{"product_id":"why-is-my-skin-brown-lakshmi-iyer","title":"Why is My Skin Brown? – Lakshmi Iyer","description":"\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"6\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"6\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eA heartfelt, thoughtful chapter book about growing up between cultures, understanding identity, and learning to love what makes you special.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"7\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"7\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eAbout the Book:\u003c\/b\u003e Sarayu has always known she looks a little different from her friends at school. But she has never thought too much about it, until a sudden move to India turns her world upside down. Now she's surrounded by cousins, aunties, neighbors, and even a grandmother who all seem to have strong opinions about how she looks ... especially her skin color.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"8\"\u003eSo many questions swirl in Sarayu's mind. Why do people care so much about skin color? Why does her Nani keep calling her \u003ci data-path-to-node=\"8\" data-index-in-node=\"122\"\u003ekaali\u003c\/i\u003e? And why does it hurt in a way she can't explain? Happily, between her new classes, long chats with her dad across time zones, and the warmth of her \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"8\" data-index-in-node=\"277\"\u003eBengaluru\u003c\/b\u003e family, Sarayu begins to find people she can trust, and the courage to ask the questions that matter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"9\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"9\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eWhy Is My Skin Brown?\u003c\/b\u003e is a warm and essential story about a young girl who moves to India for a few months and slowly learns to navigate two different worlds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"10\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"10\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eAbout the Author:\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"10\" data-index-in-node=\"18\"\u003eLakshmi Iyer\u003c\/b\u003e writes deeply about identity, belonging, and family across cultures. Born in Nannilam, Tamil Nadu, she now lives with her family near Philadelphia, US. She is also the author of the popular children's book \u003ci data-path-to-node=\"10\" data-index-in-node=\"237\"\u003eWhy Is My Hair Curly?\u003c\/i\u003e (Red Panda, 2020), the essay collection \u003ci data-path-to-node=\"10\" data-index-in-node=\"299\"\u003eThe Smudged Hyphen\u003c\/i\u003e (2026), and the novels \u003ci data-path-to-node=\"10\" data-index-in-node=\"341\"\u003eHindsight\u003c\/i\u003e (2024) and \u003ci data-path-to-node=\"10\" data-index-in-node=\"362\"\u003eA Star Keeps Its Distance\u003c\/i\u003e (2026). Her insightful writing has been featured in \u003ci data-path-to-node=\"10\" data-index-in-node=\"440\"\u003eThe Hindu\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci data-path-to-node=\"10\" data-index-in-node=\"451\"\u003eAdoptive Families\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci data-path-to-node=\"10\" data-index-in-node=\"470\"\u003eMotherwell Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci data-path-to-node=\"10\" data-index-in-node=\"495\"\u003eVerve India\u003c\/i\u003e, and she has spoken on NPR's \u003ci data-path-to-node=\"10\" data-index-in-node=\"536\"\u003eThe Takeaway\u003c\/i\u003e and BBC Asia.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BEETLE BOOK SHOP","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52622973337883,"sku":null,"price":254.0,"currency_code":"INR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0686\/2150\/0699\/files\/81DDN6KGLTL._SL1500.jpg?v=1784470284","url":"https:\/\/beetlebookshop.com\/products\/why-is-my-skin-brown-lakshmi-iyer","provider":"Beetle Book Shop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}