June 26, 2026
I am breaking all the rules today. For one thing, this book wasn’t published in my self-imposed, "published within six months of my review” rule. For another, I do not particularly like the color orange. And lastly, this appears to be a children's' book written for adults, one of the banes of my existence. So why are we here today? Why am I recommending this book? Because it’s freaking AWESOME.
Rachel and Julie take us on a magical, historical, and fanciful journey all about orange. How it came to be, how it came to be named, and its significance in cultures. Even how it’s made! Rachel writes in a fun stream of consciousness that really shows how much she adores this topic. Julie recreates the famous Mark Rothko painting, Yellow and Orange. We see puffin feet, which are always orange, and mallard duck feet that turn orange only when they are trying to find a mate. (Did anyone else know this? No one said a word to me, and this is the type of fun fact I live for. If you did know and you didn’t tell me, don’t tell me now, or I’ll hold a grudge.)
I read this to my nephew K, and I am delighted to share that after reading this book, he told me his favorite color was red. Sometimes reading to children is difficult because I don’t know what we are talking about or how we got there. But when I asked about his favorite part, he said loved the orange astronauts' space suits and the fruit drawings. So we did finally get some needed clarity.
Bits and Pieces: The illustrations were created with watercolor, chalk pastel, and digital rendering.
Favorite Park: Would it be wild to say the art and the words? I mean, that’s what a picture book is. But I truly can’t choose which is my favorite. I was inspired to paint one of the medieval ladies Julie drew, because she’s an amazing illustrator.
Not sure about: This was a great book, but it is a touch long for reading aloud. That’s less of a critique and more of a way to let you know to hydrate those vocal cords.
P.S. I will be taking July off from reviews so try not to be sad.
