Red Yellow Blue

PreS-Gr 1– Red is very proud of all his creations. He is hard at work coloring roses and apples, fire trucks and wagons. Yellow and Blue want to work together to make even more beautiful things, but Red would rather go it alone. Only when Yellow and Blue show how delightful the color green can be does Red realize that working singly can be lonely. All of the colors finally come together to awaken a beautiful sunset. The illustrations are high-contrast and streamlined, boldly floating on a white background. The anthropomorphic characters are transparent, which aids in demonstrating secondary colors. For example, young children can easily see that orange appears when red and yellow overlap. Further samples of each color abound in the fun shapes and objects floating around the pages, such as orange apricots, goldfish, and butterflies. The color wheel instruction is best suited to preschool and kindergarten children, but the book has much more to offer. Going beyond the relationship between red, yellow, and blue as colors, there is an equally significant exploration of the relationship between Red, Yellow, and Blue as sensitive, feeling characters. As the story progresses, Red experiences a wide spectrum of feelings, including worry, frustration, annoyance, and later a sense of belonging and pride. The deeper layers to the story will encourage emotional exploration and prompt discussion with older children. The back matter, intended for adult readers, offers suggestions and strategies to support the healthy emotional development of children.