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Dear Book Lovers, Welcome! I am delighted that you have found The Through the Looking Glass blog. For over twenty years I reviewed children's literature titles for my online journal, which came out six times a year. Every book review written for that publication can be found on the Through the Looking Glass website (the link is below). I am now moving in a different direction, though the columns that I write are still book-centric. Instead of writing reviews, I'm offering you columns on topics that have been inspired by wonderful books that I have read. I tell you about the books in question, and describe how they have have impacted me. This may sound peculiar to some of you, but the books that I tend to choose are ones that resonate with me on some level. Therefore, when I read the last page and close the covers, I am not quite the same person that I was when first I started reading the book. The shift in my perspective might be miniscule, but it is still there. The books I am looking are both about adult and children's titles. Some of the children's titles will appeal to adults, while others will not. Some of the adult titles will appeal to younger readers, particularly those who are eager to expand their horizons.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Eighty-Three

You may think that the color blue is just the color blue. Perhaps you feel that there is nothing very special about it. Today's picture book will show you that your perceptions can change if you just learn how to look at things in a new and fresh way.

BluePhilippe Dupasquier
Picture Book
Ages 5 to 7
Andersen Press, 2004, 1-84270-323-4
   A group of boys, Simon, Nigel, Ricky and our storyteller, are constantly getting bored. Nothing seems to keep their interest for long until they meet Sabrina. Though some people think that the red-haired girl is “weird”, the boys go to her house and they are amazed at what they see. This is unlike any house any of them have ever seen, full of artwork and strange looking furniture. Then Sabrina suggests that the children play “the colour game” and the colour she uses to start them off is blue.
   To play the game everyone has to lie on their back and look at the sky. What they see is blue, but they also see other things, They see that blue exists in all kinds of different forms and shades. There is no doubt that Sabrina’s game is not quite what they are used to, but it helps the boys to notice something that they never even noticed was there.
   The author’s very unique cut-out and multimedia artwork adds an interesting dimension to this thoughtful story, which explores the power of art and colour. The boys in the story discover that within each of them they have the power to discover new things and new worlds just by looking at everyday objects that are around them.

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