A lyrical story of parental love that celebrates and takes pride in the many shades of brown skin. Perfect for fans of I Am Enough, Hey Black Child, Hair Love, and Our Skin.

When you ask me why your skin is brown,
I will tell you that you are my favorite color.
I will say that your skin was decided long, long ago.
Time was just waiting for you.

So begins a mother’s celebration of her children's brown skin, told through warm and vivid poetry. With sweeping descriptions of what brown skin means—it is the brawny bear whose paws know the ground of its home, the sequoia tree that reaches up and touches the sun, the glossy shell of roasted chestnuts—this is a book that empowers as it embraces, and that reminds young readers that they have shades of color that only they can discover and express.

With beautiful, lyrical text by powerhouse poet Gillian Sze and vibrant, engaging art by illustrator Nina Mata, the #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator of LeBron James's I Promise, this is more than a story of love—it is a song that rings out for brown kids everywhere.

Praise for You Are My Favorite Color:

"This is a sweet, languorous celebration of brown skin in all its infinite shades and of multiracial, multifaceted families. Lovely." --Kirkus Reviews

Gillian Sze is the author of multiple poetry collections, including Peeling Rambutan, Redrafting Winer and Panicle. Her work has been nominated for the QWF’s A.M. Klein Prize for Poetry, and has received awards such as the University of Winnipeg Writers’ Circle Prize and the 3Macs carte blanche Prize. She studied creative writing and English literature at Concordia University and received a PhD in études anglaises from the Université de Montréal. Originally from Winnipeg, she now resides in Montreal, where she teaches creative writing. The Night Is Deep and Wide is her first board book and was inspired by her son who was a challenging sleeper as a baby.

Gillian Sze's profile page

Nina Mata's profile page

Praise for You Are My Favorite Color:

"This is a sweet, languorous celebration of brown skin in all its infinite shades and of multiracial, multifaceted families. Lovely." –Kirkus Reviews
"A lyrical, affirming celebration of brown skin, self-love, and family. Recommended." –School Library Journal