Title: Gregory Green moves to the Purple side of town
Author: Tim Kasun
Illustrators: Theresa Kasun, Joy Kasun, Andrew Wood
Publisher: The Little Artist, Inc.
ISBN: 978-1-962046-00-8
Pages: 17
Genre: Illustrated Children’s Book / Morality
Reviewer: Beth Adams
Hollywood Book Reviews
Using a new publishing brand called “The World of PaintBears,” author Tim Kasun has assembled talent from his family and others to compose an artful, direct, and to-the-point story about society’s skin color discrimination.
Gregory Green moves to the Purple side of town, gets right into the story about a Green PaintBear moving into the Purple PaintBear side of town buying an empty house available in the neighborhood. The new Green PaintBear resident is then seen isolated from the other neighbors on the basketball court, the swings, and the Purple PaintBears are very mean – ignoring the Green PaintBear because they heard Green PaintBears are mean. One Purple PaintBear thinks he will find out for himself and goes over to meet the new Green PaintBear neighbor. They talk and instantly find that they both have the same likes, such as eating chocolate chip cookies. Then word spreads throughout the Purple PaintBear community about how nice the Green PaintBears are, and in the end all the PaintBears gather in the Green PaintBear’s new home to celebrate and enjoy – yes, chocolate chip cookies.
The book ends with its theme, “By the end of the party, all the Purple and Green PaintBears also learned it is not the color of their fur that matters but the goodness and kindness in their hearts! At that moment, all the PaintBears around the world realized God just painted them in different colors!” Martin Luther King, Jr. famously is quoted, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” The parallel of such a statement to the ending of the book is self-evident.
Gregory Green moves to the Purple side of town is a Christian faith-based lesson to all children. All races, religions, and societies within our many diverse neighborhoods, not to have bias, distain nor hatred to others because of their appearances. This lesson is revealed without hiding – to the openness of helping the next generation overcome any racial prejudice, as well as all those reading this book to their youngsters. To the team at The World of PaintBears, I say, AMEN.
Gregory Green Moves to the Purple Side of Town serves as an excellent conversation starter for parents and teachers to discuss race, cultural differences, and the importance of acceptance. It encourages children to see beyond physical appearances and appreciate the unique qualities that make each person special.