The Colors of Us [Paperback]

Karen Katz (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: April 3, 2007 | Age Range: 4 - 8 years | Lexile Measure: 370L (What's this?)

New big books to share with a group!

 

Big books are ideal for use with a large group--they are oversized at 14-1/2 x 18 inches. A perfect way to enjoy Holt favorites with many children at once!

Seven-year-old Lena wants to use brown paint to paint a picture of herself. She and her mother take a walk, and Lena learns that brown comes in many different shades.

 

 

Also available in big book format:

 

Here Are My Hands

By Bill Martin Jr and John Archambault, illustrated by Ted Rand

 

In the Small, Small Pond

By Denise Fleming

 

Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See?

By Bill Martin Jr, illustrated by Eric Carle

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2 Lena's mother is an artist, so she knows whereof she speaks when she insists that there are many different shades of brown. The two take a walk through their neighborhood by way of illustration, and the friends and relatives they meet along the way aptly reinforce Mom's contention. Their skin colors are compared to honey, peanut butter, pizza crust, ginger, peaches, chocolate, and more, conjuring up delicious and beautiful comparisons for every tint. Katz's pencil-and-gouache pictures joyously convey the range of human pigmentation. Positive and useful. Miriam Lang Budin, Chappaqua Public Library, NY
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Lena discovers that she and her friends and neighbors are all beautiful shades of brown. "I am the color of cinnamon. Mom says she could eat me up," says Lena. Then she sees everyone else in terms of delicious foods: Mom is the color of French toast. Lena's friend Sonia is the color of creamy peanut butter. Isabella is chocolate brown like the cupcakes they had for her birthday. Lena's best friend, Jo-Jin, is the color of honey. Katz wrote and illustrated the story in affirmation of her adopted Guatemalan daughter and her friends, and the diversity that surrounds them. The message is heavy, but it's made palatable by the loving words and the brightly colored, lively illustrations, which are a combination of collage, gouache, and colored pencil. The pictures of Lena and her friends and city neighbors celebrate the delicious colors of the individual people, all brown, and each one different. Hazel Rochman --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 4 - 8 years
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. BYR Paperbacks; Reissue edition (April 3, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805081186
• ISBN-13: 978-0805081183
• Product Dimensions: 18 x 14.5 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #77,162 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Check out my newest book WIGGLE YOUR TOES! A Book to pull,fluff, and wiggle!

I have always been interested in folk art from around the world, Indian miniatures, Mexican ceramics, fabrics, Chagall, Matisse, children's art, and primitive painting, and I love to paint and experiment with pattern, texture, collage and color. The careers I've had--as a costume designer, a quilt maker, a fabric artist, and a graphic designer--have taken all these interests into account. Looking back, I can see that these passions and career choices have played a large part in influencing me to become a children's book author and illustrator.

But most importantly, it was after my husband and I adopted our daughter from Guatemala that I was inspired to do a children's book for her. My first book, Over the Moon, was the story of that magical experience of welcoming our daughter Lena into our lives. I painted, I drew, I collaged, and I wrote, and after working very hard... a beautiful book was born! Twenty-two books later, my daughter--now fourteen years old--still is an inspiration for me.

I am fascinated by babies and little kids. The simplest words and gestures can make them laugh. Sometimes standing in line at the supermarket and watching kids in grocery carts, my best ideas are born.

I am fascinated by people from all over the world and what they look like and how they live and the differences that make us all unique.

When an idea pops into my head I ask these questions:
Will a child want to read this book?
Will a parent want to read this book with their child?
Will this book make a parent and child feel something?
Is there something visual here that will hold a child's interest?
Will a child see something in a different way after reading this book?
If the answer is yes, then I know I'm on the right track.

I am very lucky to get to do what I do. Everyday I go into my studio and have fun. Don't get me wrong, some days are very frustrating. Sometimes the colors are all wrong and the words don't sound right. But after I work at it for a while...and try to do it a different way...and think...and change the words or colors...and try some more...suddenly, there it is--a great page of writing, or a great illustration. And nothing is more satisfying than that.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

150 of 166 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Oh Please! November 23, 2008

By K. Johnson

Format:Paperback

I was going along with this book until the stereotypes began to get more and more outrageous... the child's experience with a black person is her babysitter, with an Arab/Muslim is the man who sells spices; with an Italian is the Pizza maker.... OK as a black professional women whose child is at one of New York City's Independent schools I keenly felt the portrayal of the black woman in the story as a babysitter. Unfortunately this is the only interaction many white children have with women of color... the author should show some real sensitivity by trying to shatter rather than reinforce stereotypes. NO matter how you sugar coat it... it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

39 of 41 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book! August 14, 2000

By Hildur Lindgren Carlen

Format:Hardcover

I am a Pre-K/K Teacher. Last school year a child in my class, who had many questions about skin color, instantly attached to this book and it remained a favorite all year long. This is an excellent book that explores the various hues of us in a format that is extremely appealing and inviting to children. It is a great spring board for discussions of color and race with young children. A must have for any early childhood library.

