{"id":33372,"date":"2018-06-13T22:36:17","date_gmt":"2018-06-14T02:36:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=33372"},"modified":"2018-06-13T22:36:17","modified_gmt":"2018-06-14T02:36:17","slug":"review-of-whats-your-favorite-color-by-eric-carle-and-friends","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=33372","title":{"rendered":"Review of What’s Your Favorite Color? by Eric Carle and Friends"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>What\u2019s Your Favorite Color?<\/em><\/p>\n

by Eric Carle and Friends<\/p>\n

Godwin Books (Henry Holt and Company), 2017. 36 pages.<\/p>\n

This is another book in support of the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, like What\u2019s Your Favorite Animal?<\/a><\/em>. Here again, a set of distinguished illustrators are asked a simple question \u2013 and they all answer in their own unique way.<\/p>\n

This time the question is \u201cWhat\u2019s your favorite color?\u201d<\/p>\n

Some artists give long and thoughtful answers, like Rafael L\u00f3pez:<\/p>\n

The color I choose will surprise you because it dares to be different. No matter what others may say, artists know that gray is magic. It gets along with all the other colors and knows how to make them sparkle. Gray is smart and UNIQUE!<\/p>\n

Like the clever octopus, my good friend gray knows how to change colors to communicate. It comes in many different shades \u2013 from warm to really cool! In some parts of the world, this flexible color even changes its spelling to grey<\/em>. <\/p>\n

When things get noisy and mixed up, gray is like a calm, deep breath.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Other artists, like Mike Curato, are short and sweet:<\/p>\n

My favorite color is Mint because I love mint chocolate chip ice cream.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Or Lauren Castillo:<\/p>\n

I love the way the snow magically paints the world white.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Or Frann Preston-Gannon:<\/p>\n

I love flaming orange. It is the color of the tiger burning bright as it creeps through the grasses of the jungle.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This isn\u2019t a book for preschool storytime, but it is a book for thoughtful reading over and over again. It\u2019s for looking at things differently. It\u2019s for thinking about your own favorite color. And it\u2019s for enjoying the glorious paintings.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not sure why they chose the order they did of the illustrators, except the obvious choice of putting Eric Carle first. The colors aren\u2019t in the order of the rainbow, and a few colors are almost the same. (For example, Melissa Sweet chooses Maine Morning Gray.) At the back, there\u2019s a bit about each illustrator, and the names are in a colored font. I find myself wishing they had used each illustrator\u2019s favorite color for their name, but they didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

All the same, this is a lovely book. It would be perfect for sharing with a budding artist to get them thinking about and seeing colors with fresh eyes.<\/p>\n

What do I mean by seeing colors with fresh eyes? Well, Philip C. Stead\u2019s page is a fine example (though the illustration is what makes it perfect):<\/p>\n

A green frog is green
\nand sometimes socks are green \u2013
\njust like yarn.
\nAn alligator is green
\nunless it hides underwater
\nand then it\u2019s
\ntwo white eyes.
\nGreen grass is green
\nand apples can be green.
\nA tree is green
\nexcept when it\u2019s yellow
\nred
\nor nothing at all.
\nYou know what?
\nA green elephant is green
\nwhen it wants to be
\nand that\u2019s why today
\nmy favorite color
\nis green.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

carlemuseum.org<\/a>
\nmackids.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Buy from Amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Find this review on Sonderbooks<\/a> at: www.sonderbooks.com\/Childrens_Nonfiction\/whats_your_favorite_color.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.<\/p>\n

Source: This review is based on a library book from Fairfax County Public Library.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.<\/p>\n

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