Author
Monica Brown
Illustrator
Sara Palacios
Book Summary
Marisol McDonald has flaming red hair and nut-brown skin. Polka dots and stripes are her favorite combination. She prefers peanut butter and jelly burritos in her lunch box. To Marisol, these seemingly mismatched things make perfect sense together.
Other people wrinkle their nose in confusion at Marisol—can’t she just choose one or the other? Try as she might, in a world where everyone tries to put this biracial, Peruvian-Scottish-American girl into a box, Marisol McDonald doesn’t match. And that’s just fine with her.
A mestiza Peruvian American of European, Jewish, and Amerindian heritage, renowned author Monica Brown wrote this lively story to bring her own experience of being mismatched to life. Her buoyant prose is perfectly matched by Sara Palacios’ mixed media illustrations.
Identity/Self Esteem/Confidence, Overcoming Obstacles, Multiethnic interest, Latino/Hispanic/Mexican Interest, Imagination, Families, Cultural Diversity, Conflict resolution, Childhood Experiences and Memories, Biracial/Multiracial Interest, Bilingual, Empathy/Compassion, Gratitude, Leadership, Persistence/Grit, Realistic Fiction, Self Control/Self Regulation, Courage, Dreams & Aspirations, Optimism/Enthusiasm, Pride, Similarities and Differences