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Bri Chronicles:  This is Bri Chronicles back at y’a!

Today I have a special friend. She is a special person because, she can write, she is a writer, a singer, a painter, a teacher, I mean come on, she is a woman of all trades! She’s doing all the things.

Colette:  I try, I try

Bri:  Oh, you are doing a great job!  Let me tell you, she even writes poetry!
I wish I could just have you recite a poem (laughter), a poem right now.

Colette: I write poetry but spoken word…I’ll leave that to euh..what was her face at the inauguration, like let the young ones lead. [FYi: her name is Amanda Gorman]

Bri Chronicles: Oh my God. Let me tell you when she speaks (Colette), she speaks in such a way it inspires you.  So I absolutely had to bring her on. And she love kids, like, as a passion. 

Colette:  and they’re pretty cool.

Bri Chronicles:  Yeah, and they think you are pretty cool.  You see her direct kids sing.    We are in a choir and she does an amazing job with them. The choir that she directs when the kids are singing always leads people to stand on their feet.

Colette:  We have a lot of fun.

Bri Chronicles:  Good times eh?  

Colette: yeah

Bri Chronicles: Man, we can’t wait for that to come back.

Colette: Get back in person & do some movements.  I can’t wait to be able to move like that again one day.

Bri Chronicles: oh my God. ( laughter). Amen?!

Bri Chronicles: (holding book, nodding at Colette). 

Colette: So, that face, Abigale’s face. It’s a morph between two of my goddaughters when they were really little.

Bri Chronicles:  I didn’t even know that, look at that, my word.

I really want to know where you came up with the inspiration.

Colette: God. I’m thinking of going to grad school I have no money, I have part time jobs right now and I like to draw. But it actually came out at a time I was very depressed actually.  And I was just drawing.

Bri Chronicles: this is your drawing?

Colette:  Yes.  I was drawing.

Bri: wow

Colette: I was trying to figure out what to do next, where to go, law school or teachers college, what am I doing? And this is what was happening while I was trying to figure out my life in my bedroom. I do not have one of those stories where I set out to do this.
But the doodles came together as I was asking God what to do and how to pay for school.

I’m drawing as I’m asking Him, He’s already answering my questions.

Bri Chronicles:  Look at all these pictures, you did this?

Colette: I did this with a friend of mine at the time. I did all of the, I coloured everything by hand, did the first parts of the concept drawings, all of it and then she came and made the details, made it nice and put it together.

Bri Chronicles:  This is amazing.  You’re very talented.

Colette:  Praise God.

Bri Chronicles: Definitely. You know what like? Sometimes, it takes a time of difficulty for you to actually step up and want to do something, so this is very inspiring.  

See I told you guys, she is very inspiring look at that. So go out there and get something done that you didn’t think you would do!   You’re a writer!

Colette: Listen, and outside of the box man, that’s outside of the box.

Bri:  That’s amazing.  

Ice cream adventures.  

Tell me a little bit more why Ice Cream Adventures? Why that title specifically?

Colette: I love ice cream.  Kids love ice cream.  I love ice cream, ice cream doesn’t love me.

Bri Chronicles: There is some ice cream that you can enjoy.

Colette:  Now there are. Back then when I wrote this book, the whole plant based & vegan thing wasn’t really a thing yet. It was just kind of starting but it wasn’t packaged nicely and everything tasted like cardboard for the most part, so, that wasn’t there yet.  But it’s very simple, I like ice cream and I knew I wanted the setting to be in summer.  I was looking back in my days when we chased the, we didn’t really have an ice cream truck growing up, we had an ice cream van, so a man with a van, and a man with a van was actually ok back then.

Bri Chronicles:  It was and you would run to it, yeah, it was not an issue.

Colette: Yeah, and we didn’t even have to play, we just knew around the time there was a certain place. That’s where that kind of came up, summer, adventure, I like ice cream, kids usually like ice cream.

Bri Chronicles: Ice cream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream (laughter)

Man, now I’m craving for ice cream.  I’m not a big ice cream person to be honest I used to be, but I don’t know, my adult palette will not enjoy it as much.

Colette:  That’s because it’s not that real anymore either.  It’s not the same stuff.

Bri Chronicles:  Maybe.

Colette: I only eat like Hagen Daas now.  

Bri Chronicles:  ooooou

Colette: I know, I sound bougie.   Whatever. (laughs)

Bri Chronicles: But that’s ice cream and it’s delicious.

Colette:  And it’s real.

Bri Chronicles:  It’s real. Facts.  So guys, we might be making you hungry but hopefully at the same time, you will come and check this out. Right!   

So you are mostly talking about children enjoying ice cream (in your book)?

Colette: No. It has actually pretty much nothing to do with ice cream per say. I don’t want to say a whole bunch about the book because I want you to come and get it.

Bri Chronicles: Exactly.

Colette: It’s really about teaching young people perseverance and having a goal, setting a goal for yourself and working towards making a goal happen for you. It’s not a selfish thing or just only for yourself but in turn helping others.  Without saying what is going on in the book, she (Abigale, the character in the book) does incorporate the help of her family, extended and neighbours and you know the entrepreneur spirit of being persistent until you reach your goal was the key and the whole goal for the book.

Bri Chronicles: Great.  I like the idea.

Colette: and because I’m a teacher and a nerd, I put in a little bit of um, 

Bri Chronicles: teaching nuances.

Colette: A friend of mine used it for her first grade numeracy program.  She did a chapter on numbers and money. She used it for her numeracy lesson.

