Colin Bootman was born in Trinidad where he spent the first seven years of his life. During this time, he was inspired by the island's rich and diverse culture. Soon after moving to the United States, Mr. Bootman embraced art as a measure of escape from the pressures of adjusting to a new environment at an early age. Mr. Bootman cites finding his first comic book as the life-changing experience that marked the beginning of his career as an artist.
Mr. Bootman began formal training at LaGuardia High School of the Arts, which served to deepen his appreciation for other disciplines, and solidified his own passion for the visual arts. In college, Mr. Bootman studied photography, writing, and illustration. Mr. Bootman's first book, Young Frederick Douglass, was published in 1994 and received starred reviews. He has since illustrated many children's books, textbooks, periodicals, and book covers. Mr. Bootman has worked with several publishers including Random House (Follow the Leader), Harper Collins (In My Momma's Kitchen), Scholastic (Oh, No, Toto!), and Holiday House (Papa's Mark). Mr. Bootman is the recipient of the Coretta Scott King Honor 2004, the Schneider Family Book Award 2006, the Ashley Bryan Lifetime Achievement Honor 2006, and several others. His books have won such awards as The Teachers' Choice Award, The Comstock Award, The Storytelling World Award, and The Golden Kite Honor. His newest book, A Storm Called Katrina, was published in August 2011 by Peachtree Publishers. In addition to illustrating Mr. Bootman enjoys teaching and presenting to students throughout the country.
Selected Reviews of Colin Bootman's Books
A Storm Called Katrina
Myron Uhlberg
Illustrated by Colin Bootman
A Storm Called Katrina (Peachtree, August 2011) is the fictional account of Louis Daniel, a young boy living in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina devastated the city. Louis hates it when Mama treats him like a baby. But when the hurricane blows through the Gulf Coast on that fateful August night, Louis feels like a little kid again. With no time to gather their belongings--except Louis's beloved horn--Daddy leads the family from their home and into an unfamiliar, watery world of floating debris, lurking critters, and desperate neighbors heading for dry ground. Taking shelter in the already-crowded Superdome, Louis and his parents wait. Conditions continue to worsen and their water supply is running out. When Daddy fails to return from a scouting mission within the dome, Louis knows he's no longer a baby. It's up to him to find his father. This moving story of the effects of Hurricane Katrina on the people of New Orleans, as seen through the eyes of a ten-year-old boy, received starred reviews from Kirkus, Booklist, and Publishers Weekly. The New York York Times also gave the picture book a positive review, saying, "Can the enormity of a large-scale tragedy...be conveyed to school-age children without frightening them? How to describe the emotional toll without imposing a burden? It's a difficult balance. But it's one that the writer Myron Uhlberg and the illustrator Colin Bootman strike gracefully...this moving introduction to Hurricane Katrina imparts its lessons with a restraint that powerfully increases their gravity."
Dad, Jackie, and Me
Myron Uhlberg
Illustrated by Colin Bootman
On Opening Day of the 1947 baseball season, the narrator was glued to his radio, listening to the play by play of his beloved Brooklyn Dodgers and their amazing new player, Jackie Robinson. How excited he was when his father came home from work and announced, or rather signed, "We're going to Ebbets Field." His father wanted to meet Robinson. Throughout the summer, they attended games and he taught his father to play catch. Because he was deaf, his father had never played baseball. The narrator's embarrassment was turned to joy when his father's presence at Ebbets Field was acknowledged in a most interesting way by Jackie Robinson. This is much more than just another book about the first African-American to play in the Major Leagues. It combines a nostalgic look at the Brooklyn Dodgers with an uplifting story about overcoming prejudice, whether it is the color of one's skin or a physical disability. The author's note at the end of the book explains that this is a work of fiction that is based on his own childhood. Bootman's watercolor illustrations work beautifully in conjunction with the text to bring to life the 1940s neighborhood and Ebbets Field. He has successfully captured the emotions of the story and the action on the baseball diamond. This is a fine book for fathers and sons to share together, and a thought-provoking piece for a middle school or a high school class to share together. Readers can glean an interesting perspective on history from the newspaper clippings and the photographs that comprise the scrapbook end papers. 2005, Peachtree, $16.95. Ages 5 up. Reviewer: Sharon Salluzzo (Children's Literature).
Steel Pan Man of Harlem
Colin Bootman
In this modern rendition of The Pied Piper of Hamelin, Bootman combines the classic steel pan music of the Caribbean and the diverse culture of Harlem. Harlem has a problem. There are thousands and thousands of rats everywhere. People have tried catching them--but there are just too many. When traps, cats, and even the exterminator cannot solve the problem, a group of citizens head to the mayor's office to see what he is going to do to solve the problem. A few weeks later a man shows up at the "125 U Street subway station." He pulls out a steel pan and begins to play. He plays so well that everyone cannot help but dance. Soon the man heads to the mayor's office where he makes an offer the mayor: he will get rid of all of the rats in exchange for one million dollars. The mayor agrees, but of course does not want to follow through. In this modern twist, the Steel Pan Man plays his pan so that everyone has to dance until the mayor finally gives him is money. The contrast between the bright, vibrant illustrations of the people of Harlem and the dark, subdued illustrations of the rats show readers the contrast between the hope and the grim rat-situation of this New York community. This book is another fine piece of storytelling--with a modern twist. 2009, Carolrhoda Books/Lerner, $16.95. Ages 5 to 8. Reviewer: Joella Peterson (Children's Literature).
Embrace Your Interests, Find Your Passion: an interactive presentation to children in grades K through 12. The program is designed to help students recognize, embrace, and nature their interests. The basis of this program is the firm belief that when a student has a valid interest in something, there is greater potential for learning, as interests can lead to passions. Through a PowerPoint presentation, Mr. Bootman takes students on a visually exploratory journey, sharing his own childhood experiences in Trinidad and the US. Students will gain a better understanding of patience, perseverance and process as they are guided through an anecdotal telling of his experiences as a student and artist.
Fees: (Negotiable)
Within NY State
- $1050/day (3 presentations)
- $850/day (2 presentations)
- $500/day (1 presentation)
Outside NY State
- $1200/day (3 presentations) plus expenses
- $750/day for two schools (2 presentations per school) plus expenses
To learn more about Colin Bootman and his publications please visit www.colinbootman.net.
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