What Does Brown Mean to You?

November 21, 2022
Rooted in appreciation of familial love, the natural world, and creativity, this rhyming day-in-the-life story of a young boy reads like a gentle embrace. Blocky unlined pencil and digital art in a cut-paper style appears against a white background as debut author-illustrator Grady introduces readers to the child and a dog: “Brown is the boy who/ welcomes the day./ Brown is the pup/ sleeping soundly away.” Continuing on, the kid heads into the kitchen, where a first-person narrative takes over: “Brown is my dad” making favorite pancakes, and “Brown are Gram’s coffee and/ Gramp’s morning kiss./ Brown is a lovely moment of bliss.” Self-determination prevails as the boy explores out of doors, where “brown is” soil, a cow, chicken eggs, trees, and “the best log for balancing.” Back home, images of making, sharing, and gratitude prove emblematic of the word, as the narrator paints, cooks, and dines with family before “getting down with/ my mom to James Brown.” It’s a simple, positive picture book affirmation that celebrates brown across ages, stages, and shades. All characters are portrayed with brown skin. Ages 3–7. Agent: Holly Root, Root Literary.

December 1, 2022
A young brown-skinned boy considers the many ways the color brown shows up in his life. Benny wakes up, beginning his day while his brown dog, Percy, still sleeps. He heads to the kitchen, where he greets his brown father, who is mixing up pancakes. His brown grandparents greet Benny with a kiss as they drink coffee, creating a "lovely moment of bliss." Outside, his mom picks "juicy tomatoes," and he observes the brown soil. Benny feeds hay to Bess the brown cow and collects brown eggs. Next, he and Percy explore the outdoors--playing hide-and-seek, balancing on logs, and watching an approaching storm. Caught in the rain, Benny plays in the brown mud before going inside to dry off. With the day ahead gloomy, Benny paints a portrait of his brown family. Benny helps his mom in the kitchen as the family ends their day with dinner and dancing to the joyful songs of James Brown. Once in bed, Benny wonders, "What does Brown mean to you?" There is repetition and rhyme throughout this upbeat, encouraging tale as Benny describes how the color brown appears throughout his daily activities and the emotions that arise. Many scenes evoke readers' senses as the boy and his family explore what brown means to them. Simple illustrations, created with pencil and finished digitally, in a neutral palette complement the text. (This book was reviewed digitally.) An affirming celebration of being brown. (Picture book. 3-7)

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January 1, 2023

PreS-Gr 2-This vibrant, positive narrative follows a brown-skinned boy through his day as he celebrates the many shades of brown in his family and world. "Brown is my dad who is stirring a mix" and "Brown is the ground where I rest my feet." The boy discovers the many shades of brown all around him, and readers gain appreciation for the beauty of its depths. Grady's book joins others of its kind, such as Samara Cole Doyon's Magnificent Homespun Brown, Ashok Banker's I Am Brown, and Tiffany Rose's M Is for Melanin. Perhaps what sets his book apart is his perspective as a teacher at a nature preschool; his main character is a preschooler exploring his world with curiosity, energy, and joy, which this age group has in droves. The illustrations capture each moment vibrantly, from the muddy puddles to the warm "gooey goodness" of chocolate chip cookies. VERDICT This is a welcome addition to all collections promoting positive skin tone discussions and leading to personal explorations of the title's question. Provocative and generous.-Heidi Dechief

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