Taye Diggs and Shane Evans have been best friends since childhood. In recent years, they've been collaborating, Diggs writing and Evans illustrating, on beautiful, warmhearted children's picture books—first Mixed Me and Chocolate Me, both of which deal accessibly with complex issues of family and identity. Their new book is I Love You More Than..., a love letter to kids from parents who must be away from their kids more than either of them would like. They talked about how their friendship affects their collaborations.
‘I Love You More Than…' really feels like it was written to help parents who have to be away a lot discuss these issues meaningfully and honestly with their kids. Can you say a bit about the importance of that kind of conversation?
Diggs: I think it is so important for parent and child to be able to express themselves. Especially these days, when everybody's on their device, and you have so many different perspectives and people trying to talk to you. I think it's really important that you can just talk to each other in language that is easily understood. I'm always encouraging people to not necessarily view this writing as specifically for kids. It's a certain language that I think we can all understand, and I would love for people to take what they will from the simplicity, but at the same time realize that there's kind of another level of emotion and feeling.
Evans: This is a complex topic. There are times people must be away. There are times during a day where we must go to school. There are times when we must go away for a period of days or weeks. There are times and people being sent away for good. There are times when connection is not promised. How do we stay and remain connected in love during those times? At first this was a book about two people, then I started to draw and wanted to see more into these characters' lives. I know the heart of the author well enough to know he wanted me to present a big vision—that we should know that we are always connected.
You two have been best friends since childhood. Can you say a bit about what it's like to grow up together, watch each other become fathers, and then make books together?
Diggs: We've always considered each other family. Because we know each other so well, we don't have to go through the normal patterns that most people would in a situation like this in that I just know Shane, Shane knows me—we just accept each other's creativity. Whatever he puts down, I just know that it's going to be something interesting and brilliant.
Evans: We know the best of one another in such a way that "best friends" means that very thing: we know the best and sometimes the not-so-best of the other person... love always shines the light. When you look through this book, you will see that. Taye and I have been through some, I will say "stuff," and as adults, those challenges can seem more real than the simple idea of love. But to have that person you can reach out to and say, "I have an idea," is key. I am always learning something from this friendship and partnership. Taye and I are also both fathers who understand that for a father to say "love" to a child is a lifetime experience and commitment, full of ups, bigger ups, downs, bigger downs, and all the middles.
