding skin color. Books arent and shouldnt be the only way parents teach kids about race. It is still my favorite of all the other books about skin tones and differences. If your child is multiracial, talk about how she looks a bit like both her parents and her grandparents. Kissingers book presents different skin tones as adaptations to different environments. Buy skin im in first look at books paperback by pat thomas isbn.
In a very understandable and childfriendly manner, this book explains what makes up skin color and how people obtain their skin color e. He loved the photos and the explanations that the color you are comes from 1 your family 2 the sun and 3melanin. Marisol mcdonald doesnt match by monica brown marisol is a peruvian, scottishamerican girl who is different than all the people around her. Beliefs that parents with mixedrace children do not match are giving way to new ideas about the irrelevance. Talking to young children about bias and prejudice adl. Sign up for our newsletter for access to other racial identity affirming resources. Children look to their parents for moral cues, and theyll learn from your actions as well as your words. Young children are curious about why people have different skin colors, and too often teachers are tempted to. The book, including teaching ideas, is fully bilingual in english and spanish. Free celebrating skin tone the science and poetry of skin color.
This book features photographs of children in every shade and hue, as well as a great variety of families. Why learning colors and shapes is so important for young. She launched the instagram account brown skin matters in august, posting photos of various skin conditions on people of color. Imagining the evolution of skin tone over millennia is beyond the scope of most 6 and 7yearold imaginations, but the idea that our skin has tone to make us a good match for our. This launches the discussion about how people are like thatdifferent sizes, different shapes, different shades of color, different dents and bruises. One of the best children s books about diversity, the colors of us is about a little girl named lena who wants to paint a selfportrait using brown paint for her skin. But for others, discussing differences in skin color can feel awkward. While in the pool at a resort in mexico with my then fiance, a sixyearold befriended us and talked about everything under the sun, including my skin color, my hair texture and how white my teeth looked.
Facing mobs of parents who refuse to let their children learn alongside of them, rubys courage, fight, and strength is a great realization that the mistreatment of people of color has no age. Teaching children about colors and shapes is a great way to give them some vocabulary for describing the world around them. Were delighted to see this 20th anniversary edition of katie kissingers classic book, all the colors we are. Child wants a different skin color berkeley parents network. My friend went on to explain that the kids might get teased or ridiculed, or feel out of. Well, if i married a woman of a different skin color, that would be her choice, but the kids wouldnt have a say in it. So help your child by replying in a calm, positive tone, yes, he does have brown skin. She writes to undo myths about skin color like asian people arent yellow. The dna make up of an individual is determined by the mix of dna received from the mother and the father. My 3year old began asking lots of questions about the different people we know and their skin color.
The illinois momofthree recommends parents of young children take a proactive angle, refusing to be afraid or silent about race and pointing out different skin colors on television or in books. Childrens books can help start a conversation about race. Adoptive parents can talk about how children and parents dont have to. She also offers several followup activities for exploring skin color.
Young children are curious about why people have different skin colors, and too often teachers are tempted to brush this curiosity aside in the name of a glib were all the same. As children learn to identify colors and shapes, they can sort and classify objects in around them based on. Skin color matchups helps children learn about different skin tones and ethnic backgrounds. Childrens multiracial diversity books race, multiracial adoption. If what children do at home is never mentioned or, worse, is considered strange by other children and adults, children may refuse to speak their home language, eat certain. After exploring those ideas, collect the lemons again. But first, i need to point out that the types of coloring books parents often buy for their children are stupid cheap. Transracial families are considered families of color. Here are 10 books to use as spring boards for discussions about skin color. How do you explain different skin colours to your child. How did all the different races arise from noahs family.
Activities that promote racial and cultural awareness pbs. When children become more vocal, its normal for them to spontaneously start talking about skin color. The skin you live in by michael tyler, david lee csicsko, illustrator chicago children museum, 2005 this picture book uses rhyme to celebrate the range of skin. Encourage children to try them on their hands and arms or their legs. The illustrations are very colorful and eye catching so they are interesting for children to look at. When one sibling has darker skin than the other the. If your baby has a darker skin color than any of you, then he or she most likely got color from your parents or grandparents or even generations before that. Some mixed race parents have twins that look very different click here, here and here for some great pictures of reallife examples. Children are naturally curious about different skin colors and this book does a wonderful job of providing scientific explanations which are ageappropriate, including discussions about the function of melanin, correlations between the environment we live in and our skin color, and the role heredity plays in determining our skin color. White skin is actually a traditional concept of beauty, with the notion of fair complexions as beautiful.