Valerie Bolling, an esteemed author and educator, co-authored the impactful children’s book I See Color with Kailei Pew. The book is designed to celebrate diversity and encourage readers to acknowledge and appreciate the beauty in all skin tones. We had the opportunity to ask Valerie some insightful questions about her work and the messages she hopes to convey through this important book.

Q1: What inspired you to write I See Color, and what message do you hope readers take away from it?

Valerie Bolling: “Kailei and I wanted to create a story that not only celebrates the beauty of diversity but also invites readers to see each other completely. As a Black person, I especially wanted to show what’s problematic about the phrase, ‘I don’t see color.’ We should see color. And, in fact, people do see color. They just think it’s somehow better to say that they don’t. But saying you don’t see the color of someone’s skin, or race, means that you are not seeing someone completely and also not acknowledging that racism exists.

We hope that people will take away messages from the book that it’s OK to notice differences; differences are beautiful; and we can still find commonality among our differences. We should also be anti-racist and stand up to make changes that will result in a more equitable world.”

Q2: How do you believe I See Color can be used as a resource in classrooms to promote diversity and inclusion?

Valerie Bolling: “I think this book should be in every classroom. Of course, I’m biased, but what’s so wonderful about I See Color is that it offers the opportunity to learn more about people you may have heard of and also about those you may not have known about before reading the book. I See Color has a place in elementary, middle school, and high school classrooms. It can be shared in an elementary school to begin discussions about diversity and inclusion and standing up for what’s right, letting younger children know that their voices matter. This book is also perfect to continue those discussions with older children at the secondary level. I have friends who teach sixth grade, and they’ve purchased this book for their social issues unit. My husband, who is a high school history teacher, has read and discussed the book in his American History class because this book is the history of America.”

Q3: What advice would you give to other authors who want to write books that celebrate diversity and promote social change?

Valerie Bolling: “If you’re interested in writing a book, the first thing you need to do is to read a lot of books in the genre you want to write to get a feel for how a book should be written. I also recommend taking classes and joining writing organizations. In terms of writing, specifically, about celebrating diversity and promoting social change, if your book is nonfiction, you need to do careful and thorough research. Whatever you do, make sure that what you write leaves space for the reader to engage. You don’t want to write a book in such a way that it’s didactic or boring. You do want the reader to learn, but you want your words to be enjoyable and thought-provoking.”