Blue: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky

In this entrancing metered narrative, Brew-Hammond traces the origins of the color blue--including beliefs around the hue, methods of production and efforts "to make a blue that wasn't so/ difficult or cruel to produce," and even resulting idioms. Lilting free verse acknowledges the human pain and labor that went into procuring sources of blue over time, while highlighting the significance the color has held in art, fashion, and culture worldwide. Caldecott Honoree Minter contributes dimensional spreads, rendered in lush layers of acrylic wash that augment the text with carefully balanced abstract images, patterns, and realistic figures, as well as differing shades of the titular color. A vibrant historical picture book that will leave readers curious about other colors. Back matter includes an author's note. Ages 4-8. (Feb.)

Gr 1-4--"The color blue is all around us. Have you ever wondered where it comes from?" Thus begins a global history of blue: where it is found in nature, the meaning people ascribe to it, the ways people have produced it (lapis lazuli, snails, indigo, chemicals), and the feelings it represents, including, but not limited to, "the blues." Gorgeous illustrations done in acrylic wash on watercolor paper showcase every shade found in the sky, water, cloth, jewelry, and in religious uses. The people depicted are from various times and places, including ancient Egypt, Phoenicia, Indonesia, Mexico, Israel, and West Africa. Back matter includes an author's note, additional facts, and selected sources. VERDICT This history of a beautiful color with a "complicated history" is valuable on its own, and has potential to be used in English, social studies, and art classes.--Jenny Arch