This simple, yet important, story about overcoming racism is written in both English and Spanish. The story, written by Maritza Martinez Mejia*, is about two young friends, one white (Vanilla) and the other black (Chocolate). Vanilla’s parents do not want him to associate with children of other races. The astute teacher notices this and organizes a family day event for her students and their parents. At the event, Vanilla’s parents see the bond between the boys and realize they were wrong to prohibit Vanilla from playing with Chocolate. They apologize to Chocolate’s parents and allow the boys to remain friends and to play together every day after school.
This book is great for kids not only because it is bilingual and tells a story in both English and Spanish, but also because it teaches, in a non-preachy manner, that you shouldn’t judge a person based solely on race. This is an important message for both children and adults alike. In addition, there are certain words highlighted in the story which are defined at the end of the book and questions for children to think about and answer. There are also circle time activities that teachers and/or parents/caretakers can do with the little ones. This is a great way to ensure that kids truly understand the moral of the story and think about the importance of tolerance. There are a couple of very minor grammatical errors, but they do not take away from the story at all. Great book!
*For more information about Maritza, please see my previous post, MEET AWARD WINNING AUTHOR, MARITZA MARTINEZ MEJIA, dated November 27, 2017.
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