What Can Colors Do?

April 1, 2021
Fine-arts masterpieces presented to showcase properties and possibilities of color. Reproductions shine on the page, though no titles or artist credits appear until the backmatter. Frantisek Kupka's Disks of Newton is a colorful explosion; Jasper Johns' Nines combines simplicity with nuance in a three-primary design. However, Baill's definitions and explanations sink the project. Peter Paone's Someone's Topiary and Victor Gabriel Gilbert's Poppies in a Field both effectively demonstrate exciting ways that red and green can offset and enhance each other, but the crucial term complementary is missing, as are the other two complementary pairs (yellow/purple, orange/blue). Displaying silver and gold, the text claims that "shimmery shades that are perfectly polished are called metallic"--but any hue can shimmer, depending on material and light; those two are metallic because they're metal, not because they're shiny. The explanation that two primaries mix to make each secondary receives a mere Venn diagram as demonstration. Two reddish-brown goldfish by Roy Lichtenstein are nowhere near a primary red but are absurdly called "rosy" and "primary." Minuscule print and thumbnails arranged in columns (not rows) in the backmatter demand extra effort to identify the works. A stumbling author's note mentions the Black Lives Matter movement because "privilege and injustice [are] inherent in skin color," the word inherent implying that racial justice is impossible and that racism's caused by literal hue. Little eyes will like the stimulating visuals. Skip the words. (project ideas, works cited) (Informational picture book. 2-6)

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April 15, 2021
Grades K-3 With a bold yellow cover, a title in rainbow letters, and bright, patterned motifs, this book has to be about color. Rather than telling young readers what the colors are, the author shows them how colors can be used to create different effects in art. To make her point, Baill uses examples from the collections at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. For instance, a morning fog scene by Claude Monet exudes cool colors, calligraphy with thick, curvy brushstrokes by Shikō Munakata contrasts colors, and a portrait of James Baldwin by Beauford Delaney combines colors to produce light and shadows. Paired with short yet descriptive text, the artwork introduces even more color theory, such as primary, secondary, and complementary colors and color shades, names, and patterns. Guided questions also ask children to consider these techniques as well as their own favorite colors and different feelings associated with colors. Extended back matter includes hands-on activities to experiment with color, color charts, and thumbnails of featured artwork. A visually rich experience for exploring art.

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