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Gray

Author Laura Dockrill

Illustrated by Lauren Child

Hardcover

$18.99 US

Candlewick

10.13"W x 11.63"H x 0.45"D | 22 oz | 16 per carton

On sale May 07, 2024 | 40 Pages | 9781536235463

Age 3-7 years

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Poetic words, evocative art, and die-cuts throughout combine to explore a child’s moods through color—or the lack of color—and offer a reassuring message of love and acceptance.

Today I feel gray.
But that’s OK.

Some days you may feel sunshine yellow or orange-balloon bright. Other days you’re gray, or even night-sky black—like a dark scribble on a page, a storm in the clouds, or a puddle in the road. Gray is when you don’t feel like yourself, or like you don’t belong. But however you feel, there are big hugs (red) and loving lullabies (blue) waiting, and even the grayest sidewalk is a canvas for you to fill with the colors you choose. A tender narration from British spoken-word poet Laura Dockrill and subtle, spare artwork from former UK Children’s Laureate Lauren Child offer a comforting read for young children that addresses feelings of sadness and assures them that they are never alone.

Laura Dockrill is a performance poet, illustrator, and author of Angry Cookie, illustrated by Maria Karipidou, as well as the Darcy Burdock series and other books for children and young adults. A graduate of the BRIT School for the Performing Arts and Technology, Laura Dockrill lives in England.

Lauren Child has published many picture books, including The New Small Person, Absolutely One Thing, and A Dog with Nice Ears, as well as the hugely popular Charlie and Lola and Clarice Bean series and a spin-off series of novels about Ruby Redfort. She has won numerous awards, including the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal. Lauren Child lives in London.

Laura Dockrill View titles by Laura Dockrill

Lauren Child View titles by Lauren Child

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Color words signal emotions. . . . Kids will warm to this sweet, understated U.K. import and feel heartened by the caregiver’s comforting reassurances. Youngsters should feel their own moods, notoriously mercurial in childhood, validated. The mixed-media illustrations are appealingly childlike. . . This wise charmer will help brighten readers’ feelings.
—Kirkus Reviews`

[A] visually and metaphorically resonant picture book. . . . Dockrill uses simple and evocative metaphors to reflect a feeling to which many young readers and listeners (and probably many older ones, too) can relate. . . . The art manages to convey both the protagonist’s emotions and the wonders that can be present on an average gloomy day. Altogether a welcome reminder that even on the grayest days, hugs (and support from others) can help, and color can return.
—The Horn Book

If I were still in a school library, I would read aloud and discuss this picture book with every class in kindergarten through fifth grade. It would help us have important conversations about our moods and feelings.
—John Schu

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