Picture Book Review: Pink is Not a Color by Lindsay Ward

Image: Author's Website

Pink is Not a Color by Lindsay Ward. unpgd. Two Lions, July, 2022. 9781542026864. (Review of finished copy courtesy of Blue Slip Media.)

Adorable little Pink is perfectly pleased with the predominance of her favorite color in her abode. She sports pink boots and a pink unicorn headband. She paints pictures of her pet, Phil, the flamingo in her room. All is well until she finds her friends the primaries decorating for a rainbow party and realizes that she's not included. The secondaries are included, but she's not part of the rainbow and the party is a rainbow extravaganza! Wait! Could this mean Pink is NOT a color? All the other colors rush to make amends, but the damage is done. Pink is in a full-on mid-color crisis. 

The very best picture books entertain while they subtly teach. This book pairs wonderfully with This Book is Gray to introduce color theory to just about any age group. There's energy in the illustrations as well as plenty of visual humor leading to many happy requests for rereading. Additionally, the lessons here are also social emotional. Young readers who are not feeling self-confident can relate and confident young readers have the opportunity to empathize. 

The end pages are decorated and contain great information. Unfortunately, part of each is covered by the flaps, which isn't a problem for home libraries. Minor niggle. I still love decorated end pages. Pink is Not a Color is a joyful addition to any library. 

November is Picture Book Month! Picture Book Review: My Favorite Color by Aaron Becker

Image: Candlewick Press

My Favorite Color by Aaron Becker. unpgd board book. Candlewick Studio/ Candlewick Press, September, 2020. 9781536214741. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

I love how the title of this book asks "Only one?" I feel the same way. I have lots of favorite colors. They usually match my mood.

Aaron Becker follows his lovely, You are Light  with this magical book. Simple, tactile and intriguing, this inviting board book will have readers young and not-so-young, returning again and again to flip pages to watch the change in hues with each page-turn. So many shades of color to enjoy and name! Indeed, how can only one be a favorite?

My Favorite Color is a terrific gift book and should find a place in pre-schools and art classes as well as comfy laps to explore, discuss and appreciate color. Here's a short video of the creator talking about his book. Don't miss this gem.

Picture Book Review: Calm Down, Zebra by Lou Kuenzler

Image: Faber and Faber

Calm Down, Zebra by Lou Kuenzler. Illustrated by Julia Woolf. unpgd. Faber and Faber, April 21, 2020. 9780571351701. Review of finished copy courtesy of publicist.)

Dutiful big sister, Annie decides to teach baby Joe his colors. She gathers some animal friends and paints their portraits using proper colors, Frog is green and Lion is sunshine yellow; but she becomes a bit stumped when she tries to paint Polar Bear. That's when Zebra steps in and livens things up by giving Polar Bear pink stripes. Zebra doesn't stop there, though. Soon the sheep and llamas are covered in stripes and Annie is about to lose it. Too late, the other animals join the fun by painting polka dots and spots and Joe is just tickled. 

This punchy story in rhyme flows easily off the tongue and will be a hoot to read at story time or bedtime. It's sure to prompt giggles and requests to read it again. Exuberant, energetic illustrations add to the humor in this humorous and joyous celebration of thinking outside the paintbox. 

Calm Down, Zebra is a fine addition to any library collection! 

Picture Book Review: Green on Green by Dianne White

Image: Simon & Schuster

Green on Green by Dianne White. Illustrated by Felicita Sala. unpgd. Beach Lane Books/ Simon & Schuster, March 17, 2020. 9781481462785.

A happy belated book birthday to Green on Green on Tuesday. The book got lost in the shuffle of end-of-trimester grading and the beginning of our school's virtual learning experience due to Covid-19. My apologies. Reading it today was the perfect antidote to a stressful, uncertain week.

A beautiful brown-skinned, blue-eyed child passes through a year in his idyllic home surrounded by nature and the love of his parents. The spare, impressionistic text focuses on color, the seasons and the family bond. Eagle-eyed children will spot small details in the background as the year passes. The warm, retro feel of the illustrations are the stars here. Each spread lusciously depicts the thriving, curious boy who is immersed in nature and his parents attention. Green on Green is a lovely addition to any library. 

Picture Book Review: This Book is Gray by Lindsay Ward

Image: lindsaymward

This Book is Gray by Lindsay Ward. Unpgd. Two Lion/ Amazon Publishing, December 1, 2019. 97811542043403. (Review of finished copy courtesy of Blue Slip Media.)

