Our Skin: A First Conversation about Race (First Conversations)

This accessibly written, adroit primer prompts the youngest readers to consider how skin tone relates to race and ethnicity, societal treatment, and justice. Madison and Ralli open with several pages featuring simple sentences centering skin, each followed by a gentle, well-chosen discussion question on the facing page: "Our skin is beautiful, strong, / and important just the way it is!// What do you love about your skin?" The duo then digs deeper, explaining melanin, race, and racism, with illuminating examples: "Racism is also the things people do and the unfair rules they make about race so that white people get more power, and are treated better, than everybody else." Dot-eyed, clearly emotive characters by Roxas, vibrantly rendered and digitally collaged, are of varying age, ability, religion, and skin tone. An ideal conversation starter for any child. Back matter relays opportunities for adults to begin talks about skin color, race-related observations, family diversity, identity terms, and more. Ages 2-5. (May)

Toddler-PreS--A book that attempts to break down race and skin color in a nonjudgmental way, opening up the possibilities for discussion, sharing stories, and developing a path to critical thinking on the subject of racism. "We see different skin colors at the playground, at the grocery store, and on TV," states an opening spread, providing a neutral way into the discussion of how color became a system for unfairly sorting people into the haves and have-nots. Toddlers will feel the injustice even before they can pronounce the words. Friendly full-color spreads provide plenty of details to pore over. VERDICT Children and adults can come together over this book, which takes apart the meanings of race and skin color at the foundational level. It's a stepping stone on the path to understanding what it means to be human, with cheerful art and easy language.--Kimberly Olson Fakih