The due in March 2026 picture book, Stolen Colors: A Story About Body Safety and Consent by Patel Khushboo with Tara Anand’s illustrations was read via an online reader copy. And it was another WOW book. Which thankfully I have had a lot of recently as I was on a slow slump on not loving the books I was reading.
We start off with a young girl who loves to paint, but that is taken away from her when her teacher assaults her. We follow the narrator as we learn about consent without getting too deep or age inappropriate. The colors of the images allow it to show emotions of our narrator and keep things both light but knowing the affects the situation is having. I would even say the images are beautiful and counter the ugly theme.Images are rich and deep colors, and when things are good and happy they are brightly done. And the reverse happens (darker and sadder images) after our character is hurt.
Yet, the illustrations are not the only good thing (and they are a really large good thing) about the book. The language is subtle but leaves no questions about what is happening or did happen. Things are laid out in a safe environment, like our character’s mother is to her. There is a second character who feels realistic and plays a very important role in the story. The overall take I had was that this was a good introduction to the theme and despite that was an enjoyable read as an adult as it gave me ways to approach the subject if needed. Of course, know your reader and do not use this as a forced introduction, but as one that is a positive approach to things.