Susie’s Book Nook - Children’s Book Reviewed: “Gam Gam Am I Mixed?” by Mollie Openshaw
As promised, here’s another book I was introduced to by a friend. What a timely book for me to discover at this time in our history and following many books I have written about in the past year that encouraged us to look past our differences to build a kinder and gentler world. Mollie Openshaw’s book gives us an opportunity to ponder, “Am I Mixed?” and how our cultural diversity should be celebrated and embraced rather than be a cause for division.
In “Gam Gam, Am I Mixed?” written by Mollie Openshaw and Illustrated by Linda Phelps, Mollie introduces us to her granddaughter who asks the question, “Gam Gam, Am I Mixed?”. Throughout the entire book, Mollie dives in to answering that question page after page. From the moment Bellahraine is born, “mixed with perfect timing and unconditional love,” through years beyond, mixed with laughter and joy, creativity and passion, bravery and courage, equality and acceptance, and finally to mixed with opportunity to make a difference in the world and shine her bright light wherever she goes.
As one reads through this book you cannot escape the fact that no matter who you are, you are mixed and in many of the same ways as Bellah. Every page can be a conversation starter with children and young people and give a voice to how each perceives the world around them, connected or disconnected. This book highlights those attributes we all yearn for ourselves and our families – kindness, inclusion, and diversity. Yes, we all want to be treated with kindness, be included, not left out, and allowed to be the person we were meant to be.
Helping children recognize that everyone’s cultural heritage is unique and can be celebrated as part of our world’s tapestry. Yes, part of a larger tapestry of color, design, and texture. While the tapestry shows our diversity our soul longings are much the same. Let’s learn to embrace our differences and at the same time create a more inclusive and compassionate world for all of us to live in and thrive.
The illustrations that Linda Phelps created for this book are colorful and engaging which appear to be done in a variety of mixed media, using photography and collage. All the illustrations are clever to augment the characteristics mentioned on that page which give the reader lots to take in and study in the illustration. I know one preschooler who enjoys spending an inordinate amount of time studying some of the illustrations before moving on to the next page. Here’s another book he says, “Read it again, Grammy.” And I do.
This book like my very first two that started this book nook is self-published so may not be found in your local library. You can find it from several sources online as well as through the author’s website.