The Sun Is Yellow

Gr 1–4—A squat, gray frog who lives in a house shaped like a colored pencil travels through an abstract land adorned with splashes and dots of color. The frog encounters a cast of eclectic characters, including a woeful snail, the yellow sun, a red moon, and a jester named Kasper. Although the story is convoluted, the modern illustrations are fascinating. The bold collages radiate a surrealistic but childlike charm that will appeal to art aficionados of all ages. On the final spread, the now-smiling snail moves among an array of colored pencils while two other quirky characters float in the air. The pages of this unique celebration of "reds, yellows, greens and blues" include flaps and wheels just right for little fingers to lift and spin. For a more straightforward salute to the varying shades and hues found all around us, some readers might prefer Tana Hoban's Colors Everywhere (Greenwillow 1995).—Linda L. Walkins, Saint Joseph Preparatory High School, Boston, MA