New children’s book highlights positive images of girls of color

When Deanna Singh launched her first book, “I am a Boy of Color,” last December, people asked her again and again when she would follow up with “I am a Girl of Color.”

At the time, she wasn’t even thinking about her next book, but she met artist Rozalia Hernandez-Singh at her book launch party and a seed was planted.

“Rozalia gave me her card and … I loved the image (of her children) that she had drawn on the back,” said Singh, who is not related to Hernandez-Singh.

As Singh studied the image and then researched Hernandez-Singh’s work, she realized she had found the ideal artist for “I am a Girl of Color.” Like the first book, this volume presents affirming words and images of black and brown children, this time focusing on girls, and increases the number of books in which those children can find themselves. The official release of “I am a Girl of Color” will take place at a book launch party on Oct. 24.

Dedicated “to all of the girls who do not wait for permission to claim their power,” the book uses the same cadence as Singh’s first book. It begins with a series of statements patterned this way: ‘When I look into the mirror I see BOLDNESS. I do not let my fears hold me back from my dreams.” Spanning two-pages, this statement is accompanied by a vibrant image of a Native American girl riding a horse.

The sentence is repeated using different highlighted words that evoke positive, powerful attributes — UNIQUENESS, BRILLIANCE, ARTISTRY. Each page presents an image of a different girl of color, representing a wide range of ethnicities and appearances. This section ends with “What do you see when you look at me? Please, see ME.”

The second part of the book contains a series of “I am” statements. “I am Courageous. I am Vivacious. I am Powerful.” Each is accompanied by an image of a girl of color expressing that trait.

Singh noted that it is important for children and adults to internalize these affirmations, and “sometimes we don’t give enough voice to that and we don’t teach that.” The words of the book are “like an inner dialogue that we would hope our children would have about themselves,” she added.

The book concludes with a page where a girl can draw a picture of herself.

Singh’s sons, ages 9 and 5, are African-American, Indian Sikh and Caucasian. Hernandez-Singh, the daughter of…

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