Honeysmoke: A Story of Finding Your Color By Monique Fields, Illustrated by Yesenia Moises (2019) – Hardcover
Recommended ages: 3 to 8
Honeysmoke is based on author Monique Fields own experiences raising two biracial daughters. This powerful and delightful story follows young Simone, a biracial girl with a Black mom and white dad. Simone one day recognizes that her skin is not like mom or dad’s. Or like anyone else she knows. She wants a color-word that is representative of exactly who she is. So Simone creates her own word: Honeysmoke! She’s a mix of honey brown like mom and smokey white like dad. It’s perfect. Simone is gratified by this newfound identity! I love that illustrator Yesenia Moises depicted Simone exuding so much confidence in her cover illustration. Her vibrant illustrations througout the book are such a joy.
Take-away message: This book will certainly encourage other biracial children to want to create their unique “color-word.” There’s even a space for them to write it in at the end of the book. For all children, this book will empower them to define and celebrate their own identities.
TAGS: mixed race, brown skin, female lead, nuclear family, hardcover
About the Author:
Monique Fields is an award-winning journalist. Her essays about race and identity have appeared on air, in print, and online, including NPR’s All Things Considered, Ebony magazine, and TheRoot.com. She is the founder and editor of Honeysmoke.com, a site for parents raising multiracial children, and she is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Monique lives in Alabama with her husband and their two daughters.
About the Illustrator:
Yesenia Moises is an Afro-Latina illustrator and designer with a specialty in product design. When she’s not making toys for kids, her pastimes include indulging in really silly dating sims and playing with her wildly photogenic dog Divo.
