How to Be a Color Wizard: Forage and Experiment with Natural Art Making

by Jason Logan (Author) Jason Logan (Illustrator)

How to Be a Color Wizard: Forage and Experiment with Natural Art Making
Reading Level: 6th − 7th Grade

In a bountiful book combining art and chemistry, a celebrated ink maker invites kids to become color wizards--by foraging and transforming natural materials to make their own paint and artistic creations.

In this book you will find secret recipes, magic formulas, and wild experiments that will delight your friends, intimidate your enemies, and turn you into a color wizard.

What colors might await in a leafy forest, a berry-stained back alley, a seaweedy beach, or even the dark corners of an ordinary fridge? With this book as a guide, curious young wizards can make natural confetti, unlock the hidden color power inside a leaf, and craft a paintbrush wand. They'll brew magic potions from beets and acorn caps to produce their own colors, from the darkest black to the palest pink to invisible ink, then share their discoveries with friends, family, and the whole color-hungry human race.

With whimsy and infectious enthusiasm, master ink maker Jason Logan explains the science of color while presenting "quests," recipes, and hands-on activities using materials kids can find in their own homes and neighborhoods. Featuring both photographs and the author's own gorgeous homemade-ink illustrations, How to Be a Color Wizard is an ideal blend of art and science--plus a little bit of magic.

Select format:
Hardcover
$22.99

School Library Journal

Gr 4-7--This work combines art and chemistry to teach kids how to create vibrant inks and paints from natural materials. The author offers clear, step-by-step instructions for fun projects using common ingredients, alongside safety tips and a whimsical personality quiz. Featuring bright photos and Logan's own illustrations on a white background, this beautiful book is rich with text and visual appeal, perfect for outdoorsy and creative types who don't mind getting a bit messy. Some kids will enjoy the wizardry and chemistry at the beginning, while others may prefer to jump straight to the specific color recipes they want to create. The children featured in the photos have diverse skin colors. An index is included. VERDICT This guide will find an audience among creative and curious types. A general purchase.--Kate Rao

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Kirkus

Starred Review

Wizardly advice and instructions for creating inks and art from common and found ingredients. . . . Brightly hued photos both on their own and in montages feature close-up views of supplies in raw and finished states.

Jason Logan
Jason Logan is the founder of the Toronto Ink Company (maker of ink for Margaret Atwood, Yoko Ono, Michael Ondaatje, and Harley-Davidson). His art has been exhibited in New York City, Los Angeles, Toronto, and the Yukon, and his inkmaking revolution has been featured by the New York Times, Martha Stewart, the New Yorker, and NPR. His book for grown-up wizards, Make Ink: A Forager's Guide to Natural Inkmaking, was included in the Guardian's Best Books of 2018 roundup. The Colour of Ink, a film featuring his work, was a special selection at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2022. He can be found picking up rusty nails and scavenging for berries on the streets of Toronto, where he lives with his family and a giant dog known as Baby.
Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9781536229400
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Mit Kids Press
Publication date
September 10, 2024
Series
-
BISAC categories
JNF051110 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Science & Nature | Experiments & Projects
JNF051070 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Science & Nature | Chemistry
JNF006070 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Art | Techniques
Library of Congress categories
Color in art
Chemistry
Dyes and dyeing
Color in nature
Pigments
Dye plants
Forage plants

Subscribe to our delicious e-newsletter!