If you are a person who skips the end-pages, dedication and title pages, stop right now! You absolutely must not. This book is adorbs as Lindsay Ward's books are wont to be. The primary and secondary colors are busy drawing a rainbow. Even Black and White have jobs drawing clouds. Poor gray is stuck on the sidelines. He moans, "They never let me color!" on the dedication page. On the title page, he resolves to "show them!" And so, he sets out to write and illustrate his own book, "the grayest book ever!" It is perfect until the primary colors get into the act. Blue asks, "Dude, where's all the color?" Soon, the secondary colors chime in. Poor Gray!

The dialogue is filled with puns, word-play and the familiar cadence of playground oneupmanship. The text does double-duty as readers learn color theory as well as inclusion. Astute readers will notice the entrance of Brown and may wonder where he fits in. Brown is neither primary, secondary nor achromatic, but a composite color. This is not noted and gives curious readers the opportunity to look it up. This Book is Gray would be a great introduction to color theory for elementary art teachers. 

The closing end-pages jar a bit visually. Part of both of the end-page is cut off by the flaps. Young readers will want to spread open the flaps to take in the full spread. It's going to be tough for librarians to tape down those covers! #librarianwoes. The front and back flap cover a third of each of the end-page.

This Book is Gray is a fun addition to any elementary, home or public library. Check out this terrific review at Babiestobookworms for great connecting activities to try with your students!

Lindsay Ward is the creator of the Dexter T. Rexter series as well as Brobarians, Rosco vs. the Baby, and The Importance of Being 3. Her book Please Bring Balloons was also made into a play. Lindsay lives in Peninsula, Ohio, with her family. Gray is one of her favorite colors. Learn more about her online at www.lindsaymward.com.


Twitter: @lindsaymward

Picture Book Review: You are Light by Aaron Becker

You are Light by Aaron Becker. unpgd board book. Candlewick Studio/ Candlewick Press, March 26, 2019. 9781536201154. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

Startling in its simplicity, You are Light is a unique concept book that can be read on many levels. Toddlers will be charmed by the soothing text, clean design, die-cuts and color surprises. It's the perfect lap book, a bedtime story to bathe a little one in affirmation and love before slumber. Older readers will be intrigued by the impressionistic lessons about evaporation and photosynthesis. It is also meditative, encouraging all readers to embrace interconnectivity. 

You are Light is a conversation-starter in an elementary class about empathy. It's a perfect baby gift. I'm gifting a copy to a favorite yoga teacher who is starting her own studio for the book evokes the phrase, namaste, which has been explained to me as, "the light in me sees and honors the light in you." This book made me sigh with happiness.

Picture Book Review: Who Eats Orange? by Dianne White

Who Eats Orange? by Dianne White. Illustrated by Robin Page. unpgd. Beach Lane Books/ Simon & Schuster, August 14, 2018. 9781534404083. (Review from finished copy courtesy of Blue Slip Media.)

Happy book birthday tomorrow to Who Eats Orange? This vibrant book invites young readers to consider color, food and animals. They may even think a bit about what colors they like to eat.

The Q& A format follows a fun pattern of three animals which do eat the color in question. The fourth...doesn't, but does eat a different color. The color that is being eaten may be a fruit, vegetable, an animal or even flowers. Most are recognizable, but a few puzzled. Never fear, the text is followed by a two-page spread identifying the animals as well as the foods they eat.

The illustrations are textured and set on a white background allowing each animal to pop off the page. I found the bear, marmot and reindeer particularly appealing because the fur was especially fuzzy and inviting. And those eyes on that bear!

This book will have a variety of uses from teaching colors to expanding palates with young readers.

The Great Big Green by Peggy Gifford

The Great Big Green by Peggy Gifford. Illustrated by Lisa Desimini. unpgd. Boyds Mills Press, April 1, 2014. 9781620916292. (Finished copy courtesy of publisher for review.)

Here's another book celebrating the color green. This time, it's a guessing game. Just what is the great big green? Playful language provides clues on each page that includes all manner of green things, living and non-living.   

If the lush, inviting cover doesn't hook young readers, I don't know what to say. The computer-generated collages are the stars here. There's so much to see, the eye just doesn't know where to settle. Younger children will have a blast lingering on each page.  

I'm not a huge fan of the color green, I love looking at it in nature, but am hard-pressed to purchase any green clothing although I did buy a green-leather couch. I was particularly tickled by the "dark and dangerous greens" and "tornado-sky greens." 

The Great Big Green is a nice addition to the pre-school collection.