During the height of the Black Lives Matter movement, bestselling authors Andrea Davis Pinkney and Brian Pinkney began working on the Bright Brown Baby line of books. The project affirms that the lives and futures of Black and Brown children are important, but also speaks to how vital it is for young children to see positive images of Black and Brown families—something the husband-and-wife creative team knew firsthand as parents.
The series includes a treasury comprised of five poems. Each poem will also be published as an individual board book. Bright Brown Baby: A Treasury and Count to Love! publish this fall, with subsequent titles coming in 2022 and 2023.
PW caught up with Andrea Davis Pinkney and Brian Pinkney—who have published nearly 70 books and won Coretta Scott King Book Awards and Caldecott Honors—to chat about the inspiration for the series, their longtime creative collaboration, and a whole lot more.
You’ve both had such amazing careers as creators and as trailblazers within the publishing world. Tell me what about what makes the Bright Brown Baby line stand apart for you and for Black and Brown families.
Andrea: The Bright Brown Baby treasury and board books hold a special place in our hearts, because the books foster the joy and power of reading, from the moment a child comes into this world. The Bright Brown Baby publishing program is the brainchild of publisher Liza Baker. It includes five poems to be published as individual board books: “Count to Love!”; “Peek-A-You!”; “Hello, Beautiful You!”; “Baby Boy”; “You Are a Star!”; and “Hey, Baby Girl!” as well as a collection of all five poems in one title, Bright Brown Baby: A Treasury, with more titles to come in 2022 and 23.
As parents, we’ve seen how vital it is for even the youngest children to see positive images of beautiful Black and Brown families. In creating the Bright Brown Baby books, we came upon an interesting fact: the American Academy of Pediatrics has issued guidelines noting the importance of reading to babies from the day they’re born. The medical community tells us that engagement with words and pictures has a keen effect on a child’s well-being and reading success throughout their lives. The Bright Brown Baby collection reminds babies and toddlers of their limitless blessings, and counts all the ways they are cherished from head to toe.
Can you talk a little about creating both the treasury and the individual board books?
Brian: Preparing the paintings for these books has been filled with so much love. Bright Brown Baby: A Treasury is a celebration of Black and Brown families in multiple settings and joy-filled experiences. The line includes a hardcover treasury edition, as well as a series of sturdy spin-off board books. As an artist, my work comes from the heart. And it’s one of the reasons Andrea and I have come to call Bright Brown Baby: A Treasury a “Treasure You”—because it celebrates the unique beauty of each child. That’s what brought me so much joy while sketching and letting my paintbrushes rejoice in the playful interactions between Black and Brown grownups and babies, across cultures. This gift edition includes five stories in one robust collection. Every caregiver can take great pleasure in sharing books with newborns, infants, and toddlers. Holding a child while reading to them allows for precious “together time” that book-sharing provides. While rendering the babies, it brought back memories of holding our own children when they were young.
Can you share with me some sources of inspiration for the illustrations in the Bright Brown Baby line?
Brian: It was important for us to create a vibrant connection between the rhythm of Andrea’s word-play in the narratives and the vitality of the art. Through the use of vivid colors, bold compositions, and lyrical lines, I wanted to express the love shared between babies and caregivers. Andrea and I are the parents of two children. When our daughter and son were born, we quickly came to understand that the first forms of communication were expressed through loving contact – cuddling and holding our babies close. There’s so much positive energy in snuggling. This is at the heart of the Bright Brown Baby illustrations. I was inspired by the paintings of Black and Brown artists who, throughout history, have created images that express the vibrant, timeless beauty of Black and Brown people—Jacob Lawrence and William Johnson. In the Bright Brown Baby books, the swirled backgrounds are rendered in watercolors; the clothing and faces are acrylic. A sinuous black line that punctuates the faces, hair, and expressions is done with India ink. The children and adults featured are depicted in a range of complexions, hair textures, and settings. The treasury allows readers to rejoice in a range of races, faces, and places.
Working closely with creative director Patti Ann Harris and senior designer Doan Buu, brought an exciting design dimension to the images.
How did you go about choosing the quotes that appear in the books?
Andrea: The treasury and board books are sprinkled with nuggets of wisdom from notables such as congressman John Lewis, former first lady Michelle Obama and poet Langston Hughes, among others. It’s never too early to give our little ones guideposts to show them their own value and importance. In the Bright Brown Baby books, short quotes from legendary leaders create heart-lifting moments for parents and children to share together. When young children are exposed to messages of empowerment, they embrace these ideas from the earliest ages.
I’m the aunt of very young children. My preschool nephew and niece aren’t shy about sharing the pride of our people. That’s because, even when they were still in cribs, their mom and dad instilled what I call “the gift of knowing what’s true.” My nephew and niece can’t read yet, but they’re quick to tell you what they know about Black pride, and to pull a book off a shelf to show you a picture that gives meaning to “Black is beautiful.” This was one of the inspirations for the quotes.
The treasury includes recommendations for parents for reading with their children. What sorts of guidance do you offer?
