Taye Diggs

“Why?” Is a book that perfectly mirrors the reaction to children who are trying to understand all they see and hear around them. Diggs reported he was inspired by questions by his own son, and surely everyone with a child will be very familiar with the “why” phenomenon.

In this case, the Black children asking the questions aBlack girl asks her granddad: “Why are those people marching?” He replies, “Our people are marching because we have been stomped on and stepped over for way show more too long. Way, way too long.”

More controversial activities are included, as when a young child asks, “Why are those buildings burning?” The adult answers:

“Because, little one . . .
when we get tired of shouting
and not being heard,
when we have cried so many
tears from always getting hurt,
when we scream out for help
and continue to get ignored,
when we march and march and
march but are not really moving -
when all this happens. . .
Sometimes buildings must burn.
The buildings burn for us.
The anger burning those
buildings is us.”

The message has not gotten through to whites, however. In fact, it is being drowned out recently with white backlash in the form of “The Great Replacement Theory,” i.e., as articulated by Renaud Camus, a popular proponent of the theory, the belief that native white Europeans are being replaced in their countries by non-white immigrants from Africa and the Middle East, and the end result will be the extinction of the white race. A domestic terrorism database shows that Right-wing extremism began gathering fresh momentum after the election of Barack Obama, the nation’s first Black president. Now domestic terrorism incidents have soared to new highs in the United States, driven chiefly by white-supremacist, anti-Muslim and anti-government extremists on the far right.

Blacks are believing, with justification, that “thoughts and prayers” are just not enough. As Garnell Whitfield, a former fire commissioner in Buffalo, who lost his mother, Ruth Whitfield, in the mass shooting by a white supremacist on May 14, 2022, stated:

“‘You expect us to keep doing this over and over again, forgive and forget,’ said Whitfield, who was accompanied by the civil rights lawyer Ben Crump. ‘While the people we elect and trust in offices around this country do their best not to protect us, not to consider us equal.’”

On May 30, 1963, President Lyndon Johnson spoke at Gettysburg on an occasion marking the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. In a notable speech, he observed:

"One hundred years ago, the slave was freed.

One hundred years later, the Negro remains in bondage to the color of his skin.

The Negro today asks justice.

We do not answer him – we do not answer those who lie beneath this soil – when we reply to the Negro by asking, “Patience.”

It is empty to plead that the solution to the dilemmas of the present rests on the hands of the clock. The solution is in our hands. Unless we are willing to yield up our destiny of greatness among the civilizations of history, Americans – white and Negro together – must be about the business of resolving the challenge which confronts us now."

Taye Diggs helps to raise awareness of these issues. He said in an interview about this book:

"I'm sure children all across the globe were looking at what was happening here in America during Black Lives Matter and wondering what the deal was. And I wanted to do my best to give an accurate portrayal of at least my perspective and the way that it applies to my son as well.

Sometimes, the answer to these questions can be uncomfortable and there isn't necessarily an answer, or not an answer that is going to make either party happy and I wanted to experiment with that in this book.”

“Why” is the fifth collaborative children’s book between Diggs and multiple award-winning illustrator Shane W. Evans. Evans uses textured mixed-media watercolor and pencil drawings for characters that brilliantly reveal a panoply of emotions from confusion to frustration to understanding to hope.

Evaluation: This exploration of the conversations parents and children of color are having about race and injustice is one that remains timely. When, oh when, will it be just a sad reflection of history? Highly recommended for all ages and races. show less

Actor Taye Diggs tackles the topic of mixed-race children of interracial marriages in his second collaboration with prize-winning illustrator Shane W. Evans.

The book (he explained on "The Today Show") was inspired by his son, who is of mixed race. His mother is actress and singer Indina Menzel. “His mom is vanilla, and I’m dark chocolate,” Diggs said on the show. “I just wanted to write a little something that touched on their experiences.”

Using simple but effective rhymes that show more have a musical, jazzy feel, Diggs gets to the heart of the matter:

“See, my dad’s a deep brown and
my mom’s rich cream and honey.
Then people see me, and they look at us funny.”

“There are so many flavors
to savor and taste!
Why pick only one
color or face?
Why pick one race?”

People sometimes stare and call him “Mixed-up Mike" but he doesn’t care. He says, “I’m a combo plate!” Echoing the loving acceptance of his parents, he insists:

“I’m a beautiful blend of dark and light,
I was mixed up perfectly,
and I’m JUST RIGHT!”

Shane Evans is one of my favorite illustrators. Here he uses textured mixed-media watercolor and pencil illustrations in bright rainbow hues to show the glory and beauty of all colors.

Evaluation: This joyous celebration of combination, family, and love, will delight both kids and parents. show less

NOT "Mixed Up" Mike is a fun little kid who just does his fun little kid thing. Unfortunately, people do ask dumb questions and stare necessarily at him (and mixed families of all kinds)- but Mike knows it's because he's (and they're) GREAT and BEAUTIFUL. And he has some of the most awesome hair in literature.

Taye Diggs' text has a nice rhythm for lap reads & story times. There's definitely a message to this tale, but it comes across in a cool, low-key way that's not preachy or stilted. I show more super love Shane Evans' illustration style- so filled with energy and joy. These guys make for a pretty phenomenal picture book team and they hit this one out of the park. show less

Actor Taye Diggs pens a love letter from an absent father to his much-cherished child in this third picture-book, following upon his Chocolate Me! and Mixed Me! Using the formula, "I Love You More Than...", his narrator emphasizes just how treasured the child-recipient of this letter is, and just how much he, the father, enjoys spending time with his child.

Although much in sympathy with the end goals of Diggs' previous two picture-books - namely, to inculcate a sense of self-worth in show more children who have been the target of bullying and racism, either because of their dark skin, or because they are mixed race - I thought them somewhat lacking, from a textual, narrative perspective. Similarly, although I did find I Love You More Than... to be a sweet reassurance tale, one intended specifically for a group of children that particularly need it - i.e.: those living apart from their fathers - the text struck me as being somewhat poorly constructed. The accompanying artwork by Shane W. Evans, who illustrated Diggs' two other books as well, is colorful and appealing, although I didn't particularly care for the two-page spread featuring an entire wall of shoes (it reminded me of the stories of the conspicuous consumption of Imelda Marcos that I heard as a girl, and is no more appealing in a man, than in a woman). Leaving that aside, this is one that might hit the mark, if one cares for the text, and if one is in the market for a reassurance story for young children who do not live full-time with their fathers. show less