Honeysmoke: A Story of Finding Your Color

by Monique Fields, Yesenia Moises (Illustrator)

A young biracial girl looks around her world for her color. She finally chooses her own, and creates a new word for herself—honeysmoke.

For multiracial children, and all children everywhere, this picture book offers a universal message that empowers young people to create their own self-identity.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Family, Realistic Fiction, Race, Fiction, Storytime

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 8, 2019

About the author

Monique Fields is an award-winning journalist. Her essays about race and identity have appeared on air, in print, and online, including NPR’s All Things Considered, Ebony magazine, and TheRoot.com. She is the founder and editor of Honeysmoke.com, a site for parents raising multiracial children, and she is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Monique lives in Alabama with her husband and their two daughters. She is the author of Honeysmoke: A Story of Finding Your Color.

Reviews

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great intentions, great title, great art, but I was completely thrown out of this present-day story when Grandpa went tooling by in his steam locomotive. Umm, what? Is that in his backyard? Oh, and smoke is characterized as "strong?" Huh?

Despite its writing flaws, it still might work pretty well for children of multiracial families. And, hey, honeysmoke is an undeniably cool word.

My tags: not a graphic novel, fiction, children's literature, picture books, skin color, skin tone, multiracial families, multiracial children, colors, parents and children, families

[This Kooky Wildflower Loves a Little Tea and Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simone wants a color of her own.

Simone is a little girl in search of a color. Complexion, really. Her mother’s black and the color of trees. Her father’s white, wearing the color of billowed smoke from trains. Where does that leave her?

Honeysmoke

She frets, mixing colors at school and home to find the right shade. She asks friends for help, but they cannot. After asking her parents several times, she owns her color.

In this story, connection and self-identification are key subjects in today’s global society. She’s biracial, and while that fact creates many colors, she wants a definite her place in the world.

I enjoyed this story because of Simone’s determination to define herself as she sees fit. A little bit of both and she’s happy. Supportive parents add to the story as well as a two cute pages at the story’s end displaying several colors biracial and non-biracial children can categorize themselves.

★★★★/★★★★★

[Lindsay Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

On the path to figuring out exactly who we are, words matter. Children pay attention to words. In Honeysmoke, the main character wants to know what color she is. She wants a word. I love how she observes her world and family and finds a way to perfectly describe herself rather than let others do it for her. Plus, the illustrations are swirly, magical, and captivating.

[Mary Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll give this four stars for now, but I can't wait to read it to my class. Stay tuned. Based on their feedback, I might change it up to five.

This book will be an interesting next step in our conversations about race -- a full-on conversation about skin color and identity.

[Carolyn Breckinridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate to attend one of the 'launch' signings of 'Honeysmoke' written by Monique Fields and illustrated by Yesenia Moises. This lovely children's picture book specifically addresses questions a biracial child might ask about his/her identity, but it easily generalizes to all children. In this story, a young girl named Simone is trying to find and define her unique color. At the book's end, all children are invited to find their colors. 'Honeysmoke' is a gentle, sensitive, positive book that skillfully addresses issues of race and ethnicity, as well as identity.

[Trisha Waters · Rating 5 out of 5]

This seriously made me tear up. I do wish I had had something like this when I was little. Seeing yourself represented as a biracial child is rare, even more so for little red headed ones. I’m in love ❤️

[Kim Tomsic · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful way to kick off 2019–an important and delightful book. Favorite line: “Boo,” Mama says, just like mamas do, “a color is just a word.”

[S · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book about identity for a girl who has a black mother and a white father. She decides her color is honeysmoke - a little bit of both her parents.

Illustrations just GLOW.

[Akoss · Rating 5 out of 5]

We need more books like this for biracial and multiracial kids. My hope is that books like this one will provide them with representation and hopefully some guidance as well on how to be themselves and own their identities.

[Brandon Khan · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75

[Nidhi Chanani · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this cover and when I read the book in a local bookshop, I turned to my husband and asked him to read it. He agreed immediately that we needed to get it. We're a mixed race couple. Our 3.5 year old has recently been asking about her skin color and I nearly teared up that there was a book that directly addressed her questions. She has picked it as her nighttime book every night for a week now. I believe it will help her understand she's whole (not half this or that) and that she can be proud of her mixed race. Thank you for this beautiful book.

[Medeia Sharif · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. A young girl has parents of two different races, so she's trying to figure out what color she is. She finds colors all around her, but they don't suit her skin color. She keeps looking and pondering until she finds her own color. The wonderful illustrations are a perfect match for the story.

