Color Our World Nonfiction Picture Book Recommendations

Forsyth County Public Library's Summer Reading Fun theme is Color Our World. These nonfiction picture books explain the unique dying process used to create the colors indigo and purple and the historical significance of both colors.  

My Indigo World:  A True Story of the Color Blue by Rosa Chang

A young girl in Korea falls in love with the color blue of the ocean and sky. Years later, as an adult living in the United States she receives a handful of indigo seeds that she plants on a small farm in Baltimore and learns to make beautiful dye from its leaves.  

My Indigo World explains the process of making indigo dye and the meaning of the color in different cultures. While the deep blue reminds the author of her home in Korea, she learns that the same unique shade of blue reminds other people of their ancestors who were forced to work in fields to harvest indigo plants in the United States.

Staff Picks Masked Hero: How We Lien-teh Invented the Mask that Ended an Epidemic by Dr. Shan Woo Liu and Kaili Liu Gormley

Masked Hero: How We Lien-teh Invented the Mask that Ended an Epidemic by Dr. Shan Woo Liu and Kaili Liu Gormley; Illustrated by Lisa Wee

In 2020, N95 masks protected people from spreading the COVID-19 virus to others. Did you know that the earliest version of the N95 mask was invented over one hundred years ago in China to help control the spread of a pneumonic plague?

During the recent pandemic, Dr. Shan Woo Liu, an emergency medicine physician, realised that the N95 mask she wore while helping patients in Massachusetts General Hospital was designed like the one invented by her grandfather, Dr. Wu Lien-teh. Dr. Shan Woo Liu wrote this book to share her grandfather’s story. 

Alicia Cavitt
Information Specialist

Local Author Spotlight: Ravi Prakash, Author of Safar: An Immigrant's Journey of Life & Leadership

Safar: An Immigrant's Journey of Life & Leadership by Ravi Prakash

In Safar: An Immigrant’s Journey of Life & Leadership, Ravi Prakash describes his personal journey coming to the United States from India as a college student and rising from hourly retail jobs to leadership positions in global corporations. Through the lens of personal stories, the inspiring memoir encourages readers to lead a meaningful life. 

Safar: An Immigrant's Journey of Life & Leadership is filled with practical wisdom that demonstrates the importance of perseverance, integrity, and gratitude. While readers at any stage in their careers will gain valuable insights from Safar, it seems ideal for people experiencing a transition. “Wherever you are, you have to take the next step. You don’t have to be perfect but don’t give up. Even if you aren’t sure, show up. Growth is the way we become better.”