There are cultural figures gifted with the ability to transmogrify how we communicate with one another, verbally and otherwise, and react to life. They lead us to ultimately ponder humanity and our place in it. Once we are aware of our power, particularly the way it is wielded, we are better to ourselves, for each other. Alice Walker, most famous for her 1982 book “The Color Purple,” has dedicated her career to calling for people to see themselves for who they truly are and in her latest book, “Sweet People Are Everywhere,” she gently urges the youth to identify their own inner goodness and connect with the same in others.
Alice Walker.
The illustrations for the book were done by Barcelona-based author and illustrator Quim Torres. They used Crayola’s Colors of the World Crayons, a multicultural set of art supplies allowing users to depict themselves with accuracy and care. The Colors of World subset is also available in markers and colored pencils.
Quim Torres.
Read more about Crayola’s Colors of the World Crayons here.
“I am delighted to share my new children’s book, ‘Sweet People Are Everywhere,'” Walker said in a press release. “The words are from a poem I wrote that celebrates good people, sweet people, who are found all over the world. In the poem I am writing about the unity of the Earth’s people and our similarities—we are all connected to the same sustaining life force, which is nature…I am also happy to share that through a partnership with Crayola, Kids In Need Foundation and Tra Publishing, a total of 5,000 ‘Sweet People Are Everywhere’ books and over 11,000 Crayola Colors of the World crayon packs will be donated to children in need around the country.”
On October 12, the book’s launch date, Walker sat down on Crayola’s Facebook for a live reading of “Sweet People are Everywhere.”
Walker is also the author of “In Search of Our Mother’s Gardens: Womanist Prose,” “Possessing the Secret of Joy,” “By the Light of My Father’s Smile” and several other works.
“When Crayola launched Colors of the World, we wanted to give children the chance to color themselves and the world they see around them through their own eyes,” said Mimi Dixon, Director Brand Activation and Content at Crayola, in the press release. “We were thrilled to learn that Colors of the World would be used to illustrate “Sweet People are Everywhere,” to help contribute to the book’s message about a common thread between us all, in the best way Crayola can, through color. We are excited to further the message of inclusion and representation and give back to underserved school districts with Kids In Need Foundation.”
Preorder “Sweet People Are Everywhere” ($18.99) here and watch renowned writer Alice Walker read “Sweet People Are Everywhere” on Crayola’s Facebook Live here.
Photo credit: Crayola