Click here to watch the book trailer (with original music by Dylan Seeger)
BLUE
Written and illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
A Neal Porter Book/Roaring Brook Press/Macmillan/September 2018
How many shades of blue are there?
There's the soft blue of a baby's blanket, the ocean blue of a romp in the waves, the chilly blue of a walk in the snow, and the true blue of the bond that exists between children and animals.
In this companion to her Caldecott Honor Book Green, award-winning artist Laura Vaccaro Seeger turns her attention to the ways in which color evokes emotion and in doing so tells the story of one special and enduring friendship.
(awards)
American Library Association Children’s Notable Book, 2019
Society of Illustrators Original Art Exhibit Selection, 2018/2019
School Library Journal Best Books of 2018
NPR Best Books of 2018
Horn Book Fanfare Best Books of 2018
Washington Post Best Books of 2018
Wall Street Journal Best Books of 2018
Bank Street College of Education Best Books of 2018
CCBC Choices Best Books of 2018
Amazon Best Books of 2018
Evanston Public Library Best Books of 2018
Winner Wanda Gág Read Aloud Award Honor Book, 2019
(reviews)
starred review/School Library Journal
“The pictures and words will appeal to readers’ emotions, including delight, contentment, exasperation, and profound sadness when the youth is pictured holding his elderly dog for the last time... Precisely placed die-cuts lead readers to the next page and the next illustration depicting the pair’s devotion... A tribute to a heartwarming relationship that will engage readers of all ages."
starred review/Kirkus Reviews
“Seeger unfolds the entwined lives of a boy and a golden Lab, from baby- and puppy-hood through a series of poignant transitions... Delightful, sumptuous, stunning, and heart-stirring.”
starred review/Booklist
“A story full of heart, this works on many levels, assuring satisfying discoveries with repeated viewings.”
starred review/Horn Book
“Inventive... Surprising... A celebration... When was the last time a concept book made you cry?”
featured article/Kirkus Magazine
“Laura Vaccaro Seeger is one of the most talented creators of concept books for young children... BLUE is a tender, emotionally compelling story... Surprises at each page turn... Poignant, deeply felt... An intimate book, a bittersweet meditation on love and loss that ends with hope and the promise of a healing heart. Don’t miss this one.”
featured review/New York Times
”If the state of the world or anything else is putting you in need of a good cry, I recommend Laura Vaccaro Seeger’s BLUE… the phrases all include the word blue — “chilly blue,” “true blue” — the better to show off Seeger’s thick, brushy art and die-cut holes, which are reminiscent of her Caldecott Honor-winning “Green.” The ending made both me and my husband cry. Tempus fugit, but especially, it seems, when you love a dog.”
featured review/Wall Street Journal
“Tender… Complex… Artful… An emotional tour de force that sneaks up on the reader, and when it’s over, all but demands to be read again straightaway.”
featured review/Washington Post
“Seeger’s rich, layered acrylic paintings and 16 two-word phrases form a poem about a particularly sweet lifelong friendship. With its gentle portrayal of love and loss and its deep sense of emotion, Blue will resonate with readers in a way that is musical, meditative, and reassuring.”
starred review/Judy Freeman’s “What’s New In Children’s Literature”
“Wow. That’s what you’ll say when you finish reading and taking in the sweeping full-bleed acrylic paintings in Laura Vaccaro Seeger’s dazzling companion book to her Caldecott Honor-winner, Green. Just, wow! And then you’ll go back and dive in again. Then you’ll look for someone you can share it with… A magnificent to behold.”
outstanding merit/starred review/Bank Street College of Education
“In an emotional story of love, death, and new life, shades of blue portray a life-long friendship between a boy and his dog. Expressive illustrations.”