All The Colors of Life

ALL THE COLORS OF LIFE is a beautiful collection of illustrator Lisa Aisato’s best work, some of which has been previously unpublished. Aisato is a popular illustrator in Norway and has created for magazines, books, and even film! As she has a mountain of material to pull from, for this book, she hand-chose the images to be included, eventually starting to see a theme, which allowed her to add in narrative commentary about the evolution of life. The stages the pictures take us through are: A Child’s Life, A Teenager’s Life, A Life of One’s Own, A New Life, A Grown-Up’s Life, and ultimately, A Long Life. The theme underlying each transition is “I hope you felt you were loved.”

The artwork in this book is glorious. It’s so fun, vibrant, colorful like the title suggests, and inventive. Each page flip is a feast for the eyes, and in this case, you can truly judge the book by its cover as it’s a good indication of what you’re in for: a magical and mystical visual journey. Upon finishing the book, it’s clear to me why Aisato has had such a celebrated career as her art is not just good, it’s entertaining and emotional.

The accompanying text reminds me a bit of a Pixar film, particularly with the sentimentality and nostalgia it exhibits toward the circle of life and the passing of time. As someone who’s attended both a funeral and baby shower in the span of one week, I found it particularly poignant, especially the last image of the old man walking towards the moon with the young children. Because the images are so evocative, the text is less important, but that being said, the copy could have been stronger and less repetitive.

That aside, ALL THE COLORS OF LIFE is an exquisite gift to offer to someone, as well as a treat for house guests if you have it displayed on a coffee table to leaf through. People of all ages will find value in this book as it’s written for everyone to enjoy.