Brian: When Andrea was pregnant with our each of our kids, I was the tummy whisperer. I soon discovered that sharing poems, stories, and songs creates an experience for babies that can be found in no other way. Intimacy begins with words gently spoken. In creating these books, we invite parents to read the poems aloud. The opening of the Bright Brown Baby Treasury encourages readers to: Speak it! Sing it! Bring it! Shout it! Share it! There’s a musicality to the narratives that celebrates the fun of repetition and reading the books again and again.
When our kids were newborns, I quickly learned that reading aloud is essential. Sharing stories with babies has always been special to me. For children, the love of words and language comes from hearing the voices of grownups. This begins before children are even born, when parents and caregivers talk to little ones in the womb.
The love and tenderness is almost palpable in the illustrations and poems—something so many of us need to see during these hard times. Has working on the books provided you with respite?
Brian: We embarked on the creation of the Bright Brown Baby Treasury and board books at the height of the unfortunate events that ignited the Black Lives Matter movement. Bright Brown Baby is our way of affirming that the lives and futures of Black and Brown children are important— the babies born today, the children hearing stories and seeing positive images are the thought-leaders of tomorrow. Also, the books are tools for healing, nurturing, and nesting. We all need that now. The closeness among families is expressed in these books, which will always be a source of comfort and joy.
Talk a little about the importance of having books in children’s homes. Why does it matter and how can board books particularly set the groundwork for babies growing into lifetime readers?
Andrea: Our homes are filled with all the things children need for their emotional and physical well being—food, clothing, a place to sleep, togetherness, warmth, laughter. Books provide the same nurturance from the moment a child is born. Board books are right-sized for toddlers’ hands. Little ones can embrace these small, sturdy treasures, and feel an immediate sense of mastery. Instilling the idea of reading from the very youngest ages empowers young children to reach for books as they grow.
What do you hope families welcoming a new baby will take away from the Bright Brown Baby treasury?
Brian: These books provide a chance for families to spend time together, rejoicing in the power of words and images, and the connection between them. The Bright Brown Baby series is our gift to everyone who wants to show Black and Brown children how truly extraordinary they are. Self-love begins with the images babies see. Bright Brown Baby says to newborns and toddlers of color: “Hello, preciousness personified! Your eyes are filled with tomorrow’s promise.”
The Snowy Day was such a seminal book for Black and Brown children. How did it affect your future work, particularly Bright Brown Baby? And, Andrea, how did you come to write the libretto of The Snowy Day for the Houston Grand Opera?
Brian: The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats was published in 1962, when I was a newborn. Keats’s story broke new ground as the first mainstream book to feature a Black child, a boy named Peter, as the central figure. Peter’s effervescence is undeniable. The Snowy Day appeals to all races of children. The book has stood the test of time because it celebrates the beauty of an everyday experience. I’ve always been inspired by the simplicity and patterns of Keats’s collage paintings, and by the read-aloud power of his storytelling.
Andrea: The Snowy Day has been deemed one of the most important books of the century because of its universal appeal and timelessness. As the author of a picture book entitled A Poem for Peter: The Story of Ezra Jack Keats and the Creation of The Snowy Day—illustrated by husband and wife team Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher)—I was invited by the Houston Grand Opera to write the libretto for The Snowy Day opera, which will have its world premiere in December 2021! Composer Joel Thompson has created a remarkable score. The opera creative team has worked closely with the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation to create a page-to-stage experience for all ages. In crafting the Bright Brown Baby books, Brian and I sought to bring the same theatrical fun to our narrative and visual storytelling.
You’ve collaborated on a great many projects together. Can you give us a little peek into your joint creative process?
Andrea: Brian and I have been collaborating for 30 years, and have published nearly 70 books, collectively. As a married couple, we share everything from the same tube of toothpaste, to the carton of almond milk in our family fridge. Working with the one you love can be a beautiful experience or a total disaster! Thankfully, we’ve developed some great strategies for making books, while staying happily married. It’s been a learning experience. Like every couple who lives under the same roof and juggles careers and family life, we’ve hit some snags. These have turned out to be gifts that have helped us find ways to work together while keeping our love alive.
Brian: My studio is miles from our home. I’m there every day, where I create, meditate, sketch, and paint. Andrea works in her own office that’s in a completely different Brooklyn neighborhood from my studio. Her creative process unfolds without any input from me. Andrea extends that same courtesy by letting me do my thing—alone!
We do collaborate, with some very clear parameters that have turned into our "golden guidelines." One iron-clad "rule" that has worked for decades of bookmaking as a team is that we carve out designated times for discussing work. To do this, we have a weekly meeting every Saturday at our dining room table to review our projects, and to sit down together to talk about them. Before and after the meeting, we don’t discuss work at all. We came up with this plan when we realized that we were chattering on and on about work 24/7, and that we needed to establish some healthy boundaries around work-life balance. In creating the Bright Brown Baby books, the "golden guidelines" kept our love glistening!
