Brown The Many Shades of Love

From author Nancy Johnson James and illustrator Constance Moore, Brown: The Many Shades of Love is a picture book celebrating all the beautiful browns in one child’s colorful family.

Mama’s brown is chocolate, clear, dark, and sweet. Daddy’s brown is autumn leaf, or like a field of wheat. Granny’s brown is like honey, and Papa’s like caramel. In this loving and lovely ode to the color brown, a boy describes the many beautiful hues of his family, including his own—gingerbread.

“A timely book to combat stereotypes and encourage the celebration of skin colors of Black and brown people.” —Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)

“This book provides a view of skin tone that celebrates a multitude of hues while serving as a subtle, effective refutation of the idea that being family means looking the same.” —Publishers Weekly

Nancy Johnson James is a writer and educator based in Oakland, California. She has an MFA in creative writing from St. Mary’s College of California. Her poetry has appeared in several print and online publications. Her desire is to create children’s literature that is inspiring and liberating. Constance Moore is an artist and educator based in Oakland, California. She has an MFA in interdisciplinary art from Goddard College. She loves teaching elementary school art. She shares her students’ love of color and hopes to transmit their spirit and freshness into her work.