My Blue Is Happy
Illustrated by Cátia Chien, published by Candlewick Press
Follow one girl’s journey through her neighborhood as she explores what colors mean to different people. Is red angry, like a dragon’s burning breath? Or brave like a fire truck and a superhero cape? What about black and orange and green?
Author and former art teacher Jessica Young challenges common assumptions about colors and celebrates individual perspective. Brazilian-born artist Cátia Chien provides her own interpretation in this ode to colors and the unique ways we experience them.
“Blue is sad and red means angry, right? Not for a thoughtful girl who sees colors less conventionally than those around her. . . . Young . . . gently introduces the idea of opposites and invites children to consider the different feelings colors can evoke.” —Publishers Weekly
“Art teachers will gravitate toward this upbeat title to let children begin to explore the importance of color. . . . Having children compare their notions of the same colors would make for some great conversations. This child knows her own mind and feelings and isn’t about to have someone else’s associations color her world.”— School Library Journal
“It’s at once a celebration of the world and its colors and a book about feelings and perceptions, contrasting the differences between the way two people see the same thing. . . . Readers and young listeners can have some good conversations about their own color perceptions after sharing this warm, deceptively simple concept book.” —The Horn Book Magazine
“The fresh associations and vivid, concrete descriptions of abstract feelings and ideas will surely inspire young readers and listeners to think about new ways to describe what they see, think, and feel.” — Cooperative Children’s Book Center
“In this delightfully original picture book, author Jessica Young takes a fresh look at familiar colors, using them as the foundation for a story that celebrates individuality and the pleasures of living in a world informed by multiple perspectives.” — BookPage
2014 Marion Vannett Ridgway Award
2014 Charlotte Zolotow Highly Commended Title
Best Books of the Year for Children and Young Adults, 2014 Children’s Book Committee at the Bank Street College of Education
Texas Library Association’s 2014 2×2 Reading List
2013 Library of Congress/Center for the Book 52 Great Reads
Nominated for 2016-2017 Volunteer State Book Award; 2016 Ladybug Picture Book Award; the 2015 Ontario Library Association’s Blue Spruce Award; 2014-2015 Abilene ISD Mockingbird Award; 2014 Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators Crystal Kite Award (Finalist)
Ontario Library Association’s Best Bets 2013
Toronto Public Library’s 2013 First & Best Booklist
Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s Spring 2014 Best Books for Kids & Teens
Association of Children’s Librarians of Northern California 2014 Distinguished Books list
Best Books of 2013, San Antonio News-Express
The Atlantic Wire’s 2013 look at fall picture books
School Library Journal: “How Do You Feel Today? Great Books about Emotions”
The New York Public Library: Color Philosophy and Synesthesia in Literature
Ordering options:
Available at bookstores and online retailers.
Order signed/personalized copies here.
Activities:Download printable activities and learning resources.