My Blue is Happy (Jessica Young and Catia Chein, Candlewick Press, 2013)
My blue is also happy, but that is not the reason why I put My Blue is Happy down and said “wow” after the first time I read it. I promptly sought out the author’s website and learned that this book has won some awards and had many other nods from the children’s literary world – indeed, it is not only my newest favourite picture book. The colour pallet of the illustrations cleverly match the colour being discussed on a given page. The green and the black two-page spreads are mesmerizing, while the brown and pink pages have plenty of kid appeal. A final page turn that leaves readers feeling warm and satisfied is the (blue) icing on the cake. I feel happy just writing about this book.