Children’s Books
Many of these books are also suitable for adults! Ordered by publication date.
Sekaninova, S. & J. 2021. Colors in Nature. Albatros Media. Illustrated by M. Konecna
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Magnificent, hand-painted illustrations by a rising star of Czech watercolor illustration―perfect for beginning painters! Nature is teeming with incredible colors. But have you ever wondered how the colors green, yellow, pink or blue might taste or smell? What could they sound like? Or what would they feel like if you touched them? Nature’s colors are so wonderful and diverse they inspired people to use the names of plants, animals, and minerals when labelling all the nuances. You will learn that the colors and elements you find in nature are often closely connected. Will you be able to find all the links in each chapter? And if you are an aspiring artist, take our course at the end of the book and you’ll be able to paint as exquisitely as nature itself does!
Osada, H. 2020. Every Color of Light: A Book about the Sky. Enchanted Lion. Illustrated by Ryoji Arai, translated by David Boyd
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Every Color of Light opens on a lush, green forest in the rain. Illustrated by the masterful Ryoji Arai, the calm is shattered when the wind picks up and lightning cuts the sky. Yet out of this turbulence, the day blooms bright, the flowers open, and raindrops roll and drip down to the forest floor. The sun sets. The moon rises, and in a pool of water we see its reflection. We go to sleep with the forest, sinking into the pool, into the calm reflection of the moon. Harmonizing our human experience to the natural world, Arai invites the reader to hold imaginative space for our oneness with the natural world.
Fulford, J. & Shopsin, T. 2018. These Colors are Bananas. Phaidon Press
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An inversion of the way we typically look at color, this book challenges readers' predispositions towards using a particular crayon for a particular object. 11 items are each presented alongside a grid of color ranges: the "apple" page features yellows, greens, and reds; the "egg" page a range of greens to grays; even "grass" is surprising, with suggestions of pink. Published in association with the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Daywalt, D. 2013. The Day the Crayons Quit. Philomel Books. Illustrated by Oliver Jeffers
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Poor Duncan just wants to color. But when he opens his box of crayons, he finds only letters, all saying the same thing: We quit! Beige is tired of playing second fiddle to Brown. Blue needs a break from coloring all that water, while Pink just wants to be used. Debut author Drew Daywalt and New York Times bestseller Oliver Jeffers create a colorful solution in this playful, imaginative story that will have children laughing and playing with their crayons in a whole new way.
George, P. 2013. Magic Colors. Boxer Books
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Flip through the see-through acetate over the different-colored pages to see a transformation happen right in front of your eyes as new colors and new pictures emerge. An alternative to mixing paints, this is a different approach to understanding subtractive mixing.
Seeger, L.V. 2012. Green. Roaring Brook Press
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How many kinds of green are there? There's the lush green of a forest on a late spring day, the fresh, juicy green of a just-cut lime, the incandescent green of a firefly, and the vivid aquamarine of a tropical sea. In her newest book, Caldecott and Geisel Honor Book author Laura Vaccaro Seeger fashions an homage to a single color and, in doing so, creates a book that will delight and, quite possibly astonish you. This title has Common Core connections. The author also has written similar books on Red and Blue.
Rosinsky, N.M. 2002. Light, Shadows, Mirrors, and Rainbows. Picture Window Books. Illustrated by Sheree Boyd
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Learn about the importance of light in our everyday lives. Discover how to make reflections, shadows, and rainbows. This is a great nonfiction read-aloud book with places to stop to do activities together. If you are looking for clear, concise science books for kids, this is a perfect start!
Katz, K. 2002. The Colors of Us. Square Fish
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Seven-year-old Lena is going to paint a picture of herself. She wants to use brown paint for her skin. But when she and her mother take a walk through the neighborhood, Lena learns that brown comes in many different shades. Through the eyes of a little girl who begins to see her familiar world in a new way, this book celebrates the differences and similarities that connect all people.
Carle, E. 2001. Hello Red Fox. Aladdin
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In this imaginative book, Eric Carle invites young readers to discover complementary colors while enjoying the amusing story of Little Frog and his colorful friends.
Kramer, S. 1995. Theodoric’s Rainbow. Scientific American Books for Young Readers. Illustrated by Daniel M. Duffy
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A fictionalized account of the scientific experiments of Theodoric of Freiberg in the fourteenth century--based on his original scientific drawings--follows him as he investigates how a rainbow gets its colors and offers clear, simple explanations and evocative drawings. (Out of print – used copies available)
Heller, R. 1995. Color. Grosset & Dunlap
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Demonstrates how artwork is reproduced from pictures to a printed page by taking readers through each step of the process, and includes a four-page acetate printer's proof and a sample of a finished work. (Out of print – used copies available)