Ritu in the Sun

PreS-Gr 2–Nani (grandmother) and Ritu (her granddaughter) both have brown skin. Nani’s is darker, and she worries that Ritu will become “as dark as me if you stay in the sun.” Moreover, Nani is wary of exposing herself to sunlight. When she was a very little girl, she was told that the sun would make her skin too dark. As a result, she often stayed inside and didn’t have a lot of fun. Gently and gradually, Ritu teaches Nani that her skin is beautiful, and that it’s fine to get out into the sun. It’s hard to teach ­self-acceptance and self-esteem to young ­children, but this book does so in an indirect, organic way. Though racism is a common topic in children’s books, colorism is rarer. Adults will pick up on deeper messages, but children will easily understand that Nani is extremely self-conscious of her skin color, and that through Rani’s loving words and actions, she’s able to finally accept herself.