Vanishing Colors

Gr 2-4-Trying to fall asleep in the squalor of a war-ravaged city, a young refugee girl observes, "We wait for the planes that will come. For the bombs that will fall." In dreams, an enormous black bird reminds the child of happier times like wearing a new red dress while waiting for her father, watching a golden dawn, or going to an outdoor market in the middle of town. The bird strokes her cheek and explains how a flock of birds stayed together for a dangerous journey; "Look up at the rainbow... It makes a bridge across the sky. Remember how much more we can do together than alone." At end, the girl and mother, carrying small luggage, walk toward a rainbow. Duzakin imbues the mood by conveying the real world in black, gray, and white, then edging in colors as memories are evoked and for the final page. VERDICT Some advanced vocabulary, somber tones, and the abstract story make this most suitable as a conversation-starter about the effects of war on civilian populations, refugees, and finding hope and resilience in dire circumstances.-Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA