My Blue is Happy ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

My Blue is Happy
by Jessica Young
illustrated by Catia Chien
(Candlewick Press, 2013)

My Blue is Happy tells of a young girl and her interpretations of the emotions associated with different colors. This book about colors is a wonderful resource for exploring colors, emotions, and two ways to look at things.

The main character is surrounded by family members as they point out and comment about colors. What I love is that if a color has a negative association, like red is an angry color, the young girl has the opposite reaction to the color.

Lots of colorful imagery, imaginative language, and wonderful illustrations make My Blue is Happy the perfect book for young readers.

KID KANDY:

Talk About Colors

After reading My Blue is Happy, try and think about how different colors make you feel.

How do you feel when you think of

red? orange? yellow? brown? blue? purple? green? brown? black?

Can you think of a favorite something from each color?

What is your favorite color?

I love colors. Can you find all of the colors of the rainbow in your house? In the yard?

Hurray for colors!

RED, Colors in Nature - Terrific Tuesday Picture Book & KID KANDY

RED, Colors in Nature
By Rebecca Stromstad Glaser
(Bullfrog Books, Jump!, 2014)

Just looking at the vibrant, beautiful colors in RED, Colors in Nature makes me feel like I could touch the pages and feel the living nature items.

In RED, Colors in Nature, the text is simple yet engaging. A red object is pictured. A short sentence labels the photo. And then the question Why is it red? is included. The facing page answers the why question.

This nonfiction picture book will appeal to young readers and pre-readers. Nonfiction features are included, including a glossary, index, table of contents, and text boxes.

RED is not the only book in the Colors of Nature series. I have also found YELLOW and BLUE at my library and they are just as captivating.

KID KANDY:

Go Grocery Shopping

What better place to find a zillion colors on display in something near and dear to our hearts (and tummies) than our fruit and vegetables!

~ Choose one color (or decide to look for several) before you and your child hit the produce aisle.

~ Look for and label foods by color. Language building activities like learning color words and names of fruit and vegetables are essential for young children.

~ Let your child choose one or two foods from a color group to take home and taste. (Hint: This is a great way to get them to try NEW foods.)

~ Older children can make a chart and see how many different types of produce they can find for a chosen color. If your kids enjoy competition, let each choose a different color (in advance of the trip) and see who can find and write down the most of their chosen color.

~ Maybe you have a budding photographer? Let him or her use a digital camera to shoot pictures of colorful produce. Help make slide show of color on the family computer.

Whatever activity you chose, enjoy those beautiful colors of the grocery store produce section.

I See Something Red - Picture Book + KID KANDY Activity

I See Something Red, A Book About Color
Illustrated by Elissa Scott
(Hallmark Children's Editions)


Throwback Thursday Alert: This book was once loved and adored by my children (well into their 20's) and numerous preschoolers and kindergartners I've taught over the years.

I See Something Red, A Book About Color is a simple board book. The brightly colored illustrations and easy to recognize drawings attract young readers.

The words are simple and pictures are labeled. Colors of the rainbow are in order of appearance (in a rainbow). White is included on the last page, a freebie of sorts.

For all of the fun I've had and repeated readings I've participated in, I See Something Red is a bit of a classic in my home and classrooms.

And it goes to show, book publishers can come from anywhere!


KID KANDY:

Color Matching Blocks

Dig out a tub of colored wooden blocks after reading I See Something Red, A Book About Color.

Reread the book. Let your child pull out blocks that match the colors on each page.

Did you make a rainbow?


Angie Quantrell loves rainbows! Learning about rainbows and colors is a perfect theme for spring.


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