Brown Like Me [Illustrated, Unknown format] [Hardcover]

Noelle Lamperti (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

This groundbreaking book speaks in simple straight-forward language to any child who is growing up in an environment where she/he feels different. Filled with wonderful pictures, this book will speak to any child trying to find herself reflected in the people and things around her. Brown Like Me affirms a strong and positive self-image.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A wonderful book for preschool and elementary age children, Brown Like Me is a fun and inventive way to encourage young children in multi-racial families to take pride in themselves and their appearance. The little girl, Noelle, is an African American adoptee raised in a Caucasian family. She identifies the color of brown in everything around her - brown leaves, brown sand, brown eyes, and brown skin - ending with the words, "I am strong brown." It is easy to reinforce this concept by finding brown with your child in their everyday world. The accompanying pictures are very appealing for both children and adults. Share this book with your child - it will speak right to their heart, and yours. --Review by Allison Martin

A young African- American girl named Noelle is encouraged by her white adoptive family to seek out the beauty of being brown-skinned...the result is a book which encourages youngsters to celebrate themselves and the diversity around them. --Today's Librarian

As a parent and as a mental health professional, I recommend this book to parents and children of all colors. In celebrating families and the color brown this book enriches all of us and is sure to delight a whole new generation of strong brown children. --Jacqueline Wallen, P.H.D

A young African- American girl named Noelle is encouraged by her white adoptive family to seek out the beauty of being brown-skinned...the result is a book which encourages youngsters to celebrate themselves and the diversity around them. --Today's Librarian

As a parent and as a mental health professional, I recommend this book to parents and children of all colors. In celebrating families and the color brown this book enriches all of us and is sure to delight a whole new generation of strong brown children. --Jacqueline Wallen, P.H.D

About the Author

This book was written jointly by Noelle Lamperti , her friends and family when she was little. She is grown and now lives in Vermont with her husband and new son Wynn.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Dingman / McKay (January 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1892281031
• ISBN-13: 978-1892281036
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 7.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #143,000 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #52 in Books > Children's Books > Social Situations > Adoption

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars We love this book!, August 6, 2000

By 

Rebecca Shehee (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Brown Like Me (Hardcover)

As transracial adoptive parents, we looked high and low for books about African American children adopted by caucasian parents. My daughter, 4, loves this book about Noelle's search for brown things that help her feel as though she belongs. Brown Like Me is a wonderful, thoughtful and joyful book about how a family can look very different, yet feel so much love.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars The cover is the only part I really ilke, November 28, 2010

By 

B. Rattray "Bonacker" (West of the Moon) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Brown Like Me (Hardcover)

This is meant to be a celebration of feeling joyful about your skin color, but my daughter and I read it a few times and then put it away feeling a bit bummed out by it. Mainly because the message was a bit muddled, and the images a bit ugly. A little girl -- black, but the rest of her family is white -- goes in search of self-affirmation by looking around her for things that are "brown like me." Am I the only one who finds it less than joyful, less than celebratory of the beauty around us, that among the things she finds to compare herself to include an ugly rug and the old brown siding on the house? She finds brown in the world around her, but the things she finds are a bit sad, and since this was kind of an autobiographical book done by an actual little girl in these circumstances, I felt more sad alienation than warm embrace. I'm not looking for a hard lesson in reality, for my toddler daughter, I'm looking for fun, happy, enriching reading experiences that make her feel good. If you want a truly joyful, skin-color-affirming book (especially one that's good for a child growing up in a multiracial family), definitely try "THE SKIN YOU'RE IN" instead of this one.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Terrible Picture quality, April 23, 2010

By 

K. Zimmerman - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Brown Like Me (Hardcover)

The story line in the book is really good but the photos are very old (sixties or seventies) and re-produced so many times, they're grainy and of poor quality. Just needs to be updated w/ much better photos!