Book Review: Colour and Me

COLOUR and ME! by Michaela Dias-Hayes

This paperback book presents a joyful and fun story that uses the mixing of paints to celebrate the colour of brown skin and highlight its beauty.

Through gentle rhyming text and clear, attractive illustrations, children are introduced to the colour wheel and an explanation of how different primary colours can be mixed to make all the colours in the rainbow spectrum. It is creatively written, yet simple to follow, making it suitable for young children of pre-school age and above.

Despite being a lover of books, my three year old son was initially indifferent about exploring and having this one read to him. However, once opened, its appeal soon became evident and he particularly enjoyed looking at all the beautiful illustrations, discussing the many colours and looking out for Myrtle the turtle who makes a frequent appearance!

Whilst the overall aim of the author was to produce a book that ‘celebrates brown skin’ it was also to acknowledge beauty, no matter what our ‘mixture’ looks like. Yet, children of other colours do not make an appearance until the final two pages of the book.

Overall, it is a delightful and educational book that encourages interactive play, the exploration of colours and associated discussion.