I Color Myself Different

by Colin Kaepernick, Eric Wilkerson (Illustrator)

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

An inspiring story of identity and self-esteem from celebrated athlete and activist Colin Kaepernick.



When Colin Kaepernick was five years old, he was given a simple school draw a picture of yourself and your family. What young Colin does next with his brown crayon changes his whole world and worldview, providing a valuable lesson on embracing and celebrating his Black identity through the power of radical self-love and knowing your inherent worth.



I Color Myself Different is a joyful ode to Black and Brown lives based on real events in young Colin's life that is perfect for every reader's bookshelf. It's a story of self-discovery, staying true to one's self, and advocating for change... even when you're very little!

Genres: Picture Books, Adoption, Childrens, Family, Biography, African American, Nonfiction

40 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 5, 2022

Reviews

[lily (powpowpup) · Rating 5 out of 5]

the cutest little story about loving your differences, adoption and family. about seeing the beauty in being different 🤍✨

[Panda Incognito · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have extremely low expectations for celebrity-written picture books about social issues, but this was actually lovely. This book has a strong story arc based on true events, the text engages the reader with realistic, age-appropriate dialogue and reflection, and the illustrations are beautiful. I appreciate the positive portrayal of a trans-racial adoptive family and expression of confidence in one's racial identity.

[Gary Anderson]

Super Bowl quarterback Colin Kaepernick relates a story that helped him understand the power of being different. When Colin’s teacher asks students to draw pictures of their families, Colin’s drawing shows him as the only brown-skinned member of his adoptive white family. This raises questions from his classmates that at first make Colin feel badly, and then motivate him to embrace his uniqueness. I Color Myself Different is a kid-friendly picture book celebrating courage, individuality, and standing up for one’s convictions, all traits that have carried through into Kaepernick’s adult life and athletic career. Eric Wilkerson’s realistic illustrations show mostly positive emotions through depictions of facial expressions, but a couple of the page spreads include more somber emotions. Wilkerson’s two-page gallery of the Black people “who inspire, create, lead, and change the world” is especially dramatic. I Color Myself Different is a nonfiction picture book for readers of elementary-school age and older, and it will work perfectly as a read-aloud. Back matter includes a motivational letter from Kaepernick and a page of background information on the individuals shown in Kaepernick and Wilkerson’s role model gallery. Thanks to Scholastic and Little Free Library for providing a copy to review.

[Erin O'Riordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful story, gorgeous illustrations, appropriate for everyone from about age 5 up. Ideal for multiracial families, families with adopted children, and diverse classrooms.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't know Colin's backstory when I pre-ordered this book last fall. I just knew that if he wrote a book, I wanted to read it.
It brought tears to my eyes as I am an adoptive mother and his reaction to being different is so joyful.
I hope this book is widely available everywhere to kids.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not expect to like this as much as I did! He’s a football player, which I have zero interest in. Obviously I heard about his lonely refusal to respect the flag of the country that hasn’t shown him much respect. So I thought I’d try this book to see what makes him tick. He describes an incident where the teacher asked the kids to draw their family. So he did. The questions came fast and were challenging! How could his family be White when he was Brown? He remembered when he had asked his mom that same question and how she answered and gave the kids that answer: he completed their family because they chose him. He was brown, different, and magnificent! The teacher jumped on the line and used it to positively end the session leaving the whole class feeling positive. So I’m really impressed with this book! He snuck in a double page of Black leaders he admired such as the Olympic winners who raised their hands in a Black Power gesture at the Olympics in Mexico and others like Toni Morrison. Highly recommended!

[Brave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every year, I highlight a kids book that I count toward my overall yearly reading challenge. I pre-ordered this book, since I'm a white mom with Black kids who also happen to be adopted. When we were talking adoption with the kids, my teen actually discovered that Colin Kaepernick was adopted, too. So when I saw this coming out, the premise behind it, and the lines "I color myself different. I'm me and I'm magnificent!" I knew this had to be a book for my kids to have (bigs and littles alike). It's honestly a book that makes me cry, but most children's lit does that for me. My first grader's teacher said he was quoting that book recently when they drew family pictures this month. I bought her a copy for her classroom. Just always out here trying to make sure my kids feel proud to be Black, however I can.

