Tan to Tamarind: Poems about the Color Brown

 In Tan to Tamarind, poet Malathi Michelle Iyengar asks young readers this question: When you look in the mirror, what do you see? Through her colorful poetry she travels the rich spectrum of shades within the color brown, from swirls of henna decorating ochre hands and feet at an Indian wedding to cinnamon lips smiling over a cup of café con leche to leaves drifting like stars onto upturned russet faces in the fall. The poetry, along with Jamel Akib’s pastel illustrations, encourages young ones to embrace each other’s differences while building self-esteem and a healthy self-image.