By The Book: Let’s Talk About Race — two picture books that speak of diversity to young children

When she returns from her walk, Lena’s drawing undergoes a transformation. She’s there in it, but so are her friends, in their distinctive glory. Together, they represent a wide arc of skin colours — the united colours of us.

Katz, who illustrated the book herself, makes the journey relatable by bringing in parallels with food and nature, elements that resonate more with children. Simply and sensitively told, this has been a classic since it was first published in 1999, offering an affirmative look at skin colour and at how it is only in diversity that one learns to recognise all that binds us together.

I Am So Much More Than The Colour of My Skin
Divya Thomas
HarperCollins
32 pages
Rs 299
Appropriate for: 4+ years

Photo: Amazon.in

In Asian countries, the obsession with fairness gives rise to an inverted racism, as many, including, in particular, visitors from African nations, will attest to. An environmentalist and a campaigner for gender equality, Divya Thomas’s book makes a simple powerful point: no matter the colour of our skin, what matters is what we bring to the world — agency, kindness, camaraderie, purpose and individuality.

Written in verse, this recently-published book, similar in tenor to Katz’s book, introduces readers to a cast of characters, each with a distinct skin tone. But the swatches of colour that denotes them pale into insignificance as the characters come into their own — children who aspire to be artists and chefs, sportswomen and doctors, writers and conservationists. These are children who are different from each other, but the future they imagine for themselves is inclusive and goes beyond skin tone, skin conditions or disability. Ruchi Shah’s illustrations are a world unto themselves — you could spend a long time poring over the details she has woven into each illustration. This is a vital book on diversity that needs to find space in more book shelves.

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