Blog

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. Black outlines our lives, from a bicycle’s wheels to a robe on Thurgood Marshall’s back. This color explains some of our favorite things, Also, it conveys a more substantial feeling about the great people who helped reform the society and a culture that keeps growing and thriving. Black Is a Rainbow Color is a dazzling event told through the hypnotically fascinating and inspiring words of debut author Angela Joy. It is strikingly illustrated by Ekua Holmes, a Caldecott Honoree and Coretta Scott King Award winner. To interpret the kids and the iconic figures described in the text, Holmes’ illustrations use powerful lines and solid colors with subtle touches of collage detail. For those trying to uplift and empower the youth, this book is a treasure chest of optimism, resilience, and pride. Lessons We Can Get From The Book Black Is a Rainbow Color This is an amazing book, not only the intense poetic words of author Angela Joy but also the captivating, vibrant illustrations of Ekua Holme in mixed-media reminiscent of stained glass. This adds an almost spiritual element to the blackness celebration. Here are the main lessons we can get from the book: It teaches children about acceptance and self-affirmation. This book dwells in the past of the injustice of a community and its underlying trauma. We all need to think about it as individuals and society, yet it appears to be empowering. It is a lively and touching picture book of culture and art and a people’s beauty and courage. Black may not be in the rainbow, but it is a rainbow of shades, experiences, and life. The author brings the reader on a journey to learn about how the black color may not be in the rainbow we always talk about (ROYGBIV). Black is a color in our lives. The dirt is black. In the snow, Black is the feather. The tires on the bike are black. The author then moves away from products of rhythm and blues in the setting of the Black community. The book then tackles Thurgood Marshall’s history of Blackness to the “power of pain movement.” Make the world safe and palatable for children of all ethnicities. With all the negativities surrounding our world, this book sheds light and brings unity to us – regardless of our color. It emphasizes the importance of loving yourself and presents beautiful, loving, and strong Black individuals. Black children can now draw pride from their black identity, and their classmates could also consider their own. A positive idea about yourself is a starting point of understanding oneself. Black Is a Rainbow Color: get your copy from Bookshop.org or Amazon.com Buy from Bookshop.com – https://bookshop.org/a/14451/9781626726314 Bookshop is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support local, independent bookstores. When you purchase a book through my affiliate link Bookshop will match 10% to independent bookstores. Buy from Amazon.com – https://amzn.to/39fO9ZX If you want to know more about different diverse children’s books for your little unicorns, make sure to visit our website at https://www.cosmicunicorns.com/ and follow our social media accounts for updates! More About The Author: 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 winners Out 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. Reviews: “Joy’s words and Holmes’s art are a perfect pairing where the verse is as vivid as the paints and collage. Children (and parents) of all colors will be rereading this one plenty.” ―Washington Post, “Best Books of 2020” “Both a beautiful celebration of black culture and an excellent first black history book for young children.” ―Kirkus Reviews, starred review “A treasure trove of positivity, strength, and pride for anyone seeking to uplift and educate young people.” ―Horn Book, starred review “A beautifully told and illustrated celebration of African American people and ethnology, Black Is a Rainbow Color thoughtfully explores what the Black experience means to a child . . . A must-have for children’s collections.” ―Booklist, starred review “With Black Is a Rainbow Color, debut author Angela Joy pens a loving tribute to all the ways black is beautiful. Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Award-winner Ekua Holmes’s brilliant collage illustrations elevate the text’s themes of resilience and strength.” ―Shelf Awareness © 2020, Cosmic Unicorns – All Rights Reserved

South Florida Blade interviews the chief magic maker of Cosmic Unicorns, Mandi Hawke. Listen as she talks about Cosmic Unicorns, where the idea came from and her vision for the future.