“Skin We Are In” book

“Skin We Are In” is a celebration of the evolution of skin color and a collaborative endeavor by South African writer Sindiwe Magona, American anthropologist Dr. Nina Jablonski, and me (Lynn Fellman) as the illustrator. 

The book tells the story of the evolution of human skin color through the voices of six curious children and one thoughtful uncle. They discover why humans have different skin colors and how people’s thinking about skin color has changed throughout history.

“Skin We Are In” was published in 2016 and 2022 by David Philip Publishers in Cape Town, South Africa. Created for young people aged 9 to 14, it’s printed in all eleven official languages of South Africa. The versions offered here are in English.

“Skin We Are In” is available in two sizes:

The large version is 10.75 x 8.75 inches.
The small version is 8.25 x 6 inches.
Both books are 43 pages long and have soft covers.

Comments from readers:

“A much-needed book about race and skin color for children.”— Woman Zone Cape Town

“This book should be compulsory in all schools in South Africa.”— Sara-Jayne King, author of “Killing Karoline”

“Skin We Are In” is a testament to the inspiration, vision, and conviction of dozens of people, who created, edited, reviewed, and promoted it because they knew that the children of South Africa and the world needed it.”— Dr Nina Jablonski

“One of South Africa’s best-selling authors, Sindiwe Magona, has teamed up with well-known American anthropologist Nina G. Jablonski and award-winning illustrator Lynn Fellman to create a much-needed book about race and skin color for children. Magona has written a story of five friends as they explore and discuss the skin they are in. The scientific narrative, written by Jablonski, expands and supports the conversation topics generated by the children’s adventure.”— from the Barnes and Noble website