[Amanda Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the top seller at my book fair this last week surpassing the new release of Diary of a Wimpy Kid. I read it to my youngest students and it coincides with this month's character trait of COURAGE. I love how it defines adoption and features diverse families. It's a great introduction to who Colin Kaepernick is and children can explore how he had the courage to kneel and how he sparked a controversy that changed his career. You can read it without going into those details, if that's a debate you want to avoid. If you read to children of color, this book is inspiring and fosters positive identity in children who often see their culture portrayed as slaves, or underprivileged.

[Tia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The illustrations are stunning. I was smiling during the entire read.

Thank you to Scholastic for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story is wonderful no doubt, however the illustrations are gorgeous, especially the pages of African Americans that Colin Kaepernick admires!

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kaepernick offers a powerful message about being proud of who you are. He shares a childhood memory of the first time he shared a drawing of his family and had to answer why he colored himself with a different color crayon. Empowering story to share and affirm that we are each unique and magnificent.

[Mike Ross · Rating 2 out of 5]

A disappointing picture book about racism, in which Kaepernick celebrates his uniqueness within his family and among his schoolmates, while pasting rainbow & unicorn wallpaper over the topic of transracial adoption. Kaepernick, as an OwnVoices author is absolutely entitled to his opinion about his own life, and to tell his story, but the world does not need to hear again the falsehood that "love is enough", and I don't need to like his book, however much I admire his public stance against racism, because rainbows & unicorns are not enough for many victims of transracial adoption.

[Casle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this. Cried, bought it for my grandson and his parents immediately. It's so perfect. Colin even more of a hero for our family now!

[Darlene Dejohnette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I'd had a book like this when I was a kid. I knew I was different but didn't understand or know how to explain it. Thanks Colin ❤️❤️❤️

[Carly Shark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Color Myself Different made its debut earlier this spring and was featured at my school’s Scholastic Book Fair, recommended by Social Justice Books, and positively reviewed on the Kirkus website. Colin Kaepernick, an NFL quarterback and civil rights activist, created this picture book to share a personal experience he had when he was in kindergarten. In the story, five-year-old Colin introduces himself to the reader, explaining “I don’t know too many kids who look like me, which makes me supercool. ‘Cause I’m different, you know?” One day Colin’s teacher instructs the students to draw a picture of what their family looks like, so the young boy confidently draws and colors his family and chooses brown for his own skin color. While he is sharing his portrait with the class, he is interrupted with the question, “Why are you the only brown one in your family?!” At first, Colin freezes. Then a four-page long flashback shows the reader having a conversation with his blond-haired White mom who explained how their family decided to adopt him when he was a baby. Next, the protagonist envisions nine historical figures who also have brown eyes, nose, and hands like him, including author Toni Morrison, heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali, and civil rights activist Malcom X. This gives him the confidence to respond, “I’m brown. I color myself different! I’m me and I’m magnificent!” I Color Myself Different ends with a very proud Colin being supported by his teacher and classmates.

Although this New York Times Bestseller is a picture book biography, in which “the illustrations and text join together in portraying a person’s life” as stated in Children’s Books in Children’s Hands, it offers the feel of a memoir too because “[it] focuses on one particular event or time period in the person’s life and reflects on the meaning of that event for the author.” Kaepernick wrote the text in “first person” so his young male character talks to the reader like they are a friend using simple language. Additionally, students will find the protagonist relatable because of his interests (reading and having fun with his friends) and more importantly, the strong love he has for his family and himself. As for the illustrations, I was curious about the design of the endpapers since they are covered in child-like artwork very different from Eric Wilkerson’s Adobe Photoshop illustrations. I learned more about the collaboration between the author and illustrator by reading an interview they did with NPR. It turns out the duo had the children of family and friends draw pictures so Kaepernick’s nieces drew the hearts, unicorns, suns, and smiling people while Wilkerson’s daughter drew one of the family portraits shown in the story. I thought that was so special! In the interview, the illustrator refers to the last page in the book where Colin’s character is exuding confidence with a big smile, chin up, chest out, and standing tall as the “low-angle hero pose.” Kids who look like Colin and/or are adopted can have a such a positive “mirror” experience and feel the same sense of confidence after hearing this story.

