Thanks for stopping by, Tori. Tell us about the book – a brief blurb:
The Christmas Color
is a playful picture book meant to delight children about all things red at
Christmastime and how these simple joys and little traditions can remind us of
the most important part of Christmas: Jesus.
Are any experiences
in The Christmas Color based on
personal experiences? Did you draw upon any stories or movies for inspiration
for the book?
The Christmas Color
is full of personal experiences that I hope we all can relate to. One of the many blessings of having young
children is that you get to see the world through their eyes and from that you once
again experience the joy, wonder and miracle of Christmas. I tried to depict all of the many festive
happenings of Christmas from a child’s point of view. I illustrated my own children in the book as
the two main characters as well as our family dog.
If you had to do it
all over again, would you change anything in The Christmas Color?
I actually don’t think I would change a thing. It was such a collaborative effort with the
team at Little Lamb Books that I feel like we really explored everything from
all angles and left no room for regret.
What was the hardest
part of writing your book?
I think the hardest part is to actually call myself a
“writer”. I’ve always considered myself
to be an artist or illustrator, but writing was a new thing for me. To have the confidence to say “Yes, I am a
writer” takes some time...and an extra dose of courage.
Did you learn
anything from writing your book and what was it?
I learned that when inspiration strikes, you have to create
right in that moment because the moment can be fleeting.
Did you have to
travel much for research for The Christmas Color?
I didn’t have to travel any farther than my own Christmas
memories. And when I was working on the
book, I had a heightened awareness of my surroundings during the Christmas
season, trying to notice and capture all of the details like smell, taste,
feelings, and color.
Who was your favorite
character in The Christmas Color?
Of course I love my kids (who are the boy and girl depicted in
the book), but choosing a favorite child is impossible so I will say that the
dog was my favorite character. We named
him “Dash” after our own family dog who passed away last year, Dasher, and he
became fun for me to incorporate on the pages in unexpected and whimsical ways. It feels like a bit of a tribute to our
beloved Dasher as well.
Was there anything in
The Christmas Color that you did not enjoy writing about?
Not at all.
I am inspired by my faith, family & friends, coffee shops, people- watching, and all things vintage. I have always loved making art and recently began pairing my hand-crafted pictures with the stories I write to share with young kids. I consider it a high honor to make books to inspire kids and encourage their faith journey. I currently live in California with my husband, two kids, and a puppy named Edie.
@ToriHigaCreates on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter
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