Includas Superhero Interviews
We are so thrilled to interview the Includas Superheroes about how they put together the Includas Coloring Book! They are always fighting the Exclusion Monsters, and we appreciate them taking the time to tell us about their journey.
Incluz
Superpower: making anything bigger
Power-up by: using a cochlear implant or sign language
Motto: Your inner strength is stronger than anything else!
Diverz
Superpower: make anything weightless
Power-up by: using glasses or a feeding tube
Motto: Let your imagination take you to magical places!
Accez
Superpower: make anything colorful
Power-up by: using a wheelchair or rubbing hands together
Motto: Color the world in your own special way!
What inspired you to work together to make a coloring book instead of writing a picture book?
Incluz: A lot of things. Like, a lot, a lot, bigger than the size of my hands going like this when I’m hugging a ball. We like to do a lot of different things, so making a lot of different pages was fun for us to glue together. Do you like sticker dots?
Diverz: Incluz, it’s not just for sticker dot activities. You forgot about the word search puzzles, counting stars, connecting the dashes, matching things, doing races, AND dot marker activities. Different things are fun to do, and you can do them with any kind of pencil or crayon color you want!
Incluz: You forgot the coloring of different superheroes’ outfits. I’m going to dress up in the super glittery one tomorrow.
Accez: We have to remember the important stuff too. We want to help everyone learn about disabilities and have fun with the friends we made in the coloring book
What journey does the coloring book take people on?
Diverz: Oooo, I got this! Wait, what was the question?
Incluz: Let me help. So when we finished, we realized the Exclusion Monsters stole all the colors from the book, so we needed help coloring the pages.
Diverz: I remembered! We have special superpowers but need help with this big mission. Anyone who colors the Includas Coloring Book makes superpowers for themselves and us so everyone can save the day!
Incluz: And scare all of the Exclusion Monsters by kicking their butts!
Accez: Okay, Incluz, kicking monsters away, not b-u-t-t-s. And, we don’t kick anyone, actually. The most important thing is everyone gets to learn about being different and how to be nice and include others. It’s a great way to practice coloring while learning new things about including others.
What was your favorite part about making the coloring book?
Incluz: Doing all the drawings. I added a treehouse because I have a treehouse in my backyard, and it’s my favorite place in the WORLD, so it had to be in the book. And dot stickers. Do you have any around?
Diverz: I also got to help draw cool things like wheelchairs and bionic arms!
Accez: Yes, that was so fun to do. I loved making the mazes and word search puzzles.
Incluz: I helped with those too!
Diverz: We worked together to put all the different pages together, and it was awesome! Minus the dot stickers, which is what Incluz wanted the whole book to be.
Why is the coloring book important?
Accez: You get to color in characters in wheelchairs like me! You also learn new things like the English Braille alphabet so that you can write your name in braille.
Incluz: You can feel bigger and stronger by learning about others. Like a lot bigger like, a lot, a lot, so I can hug everyone in a big way because I can understand different people.
Diverz: There’s so much you can learn! There are letters, and words, and sign language, and pictures, and devices, and dot stickers. Did I say dot stickers? How did that happen?
What do you hope everyone takes away from the coloring book?
Incluz: That being yourself is the best, and being different makes you even cooler. And dot stickers: you can make big rainbows with them.
Accez: That you can color inside or outside the lines any way you want, and no one else can tell you how to color! That’s why I also love my superpower.
Diverz: Well, I think making things float is cooler to me. That’s the great thing about the coloring book—it can help kids like us find their own superpower!
Incluz: It’s true, our coloring book is magical!
Any advice for those who haven’t found their superpower yet?
Accez: Don’t worry if you haven’t found yours yet. Everyone’s superpowers are different, and different doesn’t mean bad. Your superpower is a part of you, but it’s not the only part—being yourself is a superpower too!
Incluz: And that’s what the coloring book is all about! Learning what you’re good at: maybe it’s connecting the dashes or making an airplane fly.
Diverz: Once you do find your superpower, use it for good, not evil. And together, we can make the world a better place.
Includas Coloring Book Sneak Peek
