The Horn Book Guide

PICTURE BOOKS

Cottin, Menena

The Black Book of Colors

24 pp. | Groundwood | June, 2008 | Trade ISBN 978-0-88899-873-6 $17.95

(4) K-3 Translated by Elisa Amado. Illustrated by Rosana Faría. A visually stunning book--matte black pages with embossed glossy representations of objects including feathers, kites, and cascading hair--attempts to convey a blind person's perception of colors ("Red is sour like unripe strawberries and as sweet as watermelon"). The premise is condescending (why should blind people concern themselves with colors?), and the parallel Braille text is nowhere near raised enough to read.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano