I See Color: Interview with Valerie Bolling

Today we're delighted to feature KidLit in Color member Valerie Bolling who has co-written, I SEE COLOR, with Kailei Pew. The book is filled with beautiful illustrations by Laylie Frazier.

KLiC: Please tell us about your writing process. How long did it take you to write and sell this book? 

VB: My co-author, Kailei Pew, reached out to me in January 2021 with an idea for this book and asked if I’d be interested in writing it with her. I said yes, and I’m so glad I did. We drafted and revised the book and submitted it to our agents, James McGowan and Emily Forney of BookEnds Literary Agency, within a month, and they got edits back to us within a few weeks. Our agents felt the manuscript was ready to be sent out, but we wanted to check in with some friends who could provide sensitivity reads. We eventually felt the manuscript was ready to be sent out in April. The day after James and Emily sent out the manuscript, Luana Horry, an editor at Harper Collins, expressed interest. She took I SEE COLOR to Acquisitions in May, and we received an offer after that meeting. So, it took four months from writing the first draft to selling the story, which we know was quite fast. Keep in mind that this occurred in 2021; three years later, the publishing industry is moving at a slower pace.

KLiC: What’s the one thing you want children to take away from your book?

VB: I want children to learn about all of the important changemakers in this book. I want them to be inspired to learn more about these remarkable individuals as well as to learn about many other heroic people who aren’t featured in this book. Most importantly, I hope they’ll find ways to take action in their own communities and make positive contributions in our society, always leading with a commitment to equity and a heart for empathy.
 
KLiC: Is there anything you want readers to know about you or your book(s)?  

VB: People who have supported my author journey thus far will recognize that I SEE COLOR is quite different from my previously published books. My other books are written in sparse, rhyming text and geared toward very young readers. I SEE COLOR is lyrical, but doesn’t rhyme, and is for older children. It’s also my first nonfiction book and my first co-authored book. Collaborating with Kailei throughout the process of bringing this book to life has been a blessing and gift because we moved from being co-authors to becoming close friends.
 
​Authors cannot be successful on their own. Our readers/supporters truly matter. Therefore, I appreciate you requesting my books at your local library, writing book reviews, and amplifying my books and myself on social media. Thank you so much! 

Valerie Bolling is passionate about creating stories in which all children can see themselves and feel seen and heard, valued and validated. She is the author of six picture books: LET’S DANCE! (SCBWI Crystal Kite Award winner), TOGETHER WE RIDE, TOGETHER WE SWIM (2023 Kirkus Prize Finalist), RIDE, ROLL, RUN: TIME FOR FUN!, BING, BOP, BAM: TIME TO JAM!, and I SEE COLOR (a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection). She also wrote RAINBOW DAYS, a Scholastic Acorn early reader series.

A graduate of Tufts University and Teachers College, Columbia University, Valerie has been an educator for 30 years and is an active member of the kidlit community – teaching picture book classes (independently and for the Highlights Foundation), serving as a mentor, and presenting at conferences. Valerie lives in Connecticut with her husband where they enjoy traveling, hiking, reading, going to the theater, and dancing.

Learn about Valerie: 
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​linktr.ee/ValerieBolling

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