Why is My Skin Brown? – Lakshmi Iyer

A heartfelt, thoughtful chapter book about growing up between cultures, understanding identity, and learning to love what makes you special.

About the Book: 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.

So many questions swirl in Sarayu's mind. Why do people care so much about skin color? Why does her Nani keep calling her kaali? 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 Bengaluru family, Sarayu begins to find people she can trust, and the courage to ask the questions that matter.

Why Is My Skin Brown? 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.

About the Author: Lakshmi Iyer 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 Why Is My Hair Curly? (Red Panda, 2020), the essay collection The Smudged Hyphen (2026), and the novels Hindsight (2024) and A Star Keeps Its Distance (2026). Her insightful writing has been featured in The Hindu, Adoptive Families, Motherwell Magazine, and Verve India, and she has spoken on NPR's The Takeaway and BBC Asia.