33 of 36 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book July 17, 2002

By "jenhl"

Format:Hardcover

This is a wonderful book to introduce children to the concept of multiculturalism. I am white, my husband is Mexican and my daughters are dark like my husband. It is wonderful to see a book with a white mother and dark daughter, and it's wonderful to see all the different colored characters. My 4-year-old loves this book and I love reading her a story with a character she can relate to. I highly recommend it.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars It does have its shortcomings... January 31, 2011

By phillip

Format:Paperback

We bought this book for our two children who, as two of a very small group of kids of any color in their classes, are often asked about their "differentness." The book did a great job of identifying different skin tones, likening them to very colorful (pun intended) descriptions of foods, and linking them to affable and memorable individual characters.

My kids are clear that their immediate world is made up of different people who happen to have unique skin colors and that coloring is only one component of what makes these people who they are -- in that respect, this book helped us achieve our goals. Where the book failed (and here, it failed pretty big) is in some of the assigned stereotypical roles to several of the book's characters: "Mr. Pelligrino" (the pizza shop owner), "Candy" (the bronze and amber colored babysitter), and "Mr. Kashmir" (the turban wearing spice seller).

The book isn't bad and the lack of character creativity challenged me to augment it with other books that do a better job at introducing issues of diversity while carefully avoiding stereotypes. I wouldn't, however, use it by itself to teach a kid (or kids) about similarities and differences. Several books that come to mind which help hammer home a more complete understanding of the issue of diversity are:
Whoever You Are (Mem Fox);
We're Different, We're the Same (Sesame Street);
All the Colors of Earth (Sheila Hamanaka);
Courderoy (Don Freeman);
It's OK To Be Different (Todd Parr); and
Chugga Chugga Choo Choo (Kevin Lewis).

I wouldn't dissuade anyone from buying it but I would hope that it isn't used as an only tool to introduce issues of color and cultural differences.... If your intention is to have a groovy book with colorful descriptions of people's skin tones, this book for you. Read more ›

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars My Favorite Children's Book March 28, 2003

By "sjsmeltze"

Format:Hardcover

I am an elementary school counselor and read this book to second graders. They love the comparisons of skin colors to foods, and it leaves everyone feeling good about the way they look. It is a strong multicultural book, but the presentation is very subtle, and not preachy.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Very shallow November 9, 2010

By Ulyyf

Format:Paperback

I understand and appreciate the intent here. However, vaguely cheerful affirmations that "yes, people come in different colors, like food!" aren't likely to actually make any child more aware of diversity or accepting of it. Also, it's a little weird that in this "let's all accept each other!" book many of the other characters have jobs which are just a bit stereotypical of their origins.

There are better choices for young children. If you want to speak just about diversity, I suggest you focus on having a broad library rather than the same old standbys (with mostly white characters) and a few Let's Be Friends books. It can be more difficult to get books with non-white protagonists, but it is not impossible. If you've been having trouble in your kid with actual bigotry, I suggest a book that discusses this head-on - a good picture book biography or a picture book historical fiction would be more useful.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book March 20, 2003

By Vanessa Rivera

Format:Paperback

This book is a great!A modern, hip book for all ages. The wonderful world of Color comes to life in all the Colors of People! My 4 year old loves the yummy discriptions of the book and learns to respect the differences in all of us. Thanks Karen Katz for writing and illurtating a great book. We hope more iwll follow

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Creative book about each person's uniqueness October 10, 2004

By M. Blachly

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Karen Katz has succeeded in presenting a colorful and creative book that describes the many beautiful shades of skin tone in our society. She teaches her daughter, Lena, that there are many shades of brown. They walk through their neighborhood, using color tones and food items to make tasteful distinctions. After Lena mixes her paint colors to match the subtle hues and paint each person, she exclaims, "Look Mom, the colors of us!" This has been a wonderful book for my 2 year old son to explore the differences in races as we await the adoption of our baby from China. He has memorized the skin color descriptions and has noticed people in our community/church whose skin matches them. This incredible book has become one of our favorites.