Magnificent Homespun Brown: A Celebration
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What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Magnificent Homespun Brown: A Celebration is by Samara Cole Doyon and illustrated by Kaylani Juanita, two women of color. The book received a 2021 Coretta Scott King Honor, and it praises the color brown in all its glory. It's a poetic celebration, filled with metaphors and smiles, about brown skin, brown foods, brown found in nature, and rich family traditions. The story follows a young girl as she examines and appreciates the color in the world around her.
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What's the story?
MAGNIFICENT HOMESPUN BROWN: A CELEBRATION truly does celebrate the color brown, and recognizes that the appreciation for the color, and diversity in general, is deeply rooted at home and in someone's family. Witnessing the color brown is treated as a sensory experience, as the color is personified with bold attributes and physical characteristics. From the main character's amber brown hair, feathery brown lashes, and radiant brown skin, to the deep secret brown of the river currents, the color is praised in a poetic way. Diversity in nature, people, and traditions is glorified from the prospective of the joyous main character.
Is it any good?
This story is a visually and lyrically expressive celebration of what it means to be brown. All of the characters' features are beautifully highlighted by Kaylani Juanita's delicate line drawings. Readers are drawn in by Samara Cole Doyon's comforting yet daring words that help to poetically describe the experience of both being and observing the color brown.
A true homage to diversity, with the inclusion of a character who uses a wheelchair, unique traditions, and a wide range of skin tones, Magnificent Homespun Brown: A Celebration helps readers connect to the deep and rich experience of brownness.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about all the brown things they observe in the world. Magnificent Homespun Brown: A Celebration explores what it means for something to be brown, and praises the color for its beauty. What's your favorite brown food? What is your favorite thing in nature that's brown?
Brown is the predominant color of all the illustrations in the book. Which illustration is your favorite?
Pick any object (a toy, an article of clothing, a type of food) and use descriptive words to compare it to something else. Highlight the similarities by using the word "like" or "as," just like the author uses throughout the book!
Book details
- Author: Samara Cole Doyon
- Illustrator: Kaylani Juanita
- Genre: Picture Book
- Topics: Cooking and Baking, Brothers and Sisters, Science and Nature
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Tilbury House Publishers
- Publication date: January 7, 2020
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 6 - 9
- Number of pages: 32
- Available on: Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Award: Coretta Scott King Medal and Honors
- Last updated: March 4, 2021
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