Review - The Color Collector

The Color Collector
by Nicholas Solis
illustrated by Renia Metallinou
Date: 2021
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

The Color Collector is a poignant story about newness, friendship, and common ground. When a boy notices the new girl picking up all manner of debris and litter on their walks home from school he wants to know why. So she shows him the huge mural she's created in her room that reminds her of the home she left behind. He learns all about where she's come from and they both find how wonderful it is to make a new friend.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

Parts of this book I liked, while other parts left me a bit cold. I'm not even sure why. The premise is solid.

A boy sees his classmate Violet picking up colourful trash and finally asks her what she's doing. She shows him the mural she's constructed on her bedroom wall that reminds her of home in a faraway place.

I guess the reader has to suspend a bit of disbelief that a small child could create the amazing mural depicted in the book. (The kid should have a scholarship to art school if she can do stuff like that!) The idea that she's trying to recreate a bit of her old home is a nice starting point for a story, but the book spends more time focusing on the girl picking stuff up off the ground. And the ending, which has the boy starting to collect colourful trash himself, doesn't make a lot of sense, given that we're not told anything about him. What is he going to make a mural of? We have no idea.

I did like the way the book starts out in monochromatic tones and only gains a little bit of colour at a time until the reader is introduced to Violet's full-colour room. And the mural is great.

Overall, it's an okay book, but I just feel like something was missing. Unfortunately, I can't put my finger on what that was.

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

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3.33 out of 5