Hues and Harmony: How the Rainbow Butterfly Got Her Colors
by Marissa Bañez
Thinking she doesn’t belong in a brightly colored world, a gray caterpillar goes on a mind-opening journey that gives her life meaning.
On her way to see her parents, she passes through various places: The Land of Yellow and Blue, The Land of Red and Yellow, and The Land of Red and Blue. At each place, she finds that although the people all look different, they still live in peace because they respect each other. When she reaches The Land of Black and White where her parents live, she finally comes to understand that she belongs in her color-filled world just as much as everyone else.
The gray caterpillar then becomes a beautiful rainbow-colored butterfly, destined to spread the word about self-acceptance, empowerment, belonging, and love: “Are you green, orange, purple, or gray? Don’t be sad; you’re okay.”
Entertaining while also teaching, Hues and Harmony uses lyrical text and beautiful images to re-imagine the world and its different peoples as it simultaneously highlights commonalities in a fun and relatable way. It is a must read for anyone who has ever felt like they don’t belong, for those who want to help them, and for those who don’t understand how “outsiders” feel.
5 out of 5 fairies
A beautiful story, and I don’t just mean the illustrations. This book celebrates differences between us and diversity, and shows how it takes all colors (and people) to make a beautiful rainbow, and world. The illustrations are wonderful, and fit the story perfectly. I especially loved the little songs caterpillar made up during her journey. This is a book that should be in every elementary school classroom and on every library shelf, as it does such an amazing job of teaching diversity and the importance of being inclusive, no matter the colors you are. Cannot recommend this enough!
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Target | Walmart
Joseph Beth | Alibris | Ink Spell Books | Goodreads
A first-generation immigrant from the Philippines, Marissa Bañez is a Princeton University graduate and a lawyer licensed in New York, California, and New Jersey. She is working on her next book, Hues and Harmony (How the Singing Butterfly Got Her Colors), which deals with mixed race children. As Marissa enters her 65th year in life, she calls herself the “Glam-ma Moses of Children’s Illustrated Books.” She lives in New York City.
Website | Facebook | LinkedIn | Amazon | Goodreads
Interview with Marissa
Hope and Fortune
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