English &
4-8 years
- Afro-Dominican Identity
- Own Voices
- Dominican Republic
- Poetry
- Self-Love
Sili Recio & Brianna McCarthy
Summary:
If Dominican Were a Color is a beautiful book that describes aspects of life in the DR as well as pays homage to their strong roots in Africa, as it is “estimated that 73% of the population is racially mixed” (author’s note).
The narration itself is written in first person, and the bright illustrations show a wide variety of Dominican life. The population is diverse, but they are all have similarities; cafe con leche, palm trees above their heads, and a deep sense of connected community. In gorgeous language, author Sili Recio describes how the richness of the culture can’t even be contained by a color palette and must instead be experienced.
This book works being both a window and a mirror effortlessly. A Dominican identity is one to be celebrated and embraced, especially the tenacious connection to Africa. The lush landscape is very present in the illustrations, captivating readers. Not only is this book a wonderful ode to the Dominican Republic, but would be a fantastic book to read when discussing descriptive language or poetry.
This book was kindly sent by Simon & Schuster and I couldn’t be more thrilled to be able to review it. All opinions and decision to review is my own!
First of her name. Writer, speaker, strategist, disruptor. Manager of chaos, buster of silos.
Leading with intention. Rooted in words.
Brianna McCarthy is a mixed media visual communicator working and living in Trinidad and Tobago. She is a self-taught artist and aims to create a new discourse examining issues of beauty, stereotypes, and representation as well as the documenting the process—particularly poignant in an ever smaller digitally connected world. Her form takes shape through masking and performance art, fabric collage, traditional media, and installation pieces.