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Cindy: The Black Book of Colors (Groundwood, 2008) is a gem of a book that flew under the radar last year even though it garnered four starred reviews and a prize at the 2007 Bologna Children’s Book Fair. How does someone who can’t see comprehend colors? Through his other senses of touch, smell, sound, and taste:

“Red is sour like unripe strawberries and as sweet as watermelon. It hurts when he finds it on his scraped knee.”

Most teachers have asked students to write color poems describing colors with other senses and this book would be a good companion to those assignments, but the book design extends this activity in new ways. The book is completely black with the exception of the white text on every other page. The text is presented in black on black braille and the illustrations are done with raised embossed glossy black designs on the right hand pages. The book would also be perfect for diversity projects, to open discussion about how differently we all “see” the world.

Lynn: What if you couldn’t see? What would colors be like? Ask children that question BEFORE you share this amazing book with them. Tell them to close their eyes. Sit back and watch their curious minds fly into places we adults wouldn’t have imagined. Then read the picture book and let them feel the Braille. Ask them to choose another color and write what it would be like. The possible uses of this remarkable unusual book are endless and enlightening. I asked my grandsons who were then 5 what brown would be like if you couldn’t see. One said, “It would be munchy,” and the other said, “No, it would be soft like Batty” (his stuffed toy bat). What would you say? Here’s what the narrator- Thomas – says in the book:

“Brown crunches under his feet like fall leaves. Sometimes it smells like chocolate, and other times it stinks.”

The Black Book of Colors was translated from Spanish and published in Mexico making in ineligible for many American awards. This creative original book should not be missed. Don’t miss Nonfiction Monday today either.

This entry was posted on Monday, October 12th, 2009 at 7:31 am and is filed under Art teachers take notice, Characters with disabilities, Concept books, Picture Books. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.