I Am Good News extends upon the concept behind Dr. Cole's first published children's book, No Bad News.  Winner of the 2002 Ridgway Honor for Best Debut in Children's Literature, No Bad News tells the story of a young child who views the world negatively at first, but gradually with the help of his community and a little self reflection, begins to see the good news all around him, and most of all within himself. 
This time Marcus was going alone. A journey was about to begin. - photo by John RuebartschWith photography by award winning photographer, John Ruebartsch, No Bad News beautifully illustrates how good news is in every community and in every home.  The story begins with Marcus having to get a haircut, but today he has to walk to the barberbshop alone.  On the walk there, Marcus sees a lot of bad news—buildings covered in graffiti, people drinking outside a liquor store, and police cars everywhere. By the time he reaches Mr. Jackson's barbershop, he feels pretty low. Mr. Jackson and everyone else in the shop can see that Marcus is upset. One by one, they tell him all about the good news that's in their neighborhood. As Marcus walks home, he not only sees good news, he decides he's going to be good news.

Marcus listened as Mr. Jackson reminded him of all the good news. - photo by John RuebartschSince its publication in 2001, No Bad News has received a wealth of critical acclaim and been used in classrooms across the country to teach such topics as conflict resolution, diversity, social issues, problem solving, family relationships and most recently was featured on greenliteracy.org as an example of how people efectively interact with their environment.  Some of the aforementioned critical acclaim includes,

"Milwaukee resident Ruebartsch illustrates Marcus's journey with bluntly realistic black-and-white photos, parts of which become hand-colored as Marcus, making his way home and seeing his community in a new light, resolves not just to observe the good news, but to make some of it himself. It's an unabashed pep talk, overlaid with just a veneer of story, but Cole, a clinical psychologist, speaks directly to the concerns of many young people, and rightly suggests that real change comes from within."
Kirkus Reviews

"There's a combination of realism and hope in this photo-essay about a young African American boy who discovers the riches of his city neighborhood....This is clearly message more than story, but many children will like seeing a place like theirs in a book. Moving black-and-white photographs of [an urban] neighborhood show the warmth between Marcus and his mom, the scariness of his walk alone, the vitality in the barbershop, and—with a touch of color added to the pictures—the joy of his journey home."
Booklist
Mr. Alexander asked, "Marcus could you give us a hand?" "Sure thing!", he replied. - photo by John Ruebartsch