*I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
Title: Brown is Warm, Black is Bright
Author: Sarah L. Thompson
Illustrator: Keith Mallett
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: August 20, 2022
ISBN: 9780316424196
Synopsis:
Have you ever paused to wonder about the power and beauty of brown and black? Brown is strong as a tree and sweet as honey in tea…a river of music from rippling strings. Black is hte hopeful promise of a seed and the grace of a bird in flight…the quiet space where dreams begin. Lyrical text and lush imagery celebrate these two essential colors that capture all the richness and depth that life, love, and the natural world have to offer.
Brown is Warm, Black is Bright is a beautiful new children’s book celebrating colours that are often not included in children’s books about colours: brown and black. In the author’s bio, she states exactly this fact, and with her book, she brings together a thoughtful, calm, and lovely depiction of these two colours through the eyes of a young girl. Brown is warm, beckoning, and safe while black is flight, hope, and deep. These colours are predominant elements of the natural world, it is only right we observe them for their true beauty: in the colours of feathers on wings, the dirt paths that lead us home, the leaves that quiver in the breeze, the night sky that spans horizons.
Thompson’s voice is full of strength and power, accompanied by the gorgeous depictions illustrated by Mallet. Words and art are paired together to tell a moving story that goes beyond the basics of colour, but highlights truths and realities in the world around us. This story highlights themes of equal rights for women and the fight against racism. These colours are powerful and they speak not only of nature, but of history and culture. A tender, poignant, lyrical, and moving piece, Brown is Warm, Black is Bright is an excellent addition to any young reader’s collection.
Haapy reading!
Worn Pages and Ink 