Sunday, March 8, 2015

"Chocolate me!"
By Taye Diggs
Illustration by Shane W. Evans
Published Originally 2011


                                  This children's book is about a boy with dark skin that is teased for the color of his skin, texture of his hair, size of his nose, and the brightness of his teeth. He begins to wonder why he can't look like the boys that are teasing him. He then turns to his mother who comforts and teaches him to love himself the way he is.

"The CHOCOLATE comes from is a funny looking seed that opens to a little white slimy bean…from that you refine and work it into the SWEET TREAT that we all eat and love. This says a lot about who we are as people. We go through a process to BE SWEET… or BITTER in some instances, but it is essential for all things to come together to make us better…to make us the best that we can be…CHOCOLATE ME!!! Say it loud…"I'M SWEET INSIDE!!!"-(Shane W. Evans 2011, chocolatemetoo.com )

The author Taye Diggs, had this to say about the book and its message:

 "The book is based on a period in my life where I was five and lived in a neighborhood where nobody looked like me and the kids would make fun. So my mother had to sit down and tell me that regardless of what these kids say, my differences are what make me special, she loved me and I should look in the mirror and love who I am. In the book we refer to it as the sweet inside, to love your chocolate. Everybody should embrace their chocolate sweetness inside. The story is specific to me, but what’s so great about this book [is] the message we’re promoting is universal. It’s for anyone who has ever felt left out and how you should always take some time and look within and let what other people call your faults, let them strengthen you."- (Taye Diggs, Huffington Post , 2011)


 Looking at this book initially, I feel the story is meant to be comforting to children with different skin shades (other than white), who have experienced racism and bullying at a young age. I think this book has a good message but thinking about the fact that this is to be read to 4-8 year old impressionable children of any skin color, I personally wouldn't share this with a classroom of children because I don't think this is a well rounded enough book. After considering the article "10 Quick Ways to Analyze Children's Book's for Sexism and Racism" (CDE, Bill Honig, 1998) here are some of the reasons why...

  1. The characters depict tokenism. The children pretty much look the same besides their coloring in the illustrations and are simplified. 
  2. 'The standard for success' is not reached being that the main character is the child who does the work to avoid the conflict and racism through chocolate cupcakes.
  3. The 'resolution of problems' includes passive acceptance in that white children in the story are never held accountable for their actions, but are rewarded with chocolate cupcakes from the bullied child.
  4. The only names in the book that are mentioned are the bullying white children. The main character and his mother who are the 'minorities' (as most society has so labeled) are never given names.
  5. The resolution to the problem that is given from the mother is a very passive one and shows the main character how to generally assimilate into white culture by ignoring the name calling and giving out cupcakes instead of confronting the issues at hand. Leaving it up to the child to deal with his feelings internally and he is expected to know that he is special no matter what others say.
  6. This book reinforces the positive view of white people being the superior and good looking race.
  7. The language in the story uses racial stereotypes and torments the boy like saying his skin is "brown like dirt" and "Does it hurt to wash off?"

At first in the story it seemed as though the bullies had the power because they teased and were effecting the way the main character thought about his physical features. The mother had the wisdom in this book because she reassured her son and helped him to build his self-esteem, he was able to see that the bullies were wrong and that he is special even though he is different.

The moral of the story I think would also refer young children to think that if they are being bullied, they should give the bullies treats (like a chocolate cupcake) to make them like him/her. The book makes no real consequences for the bullying and racism, but actually rewards this behavior (via chocolate cupcakes from the victim) without real correction.
Some of the illustrations depict African culture as shown in the mothers dress, a reference to braided hair or corn rows and the carpeting of their home, but there is not a lot of reference to this throughout. The mother is the only one with bigger lips in the book, while all the other characters have simple lines drawn as their noses and lips. There is some slang in the words used, like "for real" and "I asked my moms". I think this is accounts as part of the authors viewpoint of his life when he was young. I think that this narrative shows a single parent African American single parent family that is dealing with the stereotypes and racism that comes from other children.

In general, if we think about what a child (who has skin color other than white) may feel if they were listening to this book in a room full of white peers, I don't think many would find this book as comforting as another book may be. It may even give children ideas of how to make fun of others. I think the message is indeed a great one that is necessary for parents to teach their children at a young age. It is relatable and although the language is very straightforward and harsh at times, I could see it even being chosen as a tool in a single parent home where a mother is caring for her child alone. 

One particular thing I enjoyed about the book was the clear message that the mother was loving and cared for her son, and I enjoyed the different t-shirt's that the main character was wearing on each page, which had positive messages aimed at building self-esteem.


 So far this book in the majority has been well received and enjoyed. There are mixed reviews from people of all skin colors which range from saying that this book is "racist" all the way to saying it is "amazing". - (Reader's reviews from Amazon.com, 2011-2014)

References:
10 Quick Ways to Analyze Children's Books for Sexism and Racism. Adapted from the original brochure which was published by the Council on Interracial Books for Children by the California State Department of Education. Sacramento, Bill Honig, 1998.
"Chocolate me!" By Taye Diggs, Illustration by Shane W. Evans, Published  by
McMillan/Feiwell & Friends Originally 2011
Chocolate me website: http://chocolatemetoo.com/


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