Red Green Blue: A First Book of Colors by Alison Jay

On a rainy day, a little boy escapes into a world of nursery rhymes that is filled with a rainbow of colors.  He moves past icons of nursery rhymes like Little Boy Blue, Miss Muffet and her big black spider, Bo Peep’s white sheep, and five pink piggies.  Keep a sharp eye out for other nursery rhyme characters in the background, because there’s a list at the end of the book to see if you spotted them.  Told in a style that only Alison Jay could achieve with her vintage, crackling illustrations that maintain a modern energy, this book is sure to be a winner with preschoolers.

Jay has such a distinct and unique style that you can spot her books from afar.  Just as she has with counting books and alphabet books, Jay has once again captured the timelessness of childhood here.  Her exceptional illustrations bring energy and fun to the simple text which focuses on colors and characters.  It is in the illustrations that the world comes to life and there is a depth that makes exploring them ever so much fun.

Make room for this one in your section on colors and in your section on nursery rhymes.  Combining the two is a brilliantly colorful idea.  Appropriate for ages 2-5.

Reviewed from copy received from Dutton.

Also reviewed by On My Bookshelf.