Laura Wheeler Waring was a 20th century African American portrait artist who specialized in portraits of African Americans. She celebrated a generation of artists and thinkers. Her paintings hang in the National Portrait Gallery. And now the picture book biography Beautiful Shades of Brown celebrates her.

In the book, author Nancy Churnin describes Waring’s interest in art. We see Waring’s childhood passion for painting family members, getting their beautiful shades of brown just right on the page. She makes her bedroom walls into a portrait gallery that family members can visit. The culmination of the book is when family members visit the Smithsonian to see Waring’s work hung in galleries there.

I love the way this book keeps its focus on Waring but also shows her embedded in a loving, supportive web of family. I think young readers will see echoes of their own experience. Many young people have passions that family members may not share. This book models how families support each other.

Felicia Marshall’s art in the book is luminous. I was thrilled to get to see reproductions of some of Waring’s portraits in the back matter.

The Smithsonian website features more portraits by Waring. A curriculum guide is available at the publisher’s website. You can see more of Felicia Marshall’s art at her website. The book trailer, featuring art from the book, is here. To read about another great 2020 book about an African American artist, check out my post on Kelly Starling Lyon’s book, Dream Builder.

Beautiful Shades of Brown: The Art of Laura Wheeler Waring by Nancy Churnin, illustrated by Felicia Marshall. Creston Books: 2020.