this woman’s work

Yesterday Madison got a book in the mail from Lillian who is from Brazil and who knew about a Brazilian picture book that she really wanted Madison to have so she sent it.

The book is called Nina Bonita and it’s about a beautiful black girl and a white bunny who wants to know how she got such lovely black skin. Nina Bonita isn’t sure so she makes things up. Umm, maybe she got ink spilled on her when she was a baby. Maybe she ate lots of blackberries or drank too much black coffee when she was a baby.

Eventually the rabbit asks her in front of her mother (who has lighter skin) and her mother says, “Oh! Nina Bonita looks just like her beautiful black grandmother!” (Then the rabbit marries a black bunny and they make all sorts of variously shaded bunnies.)

I read it to Madison last night and she giggled, she wriggled and she grabbed the book and kissed it. She seriously loved this book. When Nina Bonita came up with her various theories Madison would laugh and shake her head. She said, “She has black skin because she was in a woman’s uterus who has dark skin!” She was happy to see the mommy had lighter skin than Nina but that there was a picture of NIna Bonita’s grandmother. “Just like me!” she said. “Like me and you!” Then she kissed the book and said, “Pennie has skin like dark chocolate and I have skin like Mexican chocolate! Pennie is beautiful!” She had Noah read it to her later and Noah liked it, too.

Lillian, this book couldn’t have come at a better time. It’s just what Madison wanted to read and I wouldn’t have ever known that if you hadn’t sent it. Madison literally danced around the room with it after hearing it twice. I told her that someone named Lillian bought it because she knew she would like it and she thanks you. I thank you, too. It means so much to both of us!!!!!!!!

Edited to add a link from a teacher who used the book to open up an interesting discussion in the classroom.

The PJ Library

These good folks send Madison a free book about Judaism every month. Your kid must be less than seven to get in on the fun and you need to check that they operate in your neck of the woods. Some of them are good, some of them are not. I was happy to get What Makes Someone a Jew? even though it’s painful to read. (We stick to the pictures.) It’s aggressively multicultural but the rhymes are plain old bad so it ends up being unintentionally hilarious.

My favorite so far is Five Little Gefiltes because it’s intentionally hilarious.

They list all the books they send and you can see there are some great ones on there so hey! If you’re Jewish (or if your kids are Jewish) go ahead and sign up!