The team who brought us Chocolate Me! returns with an upbeat story about a mixed-race boy in this heartfelt picture book.
Mom and Dad say I'm a blend of dark and light: "We mixed you perfectly, and got you just right."
Here, finally, is an upbeat, honest look at the experience of a mixed-race child, based on the author's and artist's experiences.
Kids love to touch Mike's hair. They sometimes ask him to choose "sides" between hanging out with black kids or white kids. But Mike just wants to be . . . Mike!
Sure to be a staple in schools and in family libraries, here's a book that's fun to read aloud and to look at, by a dynamic team who knows first-hand that mixed-race kids need to see themselves in books.
Publisher: Macmillan
Original Binding: Trade Paperback
Pages: 32 pages
ISBN-10: 125076985X
Item Weight: 0.3 lbs
Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.3 x 10.5 inches
Customer Reviews: 3 out of 5 stars 501 to 1,000 ratings
Mixed Me!:
"Mike's unerring sense of self ("I'm a beautiful blend of dark and light") and the powerful love that surrounds him make this a rewarding, valuable read for families of any makeup." --Publisher's Weekly, starred review
"[A] well-written, fun story of acceptance, friendship, and love. The text, colors, and design make this a good choice for read-alouds, but there are many details in the artwork (usually containing the word "mixed" or a synonym thereof) that make it good for one-on-one sharing." --School Library Journal, starred review
"Mike's confidence in his own appearance and coolness as well as the way he proudly embodies diversity, including a certain level of androgyny, make this a refreshing read. Evans' integration of rough-textured fabrics into lively and colorful mixed-media illustrations will make readers want to reach out and touch them . . . If all kids had the confidence about who they are that Mike has, what a wonderful world this would be." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"For the millions of mixed-race Americans who have to endure the constant questioning of their identity, [Mike] has an answer: 'I'm a beautiful blend of dark and light, / I was mixed up perfectly, / and I'm JUST RIGHT!' . . . The story's joyful message will resonate with multiracial readers and their families, leaving them with the cheeky takeaway: If you have a problem with me, it's your problem." --Booklist Chocolate Me!:
"Actor Diggs, making his children's book debut, gives an unvarnished take on the emotional impact of taunting that cuts to the core of one's identity . . . But Evans makes the hero's journey to confidence irresistible, with bighearted, stylized pictures that draw on the emotionally exuberant vocabulary of street art and anime. Evans doesn't minimize the cruelty the boy suffers, but he makes it feel surmountable." --Publishers Weekly
Taye Diggs is an actor whose credits include motion pictures (How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Chicago), stage (Rent, Wicked), and television (Private Practice, The Good Wife, Murder in the First). He is also the author of Chocolate Me!, which was his picture book debut. He lives in Los Angeles and New York City with his son.
Shane W. Evans is the illustrator of numerous award-winning books for children, including We March, Underground, and Chocolate Me! He lives with his wife and their daughter in Kansas City, Missouri. shaneevans.com
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