[Sheri Dillard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A vibrant and heartfelt story about a young biracial girl who looks for her own color and finds one that embraces both who she is and her love for her family.

[Sierra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like I don't see many books where a bi-racial kid doesn't have to choose a side when it comes to recognizing her race/skin tone. This was nice.

[Sarah Sloom · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet book for multiracial children. As a biracial teenager, nearly an adult now, I wish I had books like this to read as a kid.

[Chrissy Higgins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredibly touching story about a biracial little girl who is struggling to find her “color”. Looking at her parents she sees her mother’s dark honey skin and her father’s light smoky skin, neither of which match hers. She goes on to ask her friends what they think she is, one says that she is black, another says she is white, and a third says that she could be either. Finally she finds her “color”. She is a color that is all her own. Her color is not just her dad, and it’s not just her mom. It is a color that encompasses all that she is, the sweet honey of her mom and the strong smoke of her dad. She is Honeysmoke!
As a biracial adult, this book resonated with my experience growing up. Nobody looked like me and it was difficult to feel comfortable fully identifying with and being from two worlds. As a mother of biracial children, Monique Fields creates a wonderful mirror for biracial people, as well as an insightful window into the journey that many biracial people experience. The section in which the little girl’s friends tell her what they see her as was very impactful for me, because it is often insightful and surprising when you find out how others see you. She finally finds that as a biracial person, she is not one thing or another, but is lucky to be able to take all of the parts of herself, and bring such strength and sweetness into the world!

[Lex Maliga Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is super cute. I love the illustrations. I could see kids getting excited wanting to find out what their color name would be.

[Rachel Roby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is my favorite out of all the #ownvoices books I have read so far. Often times interracial children have a hard time forging their identity. Many children experience “too (this race) to be white and too white to be (this race). Fields expertly writes this book geared towards interracial children and shows them that being unique is something to be proud of. Honeysmoke illustrates to children to never be afraid of where they come from or the color of their skin.

[Shannon (That's So Poe) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adored the artwork in this! Really gorgeous. The story itself covered an interesting topic, although I would have enjoyed a slightly more in-depth discussion of it.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought it could have been a couple more pages but it was definitely a cute book.

[Adria Goetz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE this book. Wonderful mix of whimsical and poignant and the illustrations are adorable.

[Aleta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aaaahhh this book was so sweet! I don't normally read books for children this young, but I loved the artwork so much I decided to check it out from the library. HoneySmoke is such a wholesome, uplifting little book, that I would highly recommend reading to young kids. While this book is specifically geared towards multiracial children, it is for all children everywhere. This picture book has a universally empowering message of self love and creating your own identity.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simone’s mom is black and her dad is white, but she doesn’t know what color she is. Her mom says that color doesn’t matter. Her dad says that Simone is a little bit of black and a little bit of white. But Simone wants her own color. She asks her school friends what color she is, but they don’t know either. She’s not the color of any of her crayons or any of her toys. Simone has to think deeper to find a color that fits her just right.

This is a great book for multicultural children. Beautifully illustrated, Simone searches with childlike wonder for a word that fits her skin tone. The text is charmingly descriptive and easy to follow. The illustrations also flow well and compliment the storyline. Simone’s parents and friends are supportive in her search for her color. In the end she has to decide what color she is on her own, and she chooses a word that reminds her of both her parents. At the end of the book there is a selection of words children of any race could categorize themselves as, and even a space for a child to write their chosen color down.

http://byucbmr.com/reviews/honeysmoke...

[Thumbnail That · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is E V E R Y T H I NG! I can’t express how thoroughly AMAZING it is. There are so many biracial boys and girls who can relate to Simone in the story. That is key in telling this story. The cover was stunning. I had to stop and just marvel at it. The text was well written and easy to read. The font size and typeset are easy for an early reader to follow. Fields made a thing that can be complicated and hard to explain into something that even a child can follow. Great storytelling by Fields!

Moises’ illustrations took my breath away. They were so warm and welcoming. The imagery was just spot on and the warmth and texture couldn’t be more accurate. There was something truly endearing in each page of this book. Fields has set the bar high for other picture books with deal with identity and being biracial. It is the gold standard in my book. This book should be on the shelves of schools and community libraries everywhere.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honeysmoke by Monique Fields, illustrated by Yesenia Moises. PICTURE BOOK. Imprint (Macmillan), 2019. $18. 9781250115829

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

While coloring a picture of herself, Simone starts to feel that she would like a color that easily matches her own skin. Her mom is black and her dad is white and neither has the answer she wants for what color she is. She sits on this problem for a while and then combines what color she got from her mom - honey, with what she got from her dad - smoke. Honeysmoke.

