Playful, loving, and poignant poems honor the many shades of black found in a palette of skin tones. Some verses are confident and celebratory (“I am biscuit brown / brown as a biscuit / All warm and waiting / for berries / that I carry / to the kitchen and can”) while others are deep and reflective (“I look white / I am as light / as snowberries in fall / 'I walk that walk / I talk that talk’ / Yet / Still some say / 'You’re not really Black!’ ”). Realistic illustrations, rich with color and emotion, portray a range of children and families in this invaluable addition to school and public libraries. (Ages 4–8)

We are color struck
The way an artist strikes
His canvas with his brush of many hues

Look closely at these mirrors
these palettes of skin
Each color is rich
in its own right

Black is dazzling and distinctive, like toasted wheat berry bread; snowberries in the fall; rich, red cranberries; and the bronzed last leaves of summer. In this lyrical and luminous collection, Coretta Scott King honorees Joyce Carol Thomas and Floyd Cooper celebrate these many shades of black beautifully.