Books for Biracial Children: Are There Enough?

Why Parents Need More Children's Books That Build Self Esteem

Nov 11, 2009

The number of biracial children in the world continues to grow. But the lack of children's books that celebrate their diversity and beauty is a concern of many parents.

Many parents get great pleasure out of reading to their children. But when a book on a particular subject matter cannot be found, what's a parent to do? Unfortunately, this is often the case when parents are trying to find books to read to their biracial children.

However, this trend seems to be changing. There are many books today that celebrate children taking pride in their skin color. Here are 4 children's books that might meet the needs of parents with biracial children.

The Following Books are Appropriate for Ages 4 Through 8

black is brown is tan by Arnold Adoff explores the beautiful images of a biracial family. Although this book was written over 30 years ago, the message resonates even more loudly today. The author poetically introduces readers to the families' traditions, routines, and extended family members.

The author married Virginia Hamilton, a black woman, in 1960 at a time when interracial marriage was illegal. In this book, he lovingly embraces this interracial family, which was most likely similar to his own. This is a great book that celebrates all families and everything that makes their love special.

Black, White, Just Right! by Marguerite W. Davol takes readers on a very special family journey with a biracial girl. The main character knows that she looks different from her white father and black mother. But her parents reinforce to her that she looks "just right" the way she is.

This book mentions the color differences in the family members, but then goes on to point out that color is a minor difference. Each family member also has different food, musical, and artistic tastes. The biracial girl accepts and enjoys each new and different thing about her parents and her unique self.

Black, White, Just Right! clearly shows the physical racial differences between the parents, and the illustrations beautifully show the families' similarities and how much they are united by love.

You Be Me, I'll Be You by Pili Mandelbaum introduces readers to Anna, the child of a biracial couple, who does not like her appearance. Her father, a white man, confides in Anna that he doesn't like his pale skin. So, Anna's father suggests that they "switch" their appearances.

The authors' attempt at a solution to their problem may be unappealing to many readers. The fact that the father has to change their appearances to make Anna feel better about her situation is disappointing. However, the author does try to portray biracial families in a positive light, and the illustrations clearly show the genuine love and affection between each family member.

The Hello, Goodbye Window by Norton Juster shows the strong bond between grandchild and grandparents. The young girl in the book visits with her grandparents and has a wonderful time. She has a great imagination that comes alive each time she visits her grandparents' house.

The beautiful images portray a loving interracial family, and the author describes events that any child can relate to having experienced with a grandparent. The combination of these talents makes this book a great read for any family. Many readers may not even realize at first glance that this is an interracial family, and that is the real beauty of the book. Readers will only see the strong bond and love between family members.

As interracial relationships become more common, hopefully books will continue to emerge that will reflect biracial children's heritage.

The copyright of the article Books for Biracial Children: Are There Enough? in Children’s Books is owned by Denise Henry. Permission to republish Books for Biracial Children: Are There Enough? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.