#303 of 1001 · May 30, 2021

All who see color begin to assign it significance, dreams and treasured memories linking to specific tints and shades. In her lush and introspective prose poem They Say Blue, @jilliantamaki explores the personal meaning color can accrue over the years of a complex human life. The narrator, a young girl taking in the chromatic richness of the world around her, reflects on each hue she encounters and its association with her life experiences. Her aura radiates outward, orange on the side where she holds an egg, red on the side of her heart; she rides a boat over fields of golden grass; she stretches her arms up and becomes a tree, standing still with the passing of seasons; she looks out the window to see the blackness of her hair echoed in the feathers of crows. Tamaki’s lyrical writing draws the reader in with well-chosen phrases and powerfully tactile imagery. Her stunning art, a mix of acrylic painting on watercolor paper and digital technique, employs strong line and vivid color, imbuing the meditative story with a strong sense of forward motion. #blue #orange #red #gold #gray #purple #green #brown #white #black #color #colors #book #books #childrensbooks #picturebook #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks