“I Am Mixed,” Written by Garcelle Beauvais and Sebastian A. Jones.
These authors gave me the honor of reviewing their book and I must say I am thrilled to do so.
The book was illustrated by James C. Webster, and his work is fantastic. The pictures really bring the words to life and help tell this wonderful story.
The story is of two siblings that are biracial and attend an ordinary school in an ordinary town in this great country. While at school, "Nia" is asked by her classmates, "why is your hair not straight like Sally’s?" Her response comes from her pride and loving feelings she feels for herself because her mother has let her know how special she is, how wonderful it is to be mixed with everything nice. Her mother would say to her, “Your skin is the night and your eyes are the stars. Your smile is the moon that kisses my heart.” This is a story about love, self confidence and knowing how special each one of us is.
This book is great for young readers, as the short sentences on each page make it easier for them to read on their own. However we had a great time reading the book out-loud together.
I love reading books that sound like a poem and this one fits that build.
While I was reading this book to my children, my six year old son, Little B., and my four year old daughter, Ms. Bree, I could not help but notice that Ms. Bree had a smile on her face the entire time I was reading. Her smile said more to me than I can ever put into words. Bree fell in love with “Nia” and instantly pointed at the picture in the book of the boy and girl and said, "Me and Billy mama!” My daughter liked it so much we read it four times.
James C. Webster did a great job in capturing the children’s big beautiful smile on every illustrated page. They beam with self-confidence and pride. Not even when they are asked by their classmates, why are they different, did that smile turn into a frown.
Overall, this is a great book about loving one’s self and how wonderful it is to be of mixed races. As some of you may remember, my six year old son came home from school once and said, “I don’t want to be brown like daddy. I want to be white like mommy!” I think that reading this book will help build our little ones' self-acceptance and build their confidence. As parents of bi-racial children, we know how important that is because the rest of the world doesn’t know what we know, that being mixed is a lovely thing that is made with everything nice and sweet and it can’t be beat.
Buy this book for your children, your friends, your church and even your school. The book will truly be a blessing to all who read it.
Here is how you can own your own copy:
“I Am Mixed” can be downloaded now via iBooks, Kindle, and Nook, and preordered on Amazon and Barnes & Noble for the August 7th, 2013 hardback print street date!
Here are the links:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/10QZIeE,
Kindle: http://amzn.to/10gP0PE,
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/Z6ENFf,
Nook: http://bit.ly/YYOJ3O,
iTunes (iBooks): http://bit.ly/10kwBR4
(“I Am Mixed” is the first in the I Am Book Series. The follow up title will be “I Am Living in 2 Homes for children who deal with divorce. It can be found at www.facebook.com/iambookseries and @iambookseries orwww.iambook.com).
AUGUST 2013
we received our own special copy!
