If Dominican Were a Color

August 1, 2020
Grades K-2 This book about self-love and the importance of accepting others is a delightful celebration of the differences contained within the vibrant, vivid world and cultures of the Dominican Republic. Recio's often-rhyming lines tell the story of a multilayered and multifaceted land, its flora and fauna and people, describing colors through sensory details of the cuisine and the music and the architecture. McCarthy's illustrations breathe life into these words through works of art that, like Recio's statements about confidence in being oneself, unabashedly showcase the beauty and uniqueness of this place. The message, as in the concluding author's note, is that Black is beautiful, showcasing the diversity and individuality of the Dominican Republic's people, from varying skin tones to hair textures and the dances and games enjoyed among friends. Also interspersed into the text are various words in Spanish, and as McCarthy utilizes an unrestrained palette to convey the natural as well as the traditional and cultural beauty of this island nation, young readers will be educated and encouraged to see the wonder in varied cultures and experiences.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

August 15, 2020
This nostalgic picture book celebrates the author's Dominican heritage. This poetic picture book sets out to dispel stereotypes and racism around skin color in the Dominican Republic, but it doesn't quite succeed. The combination of Recio's extended poem and McCarthy's richly hued landscapes captures the inherent musicality and vibrancy of the Dominican countryside, coasts, and people. However, the text is sometimes hit or miss, especially when forcing a rhyme: "The shade of cinnamon in your cocoa, / drums beating so fast, they drive you loco," feels forced. The Afro-Dominican author attempts to extol the different races found on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, elevating the country's Black roots: "It'd be the curls and kinks / that blend my hair, / the color of charcoal / mixed with the sun's glare." In her striving to reclaim colorist language, Recio doesn't quite succeed, and her use of terms such as "yellow tint" and "the Haitian black / on my Dominican back" feels at odds with the powerful message she's trying to convey while inadvertently recalling the racial caste system put in place by Spanish colonialists. McCarthy's stunning art interprets the text with texture and light, her illustrations portraying the diversity and beauty of the Dominican people. The lush foliage, the impossibly blue skies, and the otherworldly pinks and oranges spring off the page with joy and verve. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-16-inch double-page spreads viewed at 58.1% of actual size.) Glowing art can't entirely overcome uneasy text. (author's note) (Picture book. 5-9)

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