Mixed Me: a tale of a girl who is both black and white

by Tiffany Catledge, Anissa Riviere (Illustrations)

Little Mixie wonders why everyone wants to know WHAT she is. Isn't it obvious? She is clearly a human being. And anyway, isn't WHO she is what matters most? Coming from a family with a black dad and a white mom makes her extra special, and maybe a little different too. But different is good. Mixie embraces her uniqueness and determines to be the best "Me" she can be.

Genres: Childrens

34 pages, Paperback

First published April 11, 2013

About the author

Tiffany Catledge lives in Southern California. This is her first book in a planned Mixed Me series. She is married, and she and her husband have six glorious children, all a wonderful mix! She is the daughter of Art & Judy and sibling to four mixed sisters and brothers.

She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Intercultural Communication from Arizona State University, and has always been interested in cultures, ethnicities, and of course MIXES! In her free time she enjoys reading and being with her family. One of her favorite hangouts is the children’s section of her local library.

Reviews

[Karen Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

The little girl in MIXED ME addresses a number of potentially hurtful questions and comments some children hear all the time and often don’t understand or know how to answer. Questions such as “What are you?” or “Why don’t you have the same skin color as your mom (or dad)?” are answered cheerfully, with a positive message repeated throughout the text. Colorful illustrations by talented teenager Anissa Riviere add to the book’s appeal for young pre-readers and their parents or caregivers.

[Arayna Fleming · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really cute book!

[Molly Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little girl wants to know why people are asking her what she is, when she thought who she was, was the more important question. I love this children's book following a biracial girl through her struggles of figuring out who she is, in a world of people wanting to know what she is. I know that I have personally been asked WHAT I am, more times than I can count on all fingers and toes, time and time over. It started as a child when people notice my hair and skin wasn't like most of the girls who identified with the African American race, nor was it like the girls that identified themselves as Caucasian. This story takes a great look into the world through the eyes of a confused child trying to find her place in the world. The colorful pictures and messages that are portrayed in this book make it a great read to take into the classroom for children of all ethnicities. A reminder to us all to remember that focusing of who someone is, is far more important that where their skin color comes from. The author is a multiracial woman as well, he view from the inside is part of what makes this book so authentic.

[Saba N Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

A tale of pride and courage as Mixie shares her black and white heritage with young readers. Children will learn from Mixie to embrace their heritage whether they are mixed or not. Mixed Me is a great effort in helping children learn to cope and go beyond the barriers and challenges that they face due to being of mixed races/heritages/cultures. After all, it is not important WHAT you are but WHO you are.

[Megan Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mixed Me is a great story to take children away from the race side of things. Mixie is bi-racial and does not understand when people ask "What are you?". She is human. As a teacher I will use this book to show that under our skin we are all the same- human and who we are matters most. Tiffany Catledge has six children and a degree in intercultural communications from Arizona State University. Tiffany Catledge's illustrations are bright and vibrant.

[Jdn1]

This picture book is an excellent choice of putting children through the perspective of growing up with two different colored parents and cultures. This is very common in today's society, so I feel it's important for children to understand different family perspectives. I would recommend this for lower elementary (k-2).

[Madimeier]

This book is about a little girl named Little Mixie who is mixed. She is both black and white and she is getting sick and tired of people asking her what she is. Her mom is white and her dad is black which makes her a little different from everyone else. In the story, she talks about how being different is fun and she is trying to be the best "Me" she can be.

[Adam Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone is unique and each child comes from a different "MIX". Super cute book and a great conversation starter about differences for children.

[Brittany]

Professional Support/Diverse Lit Paper resource

[Papatia Feauxzar · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good parenting guide to answer tough questions children might have about race.