Shine Bright by Kheris Rogers, Mechal Renee Roe
Published by HarperCollins ISBN: 0063064782
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads

Shine Bright is a picture book by Kheris Rogers, young founder of a fashion line, Flexin’ in My Complexion. Rogers has a celebrity based on the success of this line and its promotion by superstars like Alicia Keys and Lupita Nyong’o. Rogers has raised awareness of the negativity she has faced based on her dark skin, and how she overcame that negativity by embracing her whole self, inside and out.

Imani, the main character of Shine Bright, is a joyful and exuberant dark-skinned girl. Her three favorite words are, “HI, I’m Imani!” and yet she faces these same challenges. Even as she shines bright at a skate park, strangers make hurtful comments about her skin color. We see how Imani internalizes these comments and the pain they inflict, until support from her older sister reminds her that her individuality and her dark skin are beautiful. The simple illustrations are upbeat and bright and convey the emotion of Imani’s story, sometimes more powerfully than the prose. It is a good picture book that talks about an important topic in a way that’s accessible to younger (publisher suggests ages 4-8) readers.

Reviewed by Deanna Contrino, Young School Library, Saco