Colors of Me

Colors of Me

Intriguing collage illustrations frame this playful rhyme told through the eyes of a curious, creative young child who determines the whole world is full of color. Would I climb a tree striped orange and blue? Does the rain have a color when it makes a puddle? If flowers had no color, would they smell as sweet? The child comes to realize and appreciate a world filled with all colors that paint the earth and sky—and decides she’d like to be them all.

Color of Me

Written by Brynne Barnes
llustrated by Annika M. Nelson

To: The Master Painter and His apprentices—Mom and Dad
From: Your sketch
With love and gratitude.
and
To my dear friend Candid,
and children everywhere.
—Brynne
To my son, Alexander.
—Annika

Illustrator’s Acknowledgment
Thanks to my “contributing artists” Alexander, Camryn, Cody, Pablo, and Mylee.

I’m coloring the world in these pictures that I drew.
What colors should I be?
Which crayons should I choose?

What color am I to the sky?
What color am I in my dreams?
What color am I to the moon?
What color am I to the sea?

Does the rain think I’m a color when it falls on my head?
Do the clouds think I’m a color?
Maybe they think I’m green or blue or red.

Does the grass know it’s green?
Does the sky know it’s blue?

Does the rain have a color?
If it did, would it still make puddles, too?

If flowers had no color, would they smell as sweet?

Does the sun know the sky turned purple before it went to sleep?

If the trunks of trees were blue and orange would they grow so tall?

I think I’d climb them either way—if they were any color at all.