Magnificent Homespun Brown: A Celebration

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Magnificent Homespun Brown: A Celebration was written by Samara Cole Doyon and illustrated by Kaylani Juanita. Samara Cole Doyon is both a second-generation Haitian American and a deeply rooted Mainer, with half of the roots of her family tree reaching generations deep into the soil of the Pine Tree State. She is a freelance writer, teacher, wife, and mother. She has been a regular contributor at Black Girl In Maine Media and has been featured in the “Deep Water” poetry column of the Portland Press Herald. This 32 pages book was published by Tilbury House Publishers and Cadent Publishing in 2020. [1]

Summary

The young narrator in Magnificent Homespun Brown: A Celebration explores the world around her and compares things in nature and life to different shades of brown skin to celebrate the beauty and wonder of it all within the pages of this breathtaking book. [2]

Pros

Publishers Weekly wrote their reviewed about this book, They wrote that Browns of all kinds are lauded through a natural lens in this celebration of community and belonging. Gazing out the window at moving water, one child speaks of “Deep, secret brown or like the subtly churning river currents or playfully beckoning me." Throughout, the creators draw the beauty of the natural world—a forest, a snowstorm—into relationship with the characters until the twined concepts become part of a quilted family tree. A magnificent paean to a varied hue. [3]

A detailed review was given by Clara Hendricks, from Cambridge Public Library, she explained that this book is a joyful ode to the color brown. Several brown girls are presented across the pages as they share how the hue is featured in their lives. In a repeating pattern, the author first describes each kind of brown (feathery, amber, radiant, cozy, thundering, etc.) with descriptions of time spent with family and friends, from cocoa-sipping winter days to peaceful hikes in the woods. Then she presents a simple simile: “Radiant brown...like my skin.” The text itself is a poem that dances playfully on the tongue when read aloud, featuring just the right amount of alliteration, a wide range of unusual vocabulary, and vibrant imagery. Juanita’s illustrations are a celebration of these girls, using all shades of brown and many warm colors on a light yellow background. She gives particular care to the details that make the girls seem very real, fun hair clips, bandage adorned skin, and patterns on clothes. They are an active bunch, leaping into piles of leaves and pirouetting on roller blades. While all characters are brown, there is a diverse cast, including a family member who uses a wheelchair and several characters wearing hijab.[4]

A quote reviewed by Kirkus from one of online sites described that the text of the poem is delightfully filled with rich imagery and luscious language, complex enough to grow into but familiar enough to enjoy at any age. Juanita's earth-toned illustrations are joyful and remarkably inclusive. The girls and their friends and family wear a variety of hairstyles; there are characters in hijabs, one with vitiligo, a child in a wheelchair, and an adult without a hand. Readers may find themselves wondering whether this is the same girl in many aspects or many―and then contemplating their own multifaceted natures. This "celebration" makes magic out of the everyday joys of being in the world. [5]

References

  1. Retrieved January 24th, 2021. Retrieved January 24th, 2021
  2. 31 Chidren's Book Starring Black Characters Your Kids Will Love. romper.com. Retrieved January 24th, 2021
  3. Magnificent Homespun Brown: A Celebration. publishersweekly.com. Retrieved January 24th, 2021
  4. Magnificent Homespun Brown: A Celebration. slj.com. Retrieved January 24th, 2021.
  5. Magnificent Homespun Brown. tilburyhouse.com. Retrieved January 24th, 2021