While I was reading I Color Myself Different I instantly connected it to a lesson that I taught in my kindergarten classroom. Just like Colin’s teacher, Mrs. Musa, I had been reading books about different types of families and asked my students to draw theirs. This book would be the perfect read aloud to share before having students draw their family portraits for several reasons. It shares how families are made up differently (Colin’s friends talk about who they will be drawing), the importance of representing your family members accurately (Colin chose brown for his skin color), and Colin’s mom reassuring message: “Even though we don’t share the same skin color, we share the same love. And that’s what matters most.” Furthermore, in his author’s note Kaepernick writes, “I want to empower and encourage young people to love themselves, know their inherent worth, realize their strength, and use their power to change their communities…and ultimately the world.” Naturally, this picture book biography could be used for an SEL lesson where they draw and/or write about what makes them different, but I would also suggest teachers touch upon those historical figures too. The author explains how the leaders found in the story “became champions of freedom because they dared to be different and courageous.” This creates a great opportunity for students to learn more about these people and how they helped shape Black history.

[Claire Healy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered the nonfiction autobiography I Color Myself Different by Colin Kaepernick on the National Council for the Social Studies website, where it was recognized as a 2023 Carter G. Woodson Book Award honoree. I would recommend this book for students in kindergarten through third grade. I read this picture book digitally and found it to be both inspiring and accessible for young readers. The story explores important themes such as courage, self-identity and acceptance, belonging, diversity, inclusion, and empowerment.

In the book, Colin Kaepernick recalls an important moment from his grade school years when he was asked to draw a picture of his family. Colin was excited to draw his family and portrayed himself as different from his white parents and siblings. When his classmates saw his drawing, they began asking questions like, “Why are you the only brown one in your family?” Although the questions initially felt overwhelming, Colin remembered a conversation with his mother. She explained that being adopted made him special, and the most important thing was the love they shared.
This conversation gave Colin the strength to embrace his identity and skin color. He also reflected on historical figures who inspired him, such as Malcolm X, Tommie Smith, and Toni Morrison, beautifully depicted in the book’s illustrations. Colin responded to his classmates with confidence, saying, “I’m brown. I color myself differently. I’m me, and I’m magnificent.”

This book is a must read for kindergarten through third grade classrooms. It is both sweet and powerful, highlighting an important message about embracing who you are and finding beauty in differences. It also emphasizes that no two families look alike and the most important part is the love they share.

[Liam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Colin Kaepernick wrote this charming story about what it is like to feel different. Illustrated by Eric Wilkerson “I Color Myself Different” won Carter G. Woodson Book Award in 2023 from the National Council of the Social Studies. I am familiar with Kaepernick as an outspoken athlete in the NFL, so I was curious to see what his children’s book would be about. This book is aimed at 2nd-3rd graders. The setting is a classroom where the reader sees a young Kaepernick preparing for a coloring assignment to draw his family. Colin is proud of his family and proud of who he is as a person. At first this story is a glimpse into the life of a child who is the only black student in his class, but quickly turns when it is revealed that Kaepernick is adopted and both of his parents are white. Kaepernick offers a unique look into how children feel about their skin and hair and also instills a positive message about accepting who you are. Kaepernick is proud of his family and does not hesitate to defend them and himself when his classmates start asking him about his drawing. It is not cliched at all and feels very personal to Kaepernick, like this class project and resulting feelings happened to him growing up. The lens of adoption and race is an interesting mix that Kaepernick artfully employs in an easy to distill manner that children will understand.

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

This 2022 children’s book is based on a true story from Colin Kaepernick’s life when he was 5 years old.

Their teacher asked the class to draw a picture of their families. Kaepernick did so (he was born to a white mother and a black father, and soon was adopted by a white couple with two other biological children).

When he showed his drawing to the class, the other students asked, “Why are you the only brown one in your family?” and "why did you color yourself different?”

He remembers an earlier conversation with his adoptive mother, who lovingly explained that he was adopted, and that “you made our family whole.”

