Book Review: Blue (children's picture book, dog)

Blue, by Laura Seeger (Roaring Book Press, 2018, 40 pages, ages 3-6, pre-school to grade 1, $17.99) New York Times best selling author, Caldecott author, and author of the Dog and Bear books

What starts with the color blue and ends with the color blue - and what color then starts again until the circle is complete yet never-ending?

Too esoteric?

Not at all: children understand this beautiful blue story about the circle of life, told in pictures, and a few words, of course - but very few.

Yes, a book of few words - 17 to be exact! (But one is repeatedly repeated, of course – blue. like in the title)

And this reviewer tears up each and every time she reads Blue (but she can’t put it down and may just buy another copy to keep on her bedside table in addition to the one in the children’s room).

Oh, What a Beautiful Story

Blue begins with a young pup and a young boy and a blue bone, a blue blankie, a blue bear, a blue ball and blue rattle, all on the same page. Then we watch both the young boy and the young pup grow and grow and grow, but always with a blue something sharing the page. They play (berry blue) and they paint (maybe blue), we see them on the ocean shore (ocean blue) and flying balloons (sky blue) and at night (midnight blue). And the boy grows older and the pup grows old. . . .

Memories

Blue is a good book for memories of family pets who have passed away, but Blue is best a few weeks or months afterwards, to remember the joy in the life of the relationship – how it started when both were young and how, now that the child is older, they will find other relationships but always remember the first.

The Cover Paw and Other Secrets

Look carefully at the blue front cover of this book and you will see a dog paw. (What do you see on the back cover?)

Can you find the strategically placed cut-outs on each page that lead to the next?

Awards to Come

Blue follows on the heels of Green

(also with cut-outs - watch the trailer here) and surpasses it. I wonder what the next color and book will bring.

Blue is a new book (September 2018) and hasn’t had a chance to win all the awards I know it will, so keep your eye out – Blue is worth it!