They Say Blue by Jillian Tamaki

They Say Blue is the first picture book by Caldecott Honor winner and graphic novelist and artist Jillian Tamaki. More of a stream of consciousness meditation that a traditional narrative, They Say Blue follows a girl as she wanders through thoughts and feelings about colors and seasons. Gorgeously, joyfully illustrated, They Say Blue is also a beautifully designed book, printed on thick pages that make the perfect noise as you turn them, housed in a weighty book case that feels important in your hands.

They Say Blue begins, "They say blue is the color of the sky. Which is true today!" Thinking about the blue sky and the blue sea and the way it is like glass when you hold it in your hands, the girl's imagination wanders through the colors and the seasons, as she wanders across the pages of the book. Tamaki's illustrations are filled with movement and the girl frequently has her arms raised, reaching, growing, living.

Tamaki's writing is sparse and poetic, as when the narrators's mother parts her hair in the morning, "like opening a window." Together, they watch black crows bobbing in the field outside as they just, "pull their big bodies into the air. Tiny inkblots on a sea of sky." They Say Blue ends with the mother and daughter, together, in a moment of contemplation and comfort. They Say Blue is definitely the kind of book to read with someone in your lap, or snuggled next to you in bed.

Source: Review Copy