Colin Kaepernick To Release Children's Book About Celebrating Differences

I Color Myself Different is slated to release next April

Athlete, activist and author Colin Kaepernick has announced a multi-book publishing deal with Scholastic. The first book — a children’s book titled I Color Myself Different — will be inspired by Kaepernick‘s upbringing and will tackle themes of identity, race, and self-esteem.

“Colin Kaepernick’s inspiring story, with themes of identity, race, and self-esteem, will resonate deeply with all kids,” Scholastic Trade Publishing says of Kaepernick’s I Color Myself Different.

Slated to release April 5, 2022, I Color Myself Different is inspired by a “significant” childhood memory of Kaepernick’s: when he first documented he was different from his adopted white family.

“During a kindergarten exercise on drawing families, Kaepernick remembers putting down the yellow crayon he had been using to draw his family and picking up the brown crayon for himself,” Kaepernick Publishing’s press release states. “This moment crystallized for him the differences marked by his adoption, and how acknowledging those distinctions could encourage us all to be more accepting of ourselves and each other.”

Inspired by real events, I Color Myself Different is a story that’s “deeply personal” to Kaepernick, and it’s one that he hopes “honors the courage and bravery of young people everywhere by encouraging them to live with authenticity and purpose.”

“I’m excited for Kaepernick Publishing to be collaborating with Scholastic on books with Black and Brown voices at the forefront,” he continues. “I hope that our books will inspire readers to walk through the world with confidence, strength, and truth in all they do.”

Andrea Davis Pinkney, VP and Executive Editor of Scholastic, will edit the picture book, which will be illustrated by Eric Wilkerson.

“Colin’s reputation as a thought leader precedes him, but it was also clear when we met that his mission and purpose were very much aligned with Scholastic’s,” says Debra Dorfman, VP and Publisher, Scholastic Global Licensing, Brands & Media. “We knew instantly that we wanted to share his stories, which will be impactful messages of identity and belonging for Black and Brown children.”

Kaepernick founded Kaepernick Publishing in 2019 with the mission to “elevate a new generation of writers with diverse views and voices through the creation of powerful works of all genres that can build a better and more just world.”

I Color Myself Different and Abolition For The People: The Movement For A Future Without Policing & Prisons, another title under the publishing company, are both available for pre-order now.

“We are privileged to bring this work to young readers around the world for the very first time,” says Ellie Berger, President and Publisher of Scholastic Trade Publishing.