Sheila Hamanaka

This book jumped out at me with its beautiful illustrations and flowing, poem-like quality. I love how the author-illustrator, Sheila Hamanaka, includes curved, flowing text and muted colors that resemble watercolors; both make the book calming. The book is an "echo structure;" it has the same first line and last line: "Children come in all the colors of the earth and sky and sea." The body text of the book includes beautiful metaphors, similes, onomatopoeia and personification to describe the shades of children across the earth. For example: "The whispering golds of late summer grasses, And crackling russets of fallen leaves, The tinkling pinks of tiny seashells by the rumbling sea." Overall, this is a gorgeous book that celebrates the diversity of children and rejoices in their reveling in the beauty of life and the earth.… (more)

Reveals in verse that despite outward differences children everywhere are essentially the same and all are lovable.

(Scholastic) Celebrate the colors of children and the colors of love — not black or white or yellow or red, but roaring brown, whispering gold, tinkling pink, and more.

(GoodReads)
Sheila Hamanaka's All the Colors of the Earth is a classic to share alongside such favorites as We're Different, We're the Same, All Are Welcome, and The World Needs More Purple People.
This beautifully illustrated book "celebrates the beauty of diversity to the fullest through engaging, rhyming text," commented Charnaie Gordon in her Brightly review. All the Colors of the Earth "would be a wonderful book to use in multicultural classrooms in schools."
"How better to celebrate ethnic diversity than to look to children, the hope of the future? This glorious picture book does just that."—Booklist
"A poetic picture book and an exemplary work of art. The simple text describes children's skin tones and hair in terms of natural phenomena and then describes love for these children with rich colors and flavors. A celebration of diversity." —School Library Journal… (more)