Bright Eyes, Brown Skin (A Feeling Good Book) (A Feeling Good Book) Reviews

• Bright Eyes, Brown skin

  
  By on 2000-05-05
  A charming foursome, Alexa, Ethan, Jordan, and Olivia enjoy a day in kindergarten. The vibrant, detailed pictures and large print, rhyming text provide many opportunities for interaction between the reader and child. Perfect for a beginning reader (5-7) as well as a younger child (3-4). This is one of the few books I have seen for young African-American children that highlights their uniqueness and makes them feel special. My four year old is delighted with this book which has become her favorite bedtime story. Also a nice preparation for pre-school or kindergarten.
  
  

• An Okay Book for Babies and Toddlers - a review of "Bright Eyes, Brown Skin"

  
  By AQ6AGWKWMTY8H on 2006-02-02
  This would be a nice book for small children about to head off to preschool for the first time. It shows four darling children as they play and eventually nap at their school.
  
  The artwork is reminiscent of Dick and Jane and is very appealing. As other reviewers have noted, there is very little text. In fact, here is the text from the first 4 pages (see below).
  
  Bright eyes,
  Brown skin...
  A heart-shaped face,
  A dimpled chin.
  
  Now, Amazon has the ages for this book listed as 4 to 8. I would think Baby to beginning preschool would be more appropriate as there is no real story here. In regards to using this book as a beginning reader, I think it would be a miserable choice. Certainly there are not a lot of words, but the one's that *are* here are not suitable for beginners. Words like `heart-shaped' and `dimpled', `ticklish' and `special' are simply too hard.
  
  Three Stars. Wonderful `Dick and Jane' pictures with brown-skinned children. I borrowed this book from the library for my entering-preschooler: 1) because he will be entering soon, and 2) because I am tired of looking at white-only faces in books (even though we are not brown skinned).
  
  Not a great read-aloud, the conversations that can come from discussing the pictures make up for this flaw.
  
  

• Beautiful Illustrations, poor story.

  
  By A3AJBY4J3LYI2J on 2005-11-17
  I bought this book with the hopes of having a great bedtime story for my kids. I was greatly disappointed. While this book has some of the very best drawings of African American children I have ever seen. It has no story what-so-ever. I'm stunned at the fact that two women are listed under "written by." It took TWO people to write this? I'm in the wrong business!!! If you want a nice story to read to your kids - this book is not for you. But, if you are willing to create your own story based on magnificent illustrations - buy this book. My 2 stars are for the drawings alone. The wording gets a ZERO from me!
  
  

• Absolutely Wonderful

  
  By A22QD10WFJQFLF on 2006-03-23
  My 2-yr-old is so in love with this book. She is fascinated by the simple story and also by the great illustrations. It is one of her must-read bedtime books. It is indeed a "feeling good book", however I think it is only appropriate for children under 4-yrs.
  
  

• Charming

  
  By A2CXP2Q04QZ8R2 on 2005-11-28
  The title of this book might lead you to believe race is a major theme. In fact, it isn't addressed except to note that the characters have brown skin. There is very little text, and what there is describes, in rhyme, physical attributes of the four children as they go about a normal school day.
  
  This book is one of the "Feeling Good" series, written for beginning readers. At least one of the children, Olivia, has appeared in another book. Olivia is actually the daughter of author Bernette Ford. The other characters are Ethan, Alexa, and Jordan.
  
  Illustrations by George Ford (husband of Bernette?) of watercolor or pastel pencil show incredibly cute African American kids with dimples in their cheeks and chins, heart-shaped faces, etc. The book falls into that category of story that could be about anybody, appropriate for all; the characters just happen to be African American.
  
  
  

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