Mixed Me!

Gr 2-5—A little boy with wildly curly hair navigates the social terrain of being a biracial child. Diggs's short, choppy, rhyming verses convey the busyness of a kid who likes "to go FAST!" All through his day he encounters people staring and asking questions. "See, my dad's a deep brown and my mom's rich cream and honey. Then people see me, and they look at us funny." Diggs very adeptly conveys the feelings a mixed child experiences and also brings a message of acceptance without being didactic. Evans's mixed-media watercolor and pencil illustrations are the perfect accompaniment to this well-written, fun story of acceptance, friendship, and love. The text, colors, and design make this a good choice for read-alouds, but there are many details in the artwork (usually containing the word mixed or a synonym thereof) that make it good for one-on-one sharing. VERDICT A stellar first purchase and a necessary book for all collections.—Jennifer Steib Simmons, Anderson County Library, SC

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

"See, my dad's a deep brown and my mom's rich cream and honey. Then people see me, and they look at us funny." Diggs and Evans follow 2011's Chocolate Me! with a boy's utterly self-confident ode to his family and himself. Mike has his mother's red hair, and it spills across the pages like a cumulus crowd as he races around the neighborhood and the soccer field--this is a boy on the move. Mike's unerring sense of self ("I'm a beautiful blend of dark and light") and the powerful love that surrounds him make this a rewarding, valuable read for families of any makeup. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Tina Wexler, ICM. Illustrator's agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (Oct.)

Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

"Mike's unerring sense of self ("I'm a beautiful blend of dark and light") and the powerful love that surrounds him make this a rewarding, valuable read for families of any makeup." —Publisher's Weekly, starred review

"[A] well-written, fun story of acceptance, friendship, and love. The text, colors, and design make this a good choice for read-alouds, but there are many details in the artwork (usually containing the word "mixed" or a synonym thereof) that make it good for one-on-one sharing." —School Library Journal, starred review

"Some kids call him "Mixed-up Mike," but the protagonist makes clear that he isn't mixed-up at all—just mixed . . . Mike's confidence in his own appearance and coolness as well as the way he proudly embodies diversity, including a certain level of androgyny, make this a refreshing read. Evans' integration of rough-textured fabrics into lively and colorful mixed-media illustrations will make readers want to reach out and touch them . . . If all kids had the confidence about who they are that Mike has, what a wonderful world this would be." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"For the millions of mixed-race Americans who have to endure the constant questioning of their identity, [Mike] has an answer: "I'm a beautiful blend of dark and light, / I was mixed up perfectly, / and I'm JUST RIGHT!" . . . The story's joyful message will resonate with multiracial readers and their families, leaving them with the cheeky takeaway: if you have a problem with me, it's your problem." —Booklist