My wife and I are an interracial couple with a biracial or “mixed” 3-year-old son.  As a result, we’re always on the lookout for great books that celebrate diverse families and mixed kids.

There are many out there, including I Am Mixed authored by my buddy, Sebastian A. Jones and actress Garcelle Beauvais.  Other terrific books include Mixed Me by Taye Diggs and Shane W. Evans, as well as Black Is Brown Is Tan by Arnold Adoff (illustrated by Emily McCully).

What makes a multiracial or “mixed” kid’s book good?  Well, it’s important to bear in mind a couple of factors:

1. The protagonist of the story should be a mixed kid.  And by mixed we don’t mean that his mother’s from New York and his dad’s from New Jersey.

2. The story, no matter for what age group, should have some sort of narrative arc.  Accordingly, “My mommy is Black.  My daddy is White.  The End.” is not a story.  It’s the opening paragraph of the book.  It’s also the way parents “cut to the chase” so that junior will go to sleep already.

3. It’s okay for the book to address adult themes.  Race is, after all, a complex subject.  On the other hand, the book shouldn’t be “R-rated.”  If there’s a sentence containing “You People” in there, it’s probably not best as a bedtime story.

And, finally, if Michelle and Barack read the book to Sasha and Malia, that’s one you can add to your list.

So, there are some things to keep in mind.  Happy book-hunting and happy reading!