Blue: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky

In this entrancing metered narrative, Brew-Hammond traces the origins of the color blue—including beliefs around the hue, methods of production and efforts “to make a blue that wasn’t so/ difficult or cruel to produce,” and even resulting idioms. Lilting free verse acknowledges the human pain and labor that went into procuring sources of blue over time, while highlighting the significance the color has held in art, fashion, and culture worldwide. Caldecott Honoree Minter contributes dimensional spreads, rendered in lush layers of acrylic wash that augment the text with carefully balanced abstract images, patterns, and realistic figures, as well as differing shades of the titular color. A vibrant historical picture book that will leave readers curious about other colors. Back matter includes an author’s note. Ages 4–8. (Feb.)