Hello, friends! Our book today is Vivid: Poems & Notes About Color by Julie Paschkis, a delightfully quirky look at all our favorite hues.

Using a loose structure, nearly each spread is dedicated to a color, except when two colors share one, or one color gets two in a row. The accompanying poems are almost exclusively free-verse, keeping the language short, simple, and easily accessible for readers of all ages. Eccentric topics of verse range from diving into an ocean that becomes bluer the deeper one goes, a cat and dog discussing various shades of red paint colors, and an artichoke-dragon-giant foodchain. Each page also features a nonfiction fact or point of interest on the featured color, such as the etymology of the word “green” or an explanation of why purple is associated with royalty.

Very interesting! Let’s face it: with the breadth of color books out there, it’s always nice to see one that stands out, and this one does. The poems are unique and original, yet still very child-friendly for the most part. And the illustrations, rich with pigment and graceful, flowing figures, are beautiful and fun. The length is great, and we easily finished the entire book in a single storytime (not always the case with poetry books). And of course, JJ loved finding the colors and animals throughout. A fresh take on a well-loved subject, and we appreciated it. Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)