School Library Journal Review
PreS-In this picture book for young children, Manushkin celebrates the different aspects of skin. It has many tones, from "cocoa brown," to "peaches and cream," and sometimes distinguishing features like freckles, birthmarks, or dimples. Skin "keeps the outsides out/and your insides in," scabs over wounds, tans in sun, and exhibits goose pimples in cold. While the brief rhyming text is occasionally strained, the large illustrations, executed in ink and pencil and digitally arranged, depict a mixed-race family as they interact with a delightful array of diverse babies, preschoolers, and their parents in their urban neighborhood. Adults kiss baby feet, hold little ones aloft, and snuggle with them. The park and neighborhood scenes include a girl in a wheelchair and Muslim and Orthodox Jewish families enjoying themselves outdoors. Among many humorous touches is a scene in which two youngsters display their paintings while readers see all the paint on the floor and walls and a dog streaking paint as it runs off with a brush. The story comes full circle, beginning with a baby, happy in its "brand-new" skin, and ending with parents and tired children, all "happy in [their] skin," coming home after celebrating with "bouquets of people" at a block party. VERDICT A delightful feel-good story that will be welcome in most collections.-Marianne Saccardi, Children's Literature Consultant, Greenwich, CT © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Manushkin (The Belly Book) offers a cheeky meditation on the everyday miraculousness of skin, with a biracial family at the center of her story. "It's terrific to have skin," she muses. "It keeps the outsides out/ and your insides in." Skin is also something we all have in common, regardless of age, color, or whether it's adorned with "freckles/ or birthmarks/ or dimples." With plenty of sentimental books about belonging available, a fun angle on the ties that bind members of the human family is welcome; the silly-earnest premise inspires several quirky observations to keep readers intrigued, including a shout-out to scabs as "a perfect seal." Following a light-skinned mother and her three children (who share their father's brown skin), Tobia (Baby's Got the Blues) creates an expansive, multicultural cast of urbanites enjoying themselves at a park, at the public pool, and at a boisterous block party. It's freewheeling fun-a perfect book for the months when we all try to wear as little as possible. Ages 2-5. Author's agent: Brianne Johnson, Writers House. Illustrator's agent: Mandy Suhr, Miles Stott Children's Literary Agency. (Aug.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
There's lots to like about Manushkin's charming picture book, starting with the quirky idea of celebrating our largest of organs! Across the pages of this endearing book, smiling families frolic in parks and playgrounds of a bustling, urban, multicultural neighborhood. They are happy because of, not despite, the differences in their skin colors: bouquets of babies sweet to hold: cocoa brown, cinnamon, and honey gold. More than a matter of appearance, readers learn that their skin has important work to do. It keeps their insides in, grows constantly, heals over injuries with protective scabs, tans, itches, and best of all tickles. A bright palette of colors adds to the liveliness of the people populating the book's pages people with sweet, loving faces and outstretched arms to hold babies and reach for friends, ensuring skin-on-skin contact. Happy in Our Skin paints a picture of an ideal world that recognizes the value of diversity and shuns color blindness a positive message for ears of every age and color.--Chaudhri, Amina Copyright 2015 Booklist
