Skin Again
Skin Again book cover

Skin Again

Hardcover – Picture Book, June 6, 2017

Price
$9.99
Format
Hardcover
Pages
40
Publisher
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-1484799239
Dimensions
8.35 x 0.45 x 9.7 inches
Weight
11.3 ounces

Description

"Raschka does his usual extraordinary job of illustrating highly abstract concepts: children of different colors -- rendered in smudgy paints -- look at, point at, and reach out to each other, finally clasping hands in a sort of a graphic minuet."― Kirkus Reviews "In Raschka's exuberant paintings, an unpeeled-onion motif implies the multiplicity of stories beneath a person's visible surface, and dancing children, with varied hues of skin and reckless swirls of hair, suggest common interest and love. With torn paper rectangles, Raschka establishes quilty grids on the pages, and limits his characters in wide brushstrokes within these boxy spaces. Jazzy dashes and daubs of earth-tone paint suggest African batik or Aboriginal art."― Publishers Weekly A world-renowned cultural critic, feminist theorist, and intellectual, bell hooks is a distinguished author and professor of English. She has written several acclaimed children's books including Be Boy Buzz , Skin Again and Happy to Be Nappy , all illustrated by Chris Raschka. Chris Raschka is the Caldecott-Award-winning illustrator of The Hello Goodbye Window and A Ball for Daisy . He also received a Caldecott Honor for Yo! Yes? and has written and illustrated numerous books for children, among them four by bell hooks. He lives with his wife and son in New York City.

Features & Highlights

  • From legendary author and critic bell hooks and multi-Caldecott Medalist Chris Raschka comes a new way to talk about race and identity that will appeal to parents of the youngest readers.
  • The skin I'm in is just a covering. It cannot tell my story. If you want to know who I am, you have got to come inside and open your heart way wide.
  • Race matters, but only so much--what's most important is who we are on the inside. Looking beyond skin, going straight to the heart, we find in each other the treasures stored down deep. Learning to cherish those treasures, to be all we imagine ourselves to be, makes us free.This award-winning book, celebrates all that makes us unique and different and offers a strong, timely and timeless message of loving yourself and others.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
60%
(167)
★★★★
25%
(70)
★★★
15%
(42)
★★
7%
(19)
-7%
(-20)

Most Helpful Reviews

✓ Verified Purchase

Beautiful

As a scholar I have known and read many of bell hooks works. In this very critical time in history as we are reminded of all the daily hate and blatant racism that is continuing to plague the U.S., THIS book is a much needed book for young persons to understand compassion.
15 people found this helpful
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Nope.

I teach about diversity all year long, and I really wanted to love this book, but I just didn't. Maybe for older kids, or for kids who already articulate a difference based on skin color. Not for my first graders.
11 people found this helpful
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Boring!

We got half way through and my 4yo said "This book is boring." I had to agree! The illustration style is unengaging and the words are so flowery that they make absolutely no sense to a small child. Really disappointed!
8 people found this helpful
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There are better books that discuss this topic

Tha Skin You Live In by Michael J. Taylor is a much better kid friendly book. We had such high hopes for this bell hooks book, but it isn't written well. It is a challenge to work through its grammar. Very disappointing.
7 people found this helpful
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Wanted to like book...

The wording in this book is difficult to read--it doesn't flow and doesn't make any sense. I think the book is meant to portray a very important meaning of getting to know people beyond just skin color, but it is barely understood by myself, much less my daughter. The first couple pages are okay, and then it devolves into wording that is very tough to follow. I don't understand how this book didn't receive helpful feedback before being published so that it could have been a better book. I like the pictures and we ended up keeping the book (partially because the return fee didn't make it worth it to return and because my daughter occasionally likes me to read it to her).
3 people found this helpful
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Excellent book

encourages children to look beyond simple sink color and really get to know each other. I wish there was a version for adults.
2 people found this helpful
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Sorry I purchased this!

I found it to be very offensive. My opinion is that there is nothing positive in name calling or negative expressions or name calling. I purchased MANY books for children during the holiday season. Being knocked out via flu, I just didn't read several books I bought online. This book was the only one I would have returned. I didn't even donate it to a community book drive. After 3 friends read it and without knowing my reaction, 2 had the same reaction I did, I shredded the pages and threw the front and back covers in the trash.
1 people found this helpful
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Delightful book!

This is a beautiful book!
1 people found this helpful
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I would recommend it

important concept for children to learn early.
1 people found this helpful
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Not right for my Grandchildren

I sent it back. It wasn't what I was looking for in a book.
1 people found this helpful