Courtesy of Groundwood Books
The Last Two Crayons: Leah Freeman-Haskin, Author | Shantala Robinson, Illustrator
Brown is a Beautiful Color was a picture book given to me by my mother when I was six years old. Up until that point, that was a phrase I had never heard. More frequently, I heard brown demoted to an “ugly” or “dirty” color. Never a beautiful one. I remember flipping through that book and seeing myself and my family in all the various shades of brown that were illustrated on those pages.
Nearly three decades later, I published a picture book embracing that same sentiment. The Last Two Crayons is a similar celebration of the color brown, set in an art class where color is often the focal point. As a child, I vividly remember hearing other children say negative things about the color brown. These comments were not said in a racist or aggressive manner, but they still held weight and impacted my self-esteem. Similar to my own experience, through the encouragement of friends and a loving memory with her mom, the main character, Sienna, moves from a place of insecurity to confidence in her beautiful brown skin.
As I set out to write my book, I asked myself a few questions: What is the long-term impact on a Brown-skinned child when hearing people speak negatively about the color brown? How can I bring more awareness to this issue? How can I help to change the narrative? These are also some of the questions I hope parents and educators take away from The Last Two Crayons.
If you are looking for ways to start these conversations with children, here are a few points to consider that are inspired by Sienna’s story:
Words are powerful. Despite the old cliché, words can hurt. Sometimes teasing can strike a deeper trauma, even if that is not the intention. It’s not about censoring what children say but having conversations with them to help guide them in understanding the power of their words.
Empathy is a great place to start. Empathy is a superpower and teaching children early to listen and try to understand someone’s pain is an invaluable lifelong lesson. There are some great books for children on building empathy if you need support.
Brown is a beautiful color. Brown is a color that is all around us – in nature and in our homes. After reading The Last Two Crayons, I often encourage children to draw some of their favorite brown things using a variety of brown crayons. It’s a fun project that helps to shift the narrative in how we see and talk about the color brown.
My experience as a child is a great example of the importance of representation. It was rare to see children who looked like me at the center of literature and media, but today there are many more options. I hope my story and many others help to facilitate conversations around race, self-esteem, and the color brown. And most importantly, I hope it helps other children to feel proud and more confident in their own skin.
Leah Freeman Haskin is a debut children’s book author and content creator who lives in Memphis, with her husband and two sons. For more information, visit The Last Two Crayons.