Q&A with Michaela Dias-Hayes all about Colour and Me

Michaela Dias-Hayes is the illustrator of Kate Greenaway Medal-nominated Sunflower Sisters, (Owlet Press, July 2021), for which she took inspiration from her part-Jamaican heritage and her former long term partner’s Indian family. Michaela’s first book as both author and illustrator, Colour and Me takes inspiration from conversations with her son. She loves to create accurately portrayed black and brown characters, inspired by her own family and experiences, and places them within stories that explore and celebrate black heritage in an accessible way for young readers.  

What motivated you to begin a career in writing/illustrating?

Both my parents are extremely creative people and have always inspired me to be creative and follow my dreams. I loved drawing as a child and for years pens and crayons were a Christmas staple. I would spend hours drawing and creating beautiful pieces of artwork with my dad, who is a fantastic artist. My mum is also a truly creative person, so I think that's where I get it from.

It hasn’t always been easy, though, and I have faced challenges within the publishing industry. There are very few black illustrators, and even fewer female, black illustrators. Before working on Sunflower Sisters, I often felt that I was being steered towards emulating the styles of white illustrators and encouraged to almost neutralise anything culturally distinctive about my work. This was especially hard when I would see many white illustrators working on black characters, with hair that was basically a scribble. I love painting the beauty and detail in afro and braided hair - it’s my favourite element within my new books. There would have been a time in the past when people said it was impossible to make a living from drawing, but here I am! I hope now that my talent speaks for itself, and that my increased visibility through my published books will inspire girls and women of colour seeking a job in the publishing world.

What inspired you to write this new book, Colour and Me?

I am of mixed heritage – my dad is black Jamaican and my mum is white British, and as a mother myself, trying to find books for my son has always been a struggle. I couldn't find anything that showed a true representation of mixed and blended families, so I decided to write one myself, hoping that children will feel fully represented through the illustrations and the story. The publishing industry is working to ensure that representation of all children in books reflects our diverse society, but there is still a long way to go and I’m very proud to be a small part of creating that change.

I was inspired to create this first story, Colour and Me, after mixing paints with my young son – his comments about the brown combination of all the colours together being ‘yukky’ got me thinking about brown skin, like ours, and how we should be celebrating the beauty in it. Also, I started thinking about the mixture within all of us – not just our outward appearance, but all the culture cues and traditions that make us who we are.

How would you suggest primary teachers use Colour and Me?  

I hope that children and teachers will use the illustrations and ideas within this book – and the second in the series, Family and Me – to start conversations in the classroom about our family backgrounds as well as different cultures, foods and traditions, to empower children to feel proud of their heritage. The main character shows us an item that is special to her for every colour of the rainbow – children could talk about or show-and-tell their own special or favourite things – memories or stories, treasures, toys, photos etc. to show that we can build a deeper understanding of people when we know what is important to them and listen to stories from their family backgrounds.

I also hope the book will spark lots of creative ideas for exploring art and mark making. I’m passionate about children using art as a way of expressing themselves, and it’s so good for our mental health to draw and paint and sculpt. Children – especially the very young – can’t always articulate themselves in conversation but I think it’s really true that ‘a picture speaks a thousand words’; art is a wonderful way to express ourselves and communicate thoughts and feelings.

What are you working on now?

I'm currently working on two new books which continue to explore themes of black heritage, cultural traditions and family relationships. To follow Colour and Me, a second book called Family and Me is a celebration of the many wonderful traits and characteristics we inherit from our parents, uncles, aunts and grandparents, connecting us to family members in special ways. I’m also illustrating the second book in the Sunflower Sisters series, entitled The Gifts That Grow, which is a beautiful story about intergenerational love and how the nurturing actions of our elders pave the way for our futures. Both books are due out this summer.

Discover Colour and Me by Michaela Dias-Hayes published by Owlet Press (25th January 2022)