Seven-year-old Lena wants to paint a picture of herself. She looks at her skin—a clear, warm brown—and she calls it "the color of cinnamon."
This is how The Color of Us by Karen Katz begins, and honestly, it’s a stroke of genius. It doesn't start with a lecture on sociology or a heavy-handed history lesson. It starts with a walk. Lena and her mom take a stroll through their neighborhood, and suddenly, the world isn't just "black and white" or even just "brown." It’s a spice rack. It’s a bakery. It’s a garden.
If you’ve ever sat in a preschool classroom, you know the "skin color" conversation is inevitable. Kids are observant. They notice everything. They see that Maya has skin like cocoa and Mr. Pellegrino is the color of pizza crust.
Karen Katz published this book back in 1999. Think about that for a second. That’s over two decades ago. In the world of children’s literature, books often have the shelf life of an open gallon of milk, yet this one remains a staple in public libraries and Montessori classrooms everywhere. Why? Because it’s simple. It’s vibrant. It avoids the clinical "diversity" talk that makes parents feel awkward and instead uses food.
We all love food.
The Genius of Using "Delicious" Language
Most books about race focus on the struggle. They focus on the "problem." While those books are incredibly important for older kids, toddlers and early elementary students are still just figuring out that their hands look different from their friend's hands. The Color of Us by Karen Katz meets them right there, on the sidewalk, with a box of crayons.
Lena’s mother is an artist. She tells Lena that if she mixes red, yellow, black, and white paints, she can make the right shade of brown. This is a subtle but powerful metaphor for the biological reality of melanin, but it’s framed as a creative project.
As they walk, they see:
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- Sonia, who is the color of light peanut butter.
- Isabella, who looks like chocolate.
- Lucy, with skin the color of a peach.
- My-Lin, who is the color of honey.
It’s sensory. It’s tactile. By the time you finish reading, you aren't thinking about "race" as a social construct; you’re thinking about how beautiful a palette of human skin actually is. It makes the reader feel hungry and appreciative at the same time.
Why This Book Specifically Works for Early Childhood Development
Child psychologists often talk about "color blindness" being a flawed approach. If we tell kids "I don't see color," we're essentially telling them to ignore what their eyes are clearly seeing. It creates confusion.
Research from the American Psychological Association and groups like Zero to Three suggests that children begin to notice racial differences as early as six months old. By age three, they are already forming biases based on what they see—or don't see—in their environment.
The Color of Us by Karen Katz tackles this head-on by celebrating the "seeing."
It validates a child’s natural curiosity. When a kid points at someone in the grocery store and says, "Why is their skin so dark?", most parents shush them. We get embarrassed. Katz suggests a different route: "Look at that beautiful shade of coffee!"
The book uses mixed-media collage illustrations that are quintessentially Katz. They’re bright, folk-art inspired, and frankly, very hard to look at without smiling. There’s a warmth to the patterns and the bold outlines that makes the heavy topic of identity feel safe. It’s a "snuggle-up" book, not a "sit-straight-and-listen" book.
Addressing the Critics: Is it Too Simple?
Look, no book is perfect. Some critics argue that The Color of Us by Karen Katz oversimplifies the complexities of race. They’re not entirely wrong. It doesn't touch on systemic issues or the history of discrimination. It doesn't explain why some people have been treated differently because of their "cinnamon" or "honey" skin.
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But is that the job of a picture book for four-year-olds?
Maybe not.
Think of this book as the "Level 1" foundation. You can’t build a house of equity and understanding if the foundation is made of shame or silence. By establishing skin color as something beautiful and varied—like a sunset or a bowl of fruit—Katz prepares children to eventually have the tougher conversations later on.
One thing I've noticed in reading this with kids is how they immediately want to find "their" color in the book. It turns into a game. "I'm ginger!" "I'm toffee!" It gives them a vocabulary that isn't loaded with the baggage of adult politics. It’s just... colors.
The Karen Katz Legacy and the Multi-Sensory Experience
Karen Katz has written over 50 books, many of them "lift-the-flap" books for babies. She understands the toddler brain. She knows they have short attention spans and a love for repetition.
In The Color of Us, she uses a rhythmic structure.
- We see a person.
- We describe the color.
- We see what they are doing (buying ginger, weaving a rug, dancing).
This connects "who they are" with "what they do." It humanizes every character. Jo-Jin isn't just "the chocolate-colored girl"; she’s the girl who's eating a chocolate cupcake. It’s relatable. It’s charming.
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Real-World Application for Parents and Educators
If you’re a teacher or a parent, just reading the book isn’t the end. It’s the starting line.
I’ve seen educators take a "flesh-tone" crayon pack—which, thankfully, companies like Crayola now produce in 24+ shades—and have kids try to match their skin to a specific food. It’s a riot. You’ll have kids arguing over whether they are more "pancake" or "creme brulee."
This activity does something vital: it removes the hierarchy. If everyone is a different, delicious food, no one color is the "default." In a world where "flesh" used to be a single pinkish-tan crayon, this is a massive shift in perspective.
Key Takeaways for Your Home Library
It's easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer volume of "diverse" children's books hitting the market now. Since the social justice movements of 2020, every publisher has rushed to release titles about identity. Some are great. Some are... preachy.
What makes The Color of Us by Karen Katz stay at the top of the list is its lack of pretension. It’s a story about a girl and her mom. It’s a story about observation.
When you add this to your collection, you’re getting:
- A non-threatening entry point for discussing race.
- Artistic inspiration (get the paints out afterward, seriously).
- A celebration of neighborhood and community.
- A tool for building self-esteem in children of color.
- A tool for building empathy in white children.
Actionable Next Steps for Readers
If you want to make the most of this book, don't just read it once and shove it back on the shelf. Use it as a framework for how you move through the world with your child.
- The Grocery Store Game: Next time you’re in the produce aisle, look at the onions, the potatoes, and the beans. Talk about the different shades of brown and tan. It sounds silly, but it reinforces the idea that variety is natural and good.
- The Mixing Project: Get some tempera paint. Start with a base of brown or white and let your child experiment with adding tiny bits of yellow, red, or blue. It’s a literal, visual lesson in how we are all made of the same "stuff," just in different proportions.
- Audit Your Bookshelf: Look at the other books you have. Do they all feature characters that look the same? The Color of Us is a great "bridge" book that encourages you to seek out stories where characters of all colors are just living their lives—not just stories where the plot is about their race.
- Visit an Art Museum: Lena’s mom is an artist. Take that cue. Go look at portraits from different eras and cultures. Ask your child what "flavors" of skin they see in the paintings.
At the end of the day, The Color of Us by Karen Katz reminds us that we are a "tasty-smelling" and "beautiful" world. It’s a message that hasn't aged a day since 1999. In a society that often feels polarized, starting with the simple, joyful observation of a seven-year-old girl is probably the best way to move forward.
Grab a copy, find a comfortable chair, and get ready to talk about cinnamon, chocolate, and honey. You won't regret it.