This is a beautifully illustrated story of finding your identity, for all kids, but especially for kids of color. I’m not sure my own kids had ever realized how isolating it could be to not have a “color” and they loved reading this book and talking about their own experiences with this.

Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I love the most in this story is the way it encourages us to think of ourselves and the people around us as individuals. Honeysmoke is a lovely story. I can't wait to share it with the little ones in my life, as well as my favorite children's librarians. Many thanks to the author for adding an important story to the shelves.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember in school not knowing what I was. Those aptitude tests would drive me nuts because at the beginning of all of them, they ask you your racial background. I would always fill in "other" because there wasn't just one I felt like I fit into. This book shows a good way to relate to mixed race in a world filled with categories.

[Jillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations. Positive representation for finding identity in mixed race skin tones.

[BookDrunkard is on storygraph as bookdrunkard78 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diverse Literature
2019

Honeysmoke by Monique Fields is beautifully illustrated. In it, we meet Simone. Her mother is black and her father is white. She doesn't think either of those colors is her color. She asks her parents what color she is, and they provide her with loving, supportive answers, but she still doesn't know what her color is. She asks her friends at school, they all say she looks like them. She takes out her crayons to draw pictures, but realizes she's not pink or brown. She wants a color that will show who she really is - not only on the outside, but also on the inside. When she arrives home from school, she really studies her parents. Her mom's skin reminds her of honey and her dad's skin reminds her of train smoke. She declares that since she is a mix of her mother and father, her skin color is Honeysmoke. At the end of the book, the reader is encouraged to come up with their own color word. I chose Starlight Sunshine as my color. My skin is rather pale - which is why I chose starlight and my grandpa calls me his Sunshine Girl - so I mixed a favorite nickname with the shining stars to get my Starlight Sunshine.

This book counts as a diverse book because the family depicted is a family with a mixed heritage. The mother is African-American, the father is white, and the daughter is a mix of the two. In it, the daughter struggles with some identity issues - as far as knowing what color she is and how she fits in. I think this book could be right on the edge of culturally specific and culturally generic. The characters are all diverse, but in general, the plot is more generic. That being said, it does tackle the idea of being your own person and finding your identity. In one of our supplemental readings, it suggests that diverse reading helps us find our differences in a positive way. This book does that in the following way - Simone inquires of her friends what color they think she is, each friend suggests it, but doesn't exclude her because of her color. At the end of the book, when we are asked to think of our own color word, I think it helps to break down the commonality of black and white. Puts a unique spin on it and shows that we are all unique but also similar. The author has written multiple essays on race and identity, she founded a non-profit named after this book as a resource for parents raising children of multicultural backgrounds.

[Charmaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title (italicize): Honeysmoke: A Story of Finding your color

Author: Monique Fields

Illustrator (if separate from author): Yesenia Moises

Genre: Children’s literature, realistic-fiction

Theme(s): Finding one own identity

Opening line/sentence (type directly from text): “Simone wants a color.”

Brief Book Summary (2-3 sentences in your own words): A young biracial girl named Simone goes around her community asking people what color she is. After searching for her color that best describes her complexion, she finally comes up with the name “honeysmoke” after her mom's complexion reminds her of honey, and her dad looks like the smoke from her grandfather's train. Simone discovered her color, and now can see her color in the clouds, in the grass, and in the leaves of the trees.

Response to Two Professional Reviews (3-4 sentences in your own words): Sarah, and Wendy both agree that this is a great book in which Simone is searching for a color that identify who she is. She finally discovered the word “Honeysmoke.” As wendy stated that this book ties back to skin complexion, and race which I believe is important to discussed in a preschool setting in order for young children's to find their own identity.

Tell Me Framework (4 sentences in your own words):
Like(s): Color scheme, Simone finally discovered her color, the title of the book ties has a meaning to why Simone made up that name for her color
Dislike(s): N/A
Patterns(s): Simone in search of a color for her skin,
Puzzle(s): What made Simone want a color that explains what complexion she is?

Consideration of Instructional Application(how will you use this book in a preschool setting): example: read aloud (3-4 sentences in your own words): I will use this book in a preschool setting, by having the students do a activity where they make up a special word that identify the color of their skin. Students will also draw who the are using crayons, color pencils, markers etc. This will allow the preschoolers to know what their peers identify as, and what makes them who they are. I would then hang up the drawings of each student which can be reminders to them in the classroom that each have their own special color that identify them.