SHADES of PEOPLE
Author: Shelley Rotner
Illustrator: Sheila M. Kelly
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Year of Publication: 2009
Genre: Children's Non-Fiction
Horn Book Review: 3
Summary: The book describes the different shades, or colors, of people that you see and where you see them. This book includes pictures so the reader can understand what exactly the author was writing about.
Summary of Professional Reviews: The reviewers seem to emphasize that the author stated that "our skin is just our covering, like wrapping paper." The reviewers seem to like the fact that you cannot tell what someone is like just by the color of their skin. They specifically mention that the children in the pictures are smiling, which makes them appear friendly and loving.
Review by Sarah Custard: I believe that this book is written well; it uses the word "shades" rather than "colors" of skin, which is crucial when students are young. The book gives many different examples of the shades that people can be, from creamy to shades of gold and brown. It also explains that the skin can be very dark or it can be pale and light. The author wrote that you cannot tell what someone is like from the shade of their skin, essentially saying "don't judge a book by it's cover" and that you should get to know someone first. The illustrations make the book real for children. They photographs are of actual children at the park, in the city, at school, at the beach, and even with their families. This seems like an easy book for students to read once they have begun to read.
This book could be useful when teaching students that it is not nice to bully others. Some students are bullied in school because of the shade of their skin, and this can be because that is what others see on television. This book explains to children that there are people of all different shades in their world, and that you see people everywhere you go, but that you should get to know the person first.
Summary of Professional Reviews: The reviewers seem to emphasize that the author stated that "our skin is just our covering, like wrapping paper." The reviewers seem to like the fact that you cannot tell what someone is like just by the color of their skin. They specifically mention that the children in the pictures are smiling, which makes them appear friendly and loving.
Review by Sarah Custard: I believe that this book is written well; it uses the word "shades" rather than "colors" of skin, which is crucial when students are young. The book gives many different examples of the shades that people can be, from creamy to shades of gold and brown. It also explains that the skin can be very dark or it can be pale and light. The author wrote that you cannot tell what someone is like from the shade of their skin, essentially saying "don't judge a book by it's cover" and that you should get to know someone first. The illustrations make the book real for children. They photographs are of actual children at the park, in the city, at school, at the beach, and even with their families. This seems like an easy book for students to read once they have begun to read.
This book could be useful when teaching students that it is not nice to bully others. Some students are bullied in school because of the shade of their skin, and this can be because that is what others see on television. This book explains to children that there are people of all different shades in their world, and that you see people everywhere you go, but that you should get to know the person first.