A Gift That Gives Back: A Children's Book That Brings Families Together

Coloring Without Borders is a is a coloring and activity book produced to raise funds for Families Belong Together, helping them reunite families that were separated at the U.S.-Mexico border.  

More than 80 professional artists from all around the world came together to create this book with the hopes of reuniting families, while sparking conversations about kindness and inclusiveness. What a great idea! A gift that gives back is a new way to bring the conversation about family separation to a much wider audience while giving children an outlet of unique expression and creativity.

In the video interview above, I speak with Christian Robinson, one of over 80 illustrators for this book. 

Christian Robinson is a 2016 Caldecott Honoree and has worked with The Sesame Street Workshop and Pixar Animation Studios. In my interview with him, he shares his insights on the project and his passion for illustration -- especially for children's books of which he's illustrated many award-winning books. 

Can a Coloring & Activity Book Make a Real Difference in the World? In a word, absolutely. As Robinson points out, children pick up a lot more that most parents realize (or care to acknowledge). For Robinson, drawing was more than his creative outlet -- it was how he processed the world as a child.

The pages of Coloring Without Borders offer multiple sandboxes of creativity where you are encouraged to "finish" the artwork with your own designs. There's something powerful about a piece of art that is unfinished and begging you to bring your own imagination to the forefront of the design.

What's more, all of the proceeds of the sale of this book benefit Families Belong Together, a coalition that includes nearly 250 organizations representing Americans from all backgrounds across the country who have joined together to fight family separation and promote dignity, unity, and compassion for all children and families. Families Belong Together works to permanently end family separation and detention, seek accountability for the harm that’s been done, and immediately reunite all families who remain torn apart. 

Buy the Change You Want to See In The World! This book, Coloring Without Borders is a testament to taking a small action that supports a much larger vision of the world. While I love supporting my friends in their walk-a-thons and I buy Girl Scout Cookies every year, this is a global project that brings families together for a single purpose: to promote dignity, unity, and compassion for all children and families.

As you wind down your 2019, consider buying a book that will inspire your children and support an incredible cause. When we literally put our money where our mouths are, we create a powerful force for good and buy the change we all want to see in the world.