Bri Chronicles:  I would show you a sneak peak but I want you to actually grab it and see.  It’s really cool.

Colette: Yeah, and it’s something where um

Bri Chronicles: it’s helpful to kids.

Colette:  Yeah. They can read it themselves or other people can read it to them, it’s interactive.

Bri Chronicles:  Wonderful! I love that! I love the whole concept of it.  I’m really proud of you.

Colette:  Thank you!

Bri Chronicles: Yeah. When I heard you wrote a book I’m like, yes, I am supporting. No doubt about it and now I got my hands on it.  So exciting.

So tell me why a children’s book, why not like an adult book or…why specifically children.  I can of could guess why but tell us why?

Colette: umm, wow.  I guess when I was drawing. A character that came up there was that one. Abigale’s face kept coming up. I have a heart for children. I mean there are stuff that I would love to write for adults but they are so heavy sometimes. Also, especially being here in Ontario,Toronto Canada, I wanted on the shelves, we’re seeing it a little more now, but back then we weren’t really seeing books with kids that look like you or your nieces or your nephews or your kids so 

Bri Chronicles: Very true

Colette: I wanted to have a book where the neighborhood children looked like the neighborhood where I grew up. Where you had black & brown children, you had Asian children but you know on the cover you had this black girl.  Seriously, I did it so that my nieces and my God kids could go and say I like that book.  There was “Christopher Clean Up Your Room”, there were a couple of them that we grew up on but at that time it was lacking.

Bri Chronicles: I think we are seeing it more and more it’s kind of trickling in.  I’m seeing a lot more people wanting to write books with people of colour or black kids on their books, just to attract those specific kids because, they have a particular experiences other cultures have not experienced right. So it’s important to have them be able to identify themselves on something amazing like a book.

Colette: Yes and I want to say something else too. It might come out kind of weird but I was tired of seeing books where if our face was on the cover they were in the hood or something.  Like have them in the park, have a lawn, have them running around in the grass you know.  We’re not just one set or living one set or acting just one way. So, it was a waste of picture just visually showing the whole gambit of what we are as people.  

Bri Chronicles:  I like that and Ice cream I mean, just that title alone, I know a lot of kids identify themselves when they see ice cream or popsicles and running after it, so that’s a smart decision. When they open it and start reading, they are learning something amazing it’s not just a story, it’s also learning at the same time. So fantastic.  

Colette: That’s right!

Bri Chronicles:  So I’m expecting more…

Colette: Oh.  It’s coming.  You know how you have to put things out there, it’s coming.   I’m working on two & three things right now.    I can say, the title of my next one is called “Something For Free L.O.V.E”.  So, that’s coming up! I’m excited about that, to working with somebody really amazing. A Toronto artist who…she’s just  great. So…

Bri Chronicles: You heard it first, nice!!

Colette:  Yeah I know!  I haven’t said this out loud!

Bri Chronicles: Awesome! 

Colette:  Anyways.. trying to be cool, trying to be cool!

Bri Chronicles: Coming soon.  Well, get your hands on this one first in order to enjoy the other ones that she is bringing.  

Where else will you be, tell us, where else will you be. Where can we find you and things like that, because I do know you have other endeavours that.. 

Colette: Yeah, so especially for literacy and the book, 

Instagram direct message me @Embracingstages on Instagram and that way I can get the book out to you.  Also, you have daily quotes and words of encouragement and inspiration at that same place on Instagram.

Facebook my name Colette Leader, like, follow the leader for real! Kalumbi. So I’m doing that.  

What else am I doing, oh! Because we are not singing together right now, my husband plays the piano. So we’re on Facebook. You can find him Pascal Vasco and Saturday night around 8 we go on live for a very short period of time, sing a couple songs and we’re out of your hair!

Bri Chronicles: The songs are inspiring as well. They are praise and worship songs and old hymns. It’s nice to see a couple that loves God, enjoys it and are bringing it to you guys out of the goodness of their own heart, they are sharing it.

Colette: and because of COVID

Bri Chronicles: You know for some people they are like COVID! and they are upset about it but some people are like ah, thank you COVID.

Colette: We have to do something about it, you know.

Bri Chronicles: Right, COVID bringing people together as well so, there is nothing wrong with that.  So Pascal Vasco, V-A-S-C-O right? & then Colette Leader, L-E-A-D-E-R Kalumbi.  And IG: @embracingstages.   

I will have the links in here so you guys will be able to click on it.  Especially on my blog so no worries there.  So Bri chronicles like I said it’s back at y’a.  

This is my good friend Colette.  It’s nice to see her after a whole year and a half almost.

Colette: It’s actually been like 18 months yeah.

Bri Chronicles:  What?! Anyway, it’s nice finally we are able to see each other.  And you’re looking good. You are.

Colette: likewise

Bri Chronicles:  I try, it try

Colette:  I try too!  I think it’s because school is over huh?!

Bri Chronicles: Listen, today was the last day for me.

Colette: That was the after glow, the educators glow.  I can see the light.

Bri Chronicles:  It was like a countdown.  Let me tell you.  So happy I’m free, it’s vacation time now.

Colette:  We need to tell them the truth, you know we are never really on vacation.  We get the week after school is done and then it’s back to accelerated learning and all kind of different things.

Bri Chronicles: Then sleep will be a wonderful thing.  But yeah, thank you for joining me today and I will see you back soon.

End of interview