Beyond FUN: BLACK, WHITE, JUST RIGHT! I’d seen this title on
various lists of books for children of mixed-race heritage over
the past few years. Published in 1993, it was clearly written
with the goal of helping children of mixed-race parentage
understand the special place they occupy in their families. The
first-person narrator of this book, who never reveals her name,
cheerfully runs through the various ways in which her parents
differ, and how she fits very happily in the middle of those
differences: “Mama’s face is chestnut brown. Her dark brown eyes
bright as bees. Papa’s face turns pink in the sun; his blue eyes
squinch up when he smiles. My face? I look like both of them—a
little dark, a little light. Mama and Papa say, ‘Just right!’”
Colorful illustrations by Irene Trivas bring the words of author
Marguerite Davol to life in a spunky, feel-good read. Davol’s
photo of herself with her two “just-right” grandchildren gives
young readers an additional glimpse at a diverse family that
just might reflect th