Indigo Dreaming

A gorgeous, imagination-sparking introduction to the beauty and interconnectedness of the Black diaspora.

A young girl living on the coast of South Carolina dreams of her distant relatives on the shores of Africa and beyond. Indigo Dreaming is a poetic meditation between two young girls—on different sides of the sea—who wonder about how they are intricately linked by culture, even though they are separated by location. The girls’ reflections come together, creating an imaginative and illuminating vision of home, as well as a celebration of the Black diaspora.

This gorgeous lyrical tale engages the senses and evokes childlike curiosity and wonder.

Saturated, layered art by Cunha employs visible textures to add depth to each illustration. In concert with playful, dreamlike prose, which details events over the course of a given day, motion-filled landscapes offer images “of the two of us playing/ in the same sun/ in the same sand,/ hand in hand.” - Publishers Weekly

Full of meaningful relationships, this picture book is a joyous, loving celebration of the African diaspora around the globe. - Booklist

[Two] girls, while separated by an ocean, have much in common, as shown in Cunha’s textured, colorful illustrations and Johnson’s engaging text. - Horn Book Magazine

Striking and cozy all at once. - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Johnson’s near-rhyming verse is as lulling as the sea [and] Cunha’s textured soft pastels create a wistful, dreamy atmosphere. A gorgeous book that will touch every child’s longing to connect with someone “out there” who is like them. - School Library Journal