During the early days of the pandemic, when uncertainty hung heavy in every household, two journalists and mothers found themselves driven to create something bright and meaningful. Laura Jarrett — now co-host of Saturday TODAY — and fellow broadcaster Poppy Harlow teamed up to write a children’s book with a simple but profound question at its core:

“If love were a color, what would it be?”

Their answer resulted in The Color of Love — a beautifully illustrated story about a classroom of children exploring love through vibrant shades and the diverse families around them.

For Jarrett, the book is more than a creative project; it’s a reflection of what she hopes every child sees when they look at their world.

“We want kids to see themselves and their own families in the story,” she explains. “But also families that look nothing like theirs.”

Jarrett and Harlow first met while co-anchoring morning programming at CNN. Between juggling fast call times and parenting young children, their friendship grew through daily conversations — often before the sun came up.

“We bonded over our kids and how early we’d have to be in the office,” Jarrett recalls. So when Harlow asked if she wanted to collaborate on a children’s book, she didn’t hesitate:
“I said ‘yes!’ immediately.”

Finding the time to write was another matter entirely.

“After our morning shows were over, we’d go into an office, talk about our kids and life for about a half hour, and then say we’d have to get to work on the book,” Jarrett jokes. They wrote every word themselves — and they did it wearing masks.

Those sessions sparked the playful but thoughtful concept that eventually became The Color of Love, published by Penguin Random House.

The story unfolds in a school where a teacher asks her students that big, curious question: What color is love?

Their answers reveal the rich variety of family traditions, identities, and experiences that shape how children understand love:

• Shiny silver like the menorah used in one child’s home during Hanukkah
• Purple like the pin another student’s uncle wears as a symbol of bravery
• Warm and bright, soft and bold — every response filled with meaning

The students then cut paper hearts from the colors they choose, placing them inside a giant display that becomes a patchwork of love — a visual celebration of connection and community.

It’s a message Jarrett hopes resonates with young readers just beginning to understand the beauty of differences and the power of belonging.

Jarrett’s own children — James, now almost 5, and June, nearly 2 — were woven into the project in more ways than one. Their names appear in the book, a detail that thrilled James.

“He loved seeing his name,” Jarrett says, laughing. “But he told me, ‘My hair doesn’t look like that!’”

Having children close in age gives Jarrett a front-row seat to the evolution of early reading habits. While James is devouring the popular Dog Man chapters thanks to his older cousins’ influence, little June has no interest in the classic toddler staples.

“I thought she’d love Goodnight Moon or Blueberries for Sal,” Jarrett says. “Nope. She only wants Sesame Street books. She is obsessed with Elmo.”

Despite their differing tastes, the nightly ritual of reading together remains one of Jarrett’s greatest joys:

“There’s nothing I love more than getting home in time to read to my kids.”

Jarrett acknowledges that asking questions about what love looks like — and who gets to define it — can open the door to deeper discussions, even at bedtime.

And if those conversations delay lights-out by a few minutes?

That’s okay too.

That extra time means something important is happening: kids are thinking about empathy, identity, and the beauty of all families — not just the ones that look like theirs.

Now working at NBC and diving into complex legal stories for television, Jarrett says what she reads off-camera matters. Because her professional world is filled with court transcripts and detailed briefs, she chooses uplifting books at home.

Her current pick came from a familiar face.

“My colleague Hoda Kotb recommended The Pivot Year by Brianna Wiest,” Jarrett shares. “I’m about to crack it open.”

It’s a reminder that even journalists who spend their days reporting hard truths need inspiration too.

The Color of Love isn’t just a book — it’s a mirror for children, showing how love can be:

 Different
 Bright
 Brave
 And beautifully unique

Jarrett and Harlow’s hope is that every child — whether snuggled into a parent’s lap or sitting cross-legged in a classroom — sees themselves reflected in its pages.

A bedtime story that helps kids recognize love in countless forms?
That’s a message worth staying up a little longer to hear.