This beautiful book caught our eye with its colorful illustrations and captivating title. We immediately researched it and added it to our preorders. We haven't read it completely yet since it releases January 2020, but experience tells us this is definitely one to look out for.
Title: Black is a Rainbow Color
Author: Angela Joy
Illustrated by: Ekua Holmes
Ages: 3-6 and up
Purchase it: Here
PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION
A child reflects on the meaning of being Black in this moving and powerful anthem about a people, a culture, a history, and a legacy that lives on. Red is a rainbow color. Green sits next to blue. Yellow, orange, violet, indigo, They are rainbow colors, too, but My color is black . . . And there’s no BLACK in rainbows.
From the wheels of a bicycle to the robe on Thurgood Marshall's back, Black surrounds our lives. It is a color to simply describe some of our favorite things, but it also evokes a deeper sentiment about the incredible people who helped change the world and a community that continues to grow and thrive.
Stunningly illustrated by Caldecott Honoree and Coretta Scott King Award winner Ekua Holmes, Black Is a Rainbow Color is a sweeping celebration told through debut author Angela Joy’s rhythmically captivating and unforgettable words.
THOUGHTS
Thanks to Macmillan Publishers were able to get a peek at the book. The colors, poetry, and relevant back matter makes Black is a Rainbow Color a book we're pretty sure we'll love. Take a look at some of the images from the book:
ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATOR
Angela Joy was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Before graduating Summa Cum Laude from the University of Minnesota, she attended New York University and Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia—where her heart will forever reside. Angela traveled abroad extensively as a background vocalist, also working in television and movie soundtracks. She currently lives in southern California with her husband and two children, writing from a small hallway desk where the walls are painted a royal shade of purple. Black Is A Rainbow Color is her first book.
Ekua Holmes is a native of Roxbury, MA and a graduate of the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. She is the recipient of the 2013 NAACP Image Award, a Brother Thomas Fellowship, and a 5-year appointment to the Boston Art Commission. Her picture book illustrations include the Caldecott Honor book Voice of Freedom and the Coretta Scott King Award winnersOut of Wonder and The Stuff of Stars. Holmes serves as Assistant Director of MassArt’s Center for Art and Community Partnerships, and manages sparc! the ArtMobile, the institution’s vehicle for community outreach.