He tells the class, “I’m brown, I color myself different! I’m me, and I’m magnificent!”

The class and teacher respond enthusiastically and affirmatively. He concludes, “I love my brown skin and I love my family. I love being different.”

He includes at the end of the book an actual drawing of his family he did as a child, along with a photograph of himself at about this time, explaining, “The story you just read it true. The moment I chose to color myself with a brown crayon was a defining moment in my life. I knew that I was different from my family, and I loved myself because of it.”

This book could be helpful to children of various ethnicities, and well as those wanting to learn about adoption. (The ‘Recommended reading age’ on Amazon is 4-7.)

[BiShena Nickerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Color Myself Different is a beautiful story from the eyes of an individual who has experienced trying to understand who they are and why they look the way they do. The author captures the heart of many when opening this book to the realistic drawing of himself as kid, along with his many classmates. He reflects on a time when he was 5 years old. His teacher had given him an assignment to draw and color a portrait of his family and then present it to the class. His story goes into detail about how he took his time picking the colors he needed for his portrait because his family was different and unique, and he did not want to mess it up. He needed it to be perfect. Once the other kid saw Colin’s portrait, they did not understand why he was the only brown person in his family until he explained that he was adopted, and that his other family members were white. This power story helps to bridge the gap in understanding that there are multi-racial families and that it is ok to be a part of diverse family. This story also helps to promote self-confidence and self-improvement because Colin made sure everyone knew that he was proud and accepts who his is.

[Stephanie Bange · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed from an ARC from Scholastic.

Based on Kaepernick's experience in school, this will be useful for any family who adopts a child from another race.

When his teacher gives the students an assignment to draw their families, Colin's classmates ask him why he is the only brown person in his family. When he gets home, his mother listens as he tells her what happened. She consoles him by telling him that some babies join their families before they are born and some are added after they are born. He was adopted after he was born, which made his family complete at that time. The next day he goes back to school and proudly proclaims this to his classmates.

Eric Wilkerson used Adobe Photoshop to create the stunning artwork. There is a luminous quality to Colin's face in each illustration. There is a dreamy quality to the artwork, which works well with this as a memoir.

This would be excellent for parents, therapists, and counselors to have on hand to use as bibliotherapy for mixed race families to start conversations.

Recommended for PreSchool - grade 3.

[Kendi Freelain]

Colin Kaepernick “I Color Myself Different” is a powerful children’s book about the reality that many adopted children face. Colin Kaepernick, a black man, was adopted by two white parents. As illustrated, young Colin is proud of his curly hair and tan skin because it makes him special. One day at school, when the class was instructed to color their families, children noticed that Colin’s family looked a little different. While Colin’s parents were light, Colin was the only one in the drawing who was brown. The children’s inquiries did not offend Colin because he was proud of his skin and proud of where he came from. Not only does this story gently introduce children to the concept of adoption, but it also helps readers who feel out of place to appreciate the qualities that make them stand out. As a fair skinned Black girl with a brown skinned mother, I have always struggled to feel like I belong. However, I know that while I cannot change my past, I can help my future students to see themselves through books and know they belong.

[BiblioBickie]

Love the Black boy joy and the pride young Colin displays in his Black identity. Also love the spread about brown activist figures who "inspire, create, lead, and change the world," which includes Huey Newton, Angela Davis, Toni Morrison, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, Muhammad Ali, Audre Lorde, Malcolm X, Tommie Smith, and John Carlos. End notes include brief (1-2 sentence) descriptions of the people featured and why they were included.

While it is an authentic experience described by an adoptee himself, I am a little uneasy about the explanation Colin's mom gives him about adoption: "...some children join families when they are born, and others join families after they are born. When you were a baby, Colin, we decided to adopt you, and you made our family whole...adopted means special...being adopted is an extra-special way to join a family. Even though we don't share the same skin color, we share the same love. And that's what matters most."

