Anything But Pink
Written by J.C. Benthin
Illustrated by Andy Catling
Ages 3-8 | 34 Pages
Publisher: Kaleidoscope Volcano | ISBN-13: 978-1733990028
Publisher’s Synopsis: Zinnia is the only pink person in a very gold world. After being told that pink stinks by a golden bully, she goes on a quest to get rid of her pink for good. Along the way, Zinnia learns a valuable lesson. Will she embrace her unique pink, or will she change to be just like everyone else?
Available for purchase on Amazon, Bookshop, and Barnes and Noble.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
J.C. Benthin has been writing since a young age winning a Father’s Day essay contest with the Kansa City Star justifying “Why my Dad’s the Best Outdoorsman” which won a John Deere Lawnmower and a Weber Grill. She has written Timmy the Time Machine, Pink Princess, and Anything but a Prince for a next-generation interactive children’s publisher. She has also written two young adult novels titled Catapult and Slingshot in The Kingston Chronicles Series. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). She resides in Berkeley, California.
For more information, visit the author's:
AUTHOR INTERVIEW
Life Is What It's Called - What inspired you to write Anything But Pink?
J.C. Benthin - I was 22 and I was at a point in my life where I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do and where I fit in the world, so I think that time of my life played a big part in the initial inspiration of this story. Originally, it was titled The Pink Princess with a strong fairy tale vibe, and it was more of an outline with no clear ending. In 2011, I was a stay-at-home mom and I decided to take a Children’s Book Writing class. I revisited the original idea that I had as a young adult which led me to complete the first primary draft of The Pink Princess.
Honestly, I would say that the inspiration of the main draft came from my childhood. At a young age, I felt like I didn’t fit in. I would try to fit into the status quo and discover that I didn’t really like being the same as everyone else. Additionally, I wanted to inspire my daughter that it was okay to be her unique self. After I finished the final draft, I was approached by a storytelling app company to submit the story for production. The Pink Princess made it to the storyboards, but the company shut down before it was published. During the pandemic in 2020, I was finishing up my second novel Slingshot and I thought that it would be a good idea to pull the story off the shelf. I worked with a great editor who helped keep the heart of the story the same but gave key ingredients to make the story even better including changing the title to Anything but Pink.
Life Is What It's Called - Why did you focus on the colors pink and gold throughout the story?
J.C. Benthin - I wanted the colors to be fantastical. Gold has this aspirational attribute that symbolizes wealth, success and what everyone “should” want. Pink has this approachable, friendly quality and at the time pink was my daughter’s favorite color. I wanted the main character to stand out and I thought that pink and gold created a good contrast to what I wanted to convey in the story.
Life Is What It's Called - What do you want kids to learn in Anything But Pink?
J.C. Benthin - It’s okay to be unique. It’s okay to be different. It’s okay to stand out. It’s important to love who you are and that opinions are not the truth.
Life Is What It's Called - What do you think kids will like most about Anything But Pink?
J.C. Benthin - I believe kids will like the colorful world especially the Cloud Escalator and the Kaleidoscope Volcano. I do hope that they can relate to one of the characters in the story and that they find the little gold bird named Max throughout the book.
Life Is What It's Called - How is this book different from the other books on the market?
J.C. Benthin - Anything but Pink is different than other books on the market because it’s a timely message told in a simple and colorful way. Not to mention, the illustrations alone make it stand out. The illustrator, Andy Catling did such an amazing job in bringing this story to life.
Life Is What It's Called - How is this book similar to the other books you have written and how is it different?
J.C. Benthin - Anything But Pink is a huge departure from the fictional black ops world that I’ve been inhabiting and writing about for the past several years. I have written two young adult action-adventure novels, Catapult and Slingshot, that are a part of The Kingston Chronicles. Anything but Pink is my first picture book.
Life Is What It's Called - What do you love most about writing?
J.C. Benthin - Honestly, I love storytelling. That’s the part that I can’t get enough of. Coming up with the plot is so much fun. I truly enjoy developing the characters and creating the world around them.
Life Is What It's Called - What are some of your next writing projects?
J.C. Benthin - I am currently working on Boomerang, the third and final installment for The Kingston Chronicles. I have also begun to draft out the sequel to Anything but Pink. The working title is Anything but Brave.
Life Is What It's Called - What authors inspire you?
J.C. Benthin - That is a tough question. I love to read. I absolutely love the work of Amy Krouse Rosenthal, Moe Willems and Jennifer Fosberry. Then I am a huge fan of Ruth Ware, Charles Martin and Liane Moriarty.
Life Is What It's Called - What would you like readers to know most about you?
J.C. Benthin - What I want readers to know the most is that I’ve loved writing since I was a young girl. My claim to fame was when I won a Father’s Day essay contest with the Kansas City Star justifying “Why my Dad’s the Best Outdoorsman” which won a grand prize of a John Deere Lawnmower and a Weber Grill. Also, if they would like to know more about follow me at @j.c.benthin on Instagram.
Enter for a chance to win an autographed copy of Anything But Pink and a Pink is Unique tote!
One (1) winner receives:
- An autographed copy of Anything But Pink
- A 'Pink is Unique' tote
Two (2) winners receive:
- An autographed copy of Anything But Pink
Anything But Pink: Book Giveaway
This post is in partnership with The Children’s Book Review and J.C. Benthin.
My kids loved this book! Excited to see what the author comes up with next!
ReplyDelete