When a brown-skinned child proclaims that their skin color is pink, their mother rejoins with a rhyming poem that celebrates the beauty of brown in myriad forms: -Bubbling brown sugar babe/ honeyed and bright as marmalade.- While some of the imagery is less effective than others (-Brown smells like pinecones and mulberry bush/ woodchips, coffee beans,/ and purple asparagus-), the text overall provides a creative and uplifting celebration of brownness, from -feet/ marching for/ human rights- to -a sand dollar glinting/ on the beach in winter- and -pancakes and syrup/ and caramel and spice.- Warm digital spreads by Akem, in her picture book debut, extend the poem-s messages with stippled, textured digital backgrounds in wide-ranging shades of brown. An author-s note from Sherman (Touch for adults) offers insight into her motivation for writing the book, as well as historical references to landmark studies that have underscored institutional racism-s profound damage to children-s self-esteem. Ages 4-8. Illustrator-s agent: Michelle Witte, Mansion Street Literary Management. (Feb.)