Title: Black is Brown is Tan
Author: Arnold Adoff
Illustrator: Emily Arnold McCully
Published: 1973 by HarperCollins
Genre & Format: Contemporary Realistic Fiction, Verse & Poetry, Picture Book
Key Themes: Black Stories, Family, Multicultural, Multigenerational
Reading Level: Preschool, Kindergarten, First Grade, Second Grade
Language: English
ISBN: 9780064436441
Content Warnings:
None
Publisher’s Synopsis:
“Brown-skinned mama, the color of chocolate milk and pumpkin pie. White-skinned daddy, not the color of milk or snow, but light with pinks and tiny tans. And their two children, the beautiful colors of both.
For an all-American family, full of joy, warmth, and love, this is the way it is for us / this is the way we are
When it was first published in 1973, black is brown is tan featured the first interracial family in children's books. Decades later, Arnold Adoff's and Emily Arnold McCully's picture book continues to offer a joyous and loving celebration of all the colors of the race, now newly embellished with bright watercolor paintings that depict a contemporary family of the twenty-first century.
And the chorus rings true as ever:
black is brown is tan is girl is boy is nose is face is all the colors of the race”
Review: Elena Reads
“Black is Brown is Tan is from the perspective of a biracial couple and their children. I don’t really see many biracial characters in books, so this was cool to see. They talked about what they do with each parent, like how their mother combs their hair, and their Dad barbecues.
That part is kind of personal to me, because I am biracial. My mom is black, and my dad is Filipino. And, in one part of the book, all of their relatives on both sides of the family came over, some with blonde hair, others with skin as dark as chocolate cake. I could also relate to that because I have relatives who are black, white, Filipino, Samoan and Indian.
I liked that the author kept repeating these lines: “black is brown is tan is girl is boy is nose is face is all the colors of the race.” Basically, he is saying that we may look different, but we are all the same, we’re all people! I also thought it was cool that the author explained being biracial in such an easy way to young kids.”
Additional Resources:
Purchase
Video Read-Along
Kirkus Review
Replacement for Dr. Seuss’s Fox in Socks- Alliteration: For More Information on Replacing Dr. Seuss, visit Teach for the Change
