Review - They Say Blue

They Say Blue
by Jillian Tamaki
Date: 2018
Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 52
Format: e-book
Source: library

In captivating paintings full of movement and transformation, Tamaki follows a young girl through a year or a day as she examines the colors in the world around her. Egg yolks are sunny orange as expected, yet water cupped in her hands isn’t blue like they say. But maybe a blue whale is blue. She doesn’t know, she hasn’t seen one. Playful and philosophical, They Say Blue is a book about color as well as perspective, about the things we can see and the things we can only wonder at.

This first picture book from celebrated illustrator Jillian Tamaki will find equal appreciation among kids and collectors.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This is a simple little concept book about colours and seasons. There's not a lot of story; rather, it's a collection of musings by a little girl about the nature of colours, the changing of the seasons, and the existence of wonders in the natural world.

I enjoyed looking at the pictures in this one. Kids probably will, too. I'm not sure about the appeal of the narrative for younger readers, though. As an adult, I enjoyed it. But it might be a little too philosophical for very young children.

Overall, I'd probably recommend this one to older picture-book readers. It's a little beyond the "learning colours" stage, which is where many books about colour seem to be aimed.

Quotable moment:

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 3/5

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3.5 out of 5