The children’s book Curious Colors (Uptown Press) offers a rainbow of delights, not the least of which is the art and design: the fact that Shanelle Harrison is an award-winning visual artist shines through clearly. She’s also a lauded educator, another accolade that bolsters her book with clarity and depth. Naturally, she can now add “author” to her already impressive accomplishments (We suspect she’s good with kids, too).
This loveable little workbook showcases the full spectrum of colors from red to violet while going deeper into the theory and science behind the basics. Kids will come away with a better understanding of color than they receive from other simpler sources, but they’ll have no less fun in the process. We asked the author some questions to accompany her creation and she was happy to provide some sweet and insightful replies. Read our review of her vibrant children’s book here.
Q: Why did you write this book?
A: I wrote the Curious Colors book to merge my passions for art and children. I wanted to create something educational that could reach children around the world and inspire them to create.
Q: I’m sure it will! What learning skills do you hope children will gain from this book?
A: I hope children will learn how to identify colors and shapes through the continued use of my book. I hope my book develops children’s language structure through writing and dialogue with their families.
Q: Are children naturally curious? Or do they sometimes need a push?
A: I believe children are naturally curious because the world around them is a new place for them to explore. Some children may need a push to try new things, however, and I think as the guide (adults) we should sometimes step back and let their curiosity lead us. Allowing children to explore gives them access to bigger and better ideas that we must nurture.
Q: You preach learning by doing. Why is this so important and why do you think more books don’t take this approach?
A: This style of learning assists with their decision-making skills. They begin to understand how to solve problems and the many solutions they can take to solve these problems. It’s easy for a child to repeat the answers we give them, but I wanted to create worksheets that allow children to answer based on what they have learned in the book. I feel like there are different reasons why other books don’t take this approach; it could be because they don’t find it to be as important, or because they don’t believe children learn other ways.
Q: What did you enjoy most about putting this book together?
A: I enjoyed tapping into my inner child to create the various finger-painted illustrations for the Curious Colors book. This book is special to me because I created everything through my art and graphic design backgrounds. I enjoyed making the logo, worksheets, illustrations and the layout for my book. It feels amazing to bring this project to life!
Q: What is the one message you hope to convey from this book?
A: I want the Curious Colors book to bring awareness to the importance of art education for early and continued learners. I want children to believe in their ability to create beautiful things and discover new ideas.
You can purchase Curious Colors here.
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About Shanelle Harrison:
Shanelle Harrison is an award-winning multimedia visual artist, educator and author dedicated to promoting the arts and inspiring young artists to pursue creative ideas. Curious Colors enhances creativity, promotes exploration and develops fine motor skills while creating language structure for your child through the use of color, playful illustrations and instruction.