[Cameron Cochran · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very touching story of a boy named Colin drawing and coloring his family. Colin is a brown child adopted into a white family and after presenting his drawing to the class he wonders why is he the only brown member in his family. After talking to his mother the mother tells him that he is special and beautifully different. When Colin heard that from his mom he confidently told his class that “I’m brown. I color myself different! I’m me, and I’m magnificent!”. The illustrations in the story are done in colored pencil and have extraordinary detail. The page with all the historical figures is done in such great detail and makes them more inspiring to look at. I love the backgrounds and how they pop with color. The writing is simple and straightforward with the format of the ending quote spaced out to show it’s importance. Overall this is an amazing book that teaches kids to be proud of who they are and their family no matter how different they are.

[Darlena Glenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the book with a class of 4th graders today and I wasn't expecting that none of the students knew who Colin Kaepernick was. Nonetheless as I read and shared the pictures with them, they reacted exactly like the characters in the book when they saw Colin's picture of his family. One student said immediately, "He's adopted." The best thing l like about books like this is a conversation opener and this one is affirmatively told from Colin's view that adoption is not a thing to be ashamed of. I said to the students that one should never feel bad about their skin color because that is something you are born with that you have no choice over. Of course, one of the super smart 4th graders said, "You can bleach your skin." But we know that is not natural and you are not born with bleached skin. Overall, I enjoyed sharing this book with learners and I will use the poster I received to utilize the 4 coloring sheets at a future time.

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is so interesting to see the influences that distort or enhance our feelings about ourselves. Our families help us realize how unique and wonderful we all are. People outside our family though can create doubts that reach far down into our identity. I really appreciated the message in this book that differences are amazing and we should celebrate differences and the fact that we are all unique. But this leads to the other message, that it takes courage to love those differences and not be swayed by other people's lack of understanding or inability to recognize the importance of differences. It does take courage no matter what the difference is and this book is a wonderful way to discuss with all students how amazing those differences can be and to be so proud of them.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Colin is presenting his picture of "family" other kids start asking him questions about why he isn't the same skin color as the rest of his family. The questions made him feel bad. He remembered talking to his mom about being adopted, and how she told him "adopted means special". He knew just how to answer the classes questions!

A sweet, sweet story, I loved his mother's answers, and also the teacher's response. The illustrations are realistic, and just make me happy. AJ's favorite thing about "I Color Myself Different" is the illustrations. She loved Colin's happy face, and even found a classmate that looked like her! A good book to help a child understand adoption. Colin is black.

crossposted to http://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com

[Kathleen Vincent]

In the book I Color Myself Different, author Colin Kaepernick recounts a pivotal event in his life where he was asked to draw a picture of his family in school and it was the first time people pointed out that he was a different color than the rest of his family. Their curiosity was honest and genuine but it made him feel bad. In that moment, he thought back to when he had asked his mom that same question and she explained that "some children join families when they are born, and others join families after they are born." This memory gave Colin the confidence to stand tall in that moment and say, "I am me! I color myself different!"

This was a heartwarming way to explain adoption and how families are formed, whether biologically or by choice.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous, realistic illustrations accompany an anecdote from Kaepernick's childhood. When his class is asked to draw their families, Colin is asked why he's a different color from the rest of his family. Taking on race, adoption, and being different head on, the text shows an aspirational outcome. Colin has asked this question before and his adopted mom has positive affirmations that his addition made their family whole. When he confidently tells the class that he's proud of who he is, his classmates respond in kind. With an author's note at the end.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

When his class is asked to draw pictures of their families, Colin Kaepernick draws his family as it is, where he's the only Black person. One of his classmates asks why, he proudly answers that he's brown, different, and magnificent. A celebration of Black lives and self-love. In the same vein as Chocolate Me!, Eyes That Kiss in the Corners, Magnificent Homespun Brown, and Antiracist Baby. The illustrations remind me of Frank Morrison. I normally don't like books by celebrities, but this one is great!

[AMY · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book for reading about what skin color can mean to children. It explores the ideas of a brown child who is not only adopted into a white family but also feels different when the subject comes up at school. The main character shows courage and insight as he explores what it means to be himself. He is proud and expresses his feelings about the situation. I think it is a good book for kids to read, not only to understand themselves but also for helping others to be more inclusive and less judgemental. Highly recommended for Grades K-5.