1 Colors of Awesome! 24 Bold Women Who Inspired the World

Colors of Awesome! 24 Bold Women Who Inspired the World tells the stories of amazing women throughout history who challenged social norms and strove for more. Sharing the inspiring histories of superstar entertainers like Cher and Jennifer Lopez to world famous politicians and civil rights activists like Kamala Harris and Mabel Lee, author Eva Chen moves skillfully through the rainbow, featuring each legendary woman in a unique shade.

Chen affords equal deference to female contributions from all spheres, including politics, law, entertainment, sports, fashion, science, literature and more, illustrating that greatness does not just come in one form and that representation by women and people of colour in all industries is essential to making this world a better (more colourful!) place. Melding real life quotes and easy to understand bios, the book resists the density of most nonfiction histories, cleverly utilizing the colour theme to provide a common thread linking individuals from all over the world.

Derek Desierto’s illustrations work hand in hand with Chen’s miniature histories, using simple and attractive representations of real women that honour their likenesses and don’t whitewash different facial and body types. With minimal space, Desierto is able to get to the core of each woman’s contribution to their field and society as a whole as well as their unique persona and style, using textured images for hair as well as certain fabrics and objects. Each page is well balanced with text, illustrations and other visual flourishes leading into each other naturally, consistently guiding the reader’s attention through the narrative.

Though many of the concepts will be too advanced for younger board book readers to fully grasp, the joyful representation of women of all races, ages and fields translates to readers young and old, and it is never too early to add to a child’s reading repertoire. In this celebratory and informative board book, adult readers will also pick up facts previously unknown to them.
The final eye-catching double page spread featuring a sparkling rainbow encourages readers to embrace a spectrum of different identities and talents and to not be afraid to express their own true colours. Throughout the story, Chen and Desierto cheer on inclusion, kindness and the embracing of one’s true self, teaching readers young and old that what makes a better world is unique individuals sharing just what it is that makes them special.