Black Is a Rainbow Color
by Angela Joy (Author) Ekua Holmes (Illustrator)
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.
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Review quotes
"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 AwarenessAngela Joy was born and raised in North Minneapolis, MN, half a block from the little pink house that Prince called home. She found inspiration, training, and opportunity within his tight-knit community of artistic colleagues, priming her for a successful career in music. In 1999 she performed live with Prince at Madison Square Garden. Angela now uses lessons learned in music to write lyrical poetry, including the award-winning books Black is a Rainbow Color and Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement.
Jacqueline Alcántara is the award-winning illustrator of The Field and its companion Climb On!, both written by Baptiste Paul, Freedom Soup, written by New York Times bestselling author Tami Charles, Jump at the Sun, written by Newbery Honoree Alicia D. Williams, and Your Mama, written by NoNieqa Ramos, which was a finalist for the Kirkus Prize. Her works have received multiple starred reviews and been named Best Books of the Year by Kirkus, School Library Journal, Shelf Awareness and The Horn Book, among others. She draws and teaches illustration in Chicago, IL.JUV039220 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Values & Virtues
African Americans
Stories in rhyme
