The Other Colors

February 25, 2013
Primary colors are just so... primary. This square-format ABC book focuses on colors that readers have probably seen, but perhaps never before heard named. Large white capital letters appear against solid blocks of color, while alliterative phrases describe the image on the opposing page. “Ecru egg exhibits elegant eclectic exterior,” reads one phrase, referring to a photograph of a delicate speckled egg. Cutting’s images combine the playful with the elegant: “Khaki kingbirds keep kites knotless” in one scene, while in another stones are serenely stacked upon one another (“Periwinkle pebbles produce pleasing patterns”). If the sentences sometimes favor linguistic novelty over discernable meanings (“Zaffre zesty zebras zigzag zoo zone”), the book is still a visual and verbal treat. Ages 4–up.

March 15, 2013
A small, square art project of a volume, attractive and even lovely, but probably not for children at all. This is an alphabet book. Each opening has a huge letter facing a photograph, and under the letter, a description of half a dozen words or so describes the image. The "alliterations," as the text is called, all begin with an unusual color name--the titular "other colors"--that describes the background and the object pictured; each word begins with the same letter--no exceptions. Some of these words are easily assimilated: "Azure abalones always attract adoring admirers" places the variegated abalone shell on a bed of azure with glassy spheres around it. There's ecru, mauve, periwinkle and wisteria, among others, each with an artistically manipulated photograph. The image is fancifully saturated with the color, as "Harlequin hedgehogs" (it's a shade of green, at least according to the book) match their grassy landscape. "Byzantine" is a deep berry color, and "Fandango" is a deep pink. None of these colors is defined except by the images, so it is hard to know how true they are, and some of the lettering on the paler colors disappears entirely. Reading the words aloud is fun, but the whole is more like an artist's book than an abecedary for children. Pretty enough but perhaps a little self-indulgent. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)

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August 1, 2013

Gr 1-3-Alliteration and photography meet in this vibrant picture book. Gates and Cutting introduce hues such as "azure," "byzantine," "chartreuse," "debian," "ecru," and "fandango" to begin the impressive vocabulary lesson. Each photo presents an alphabet-inspired sentence highlighting the palette of the first word found on each page. As "Taupe tortoises traipse the terrace timidly," the reptilian subject is shown facing readers with a solemn gaze. While children learn that a "Yellow youthful yardbird yearns yucca," the illustration displays a carving of a small bird contemplating a photograph of a favored plant. Subtle and playful, the image ranges from natural to contrived to fit within its confined color range. Branching out from the norm, this volume would fill in nicely as a vocabulary builder or story starter.-Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano ISD, TX

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