Chocolate Me Book Report

The children’s book “Chocolate Me!” by Taye Diggs, justly represents the culture of African American or dark skinned people being teased and taunted because of the color of their skin and the texture of their hair. Based on my research, color has played a significant role in our lives dating back to the time of slavery. African American people are known to be at the bottom of the totem pole. For centuries, several shades of black were not considered beautiful, but rather dirty and filthy. In addition, Light skin people were considered superior and dark skin people were not. There was a time where black people were compared to a brown paper bag. If the person was the same color as a brown paper bag or lighter, they were considered worthy of …show more content…
Overall, I believe “Chocolate Me!” is a good book. It teaches you to love yourself and to be comfortable in your own skin. It also demonstrates how teasing can hurt someone’s feeling. However, I believe some of the language in the book is a bit harsh for young children. I understand that the children were teasing the young African American boy in the book, but I believe there were other phases stated during Taye Diggs experience as a child that wasn’t as harsh and could portray the same message. So, would I recommend this book for young children? Yes, I would recommend this book to young children, but with the permission of the parent. I believe “Chocolate Me!” is a great book for parents to share with their children if their child were going through a similar situation. I would not only recommend “Chocolate Me!” to African American children, but I would recommend it to all children despite their ethnicity. I believe the majority of children can relate to a time where different was not accepted, whether it had to do with their culture or their preferences in life. Additionally, if I were to read the book to the class, I would change some of the language to make it appropriate for the