About This Book:
Poetic words, evocative art, and die-cuts throughout combine to explore a child’s moods through color—or the lack of color—and offer a reassuring message of love and acceptance.
Today I feel gray.
But that’s OK.
Some days you may feel sunshine yellow or orange-balloon bright. Other days you’re gray, or even night-sky black—like a dark scribble on a page, a storm in the clouds, or a puddle in the road. Gray is when you don’t feel like yourself, or like you don’t belong. But however you feel, there are big hugs (red) and loving lullabies (blue) waiting, and even the grayest sidewalk is a canvas for you to fill with the colors you choose. A tender narration from British spoken-word poet Laura Dockrill and subtle, spare artwork from former UK Children’s Laureate Lauren Child offer a comforting read for young children that addresses feelings of sadness and assures them that they are never alone.
*Review Contributed By Connie Reid, Staff Reviewer*
Phenomenal Read
Gray is about a child who feels gray for no reason. The illustrations are phenomenal in conveying the emotions this child feels. The cut-outs on some of the pages make for an intriguing addition to the story and how they are incorporated into the story on both sides is clever. The gray is contrasted with other colors and simple illustrations that distill these big emotions into the relatable context of a child’s experiences. I love the message of support at the end from a family that says they love them whatever feelings they have and even when you feel gray the rest of the feelings have not gone away and can come again. With more children identified with some degree of depression or feeling down this is a great read to make them feel seen and support them through the gray times. Overall, this is a fantastic read when learning how to express our emotions that would be great for a counselor, therapist, or parent to use.
