This Is Orange: A Field Trip Through Color

With endearing chattiness and nerdy enthusiasm, this poetic tribute to “the color between red and yellow” feels perfectly poised to turn readers into orange enthusiasts. Poliquin (I Am Wind) takes readers on a meandering journey that connects art, culture, geography, history, nature, and science while discussing orange’s many manifestations (“This mineral is called crocoite. Isn’t it magnificently orange?”). Readers learn that the word is rooted in a Tamil term referring to the fragrance of orange blossoms, then explore how orange plays a starring role in flags and observances, landmarks and works of art, and uniforms that range from spacesuits to monks’ robes. Opaque watercolor, chalk pastel, and digital illustrations by Morstad (A Face Is a Poem) mix impressionistic vignettes with close-ups reminiscent of field notebook sketches, establishing a grounding visual tone that’s calmly observant—all the better to let the central color strut its stuff. By the final page, readers, their eyes opened to orange’s ubiquity, are likely to eagerly concur with the heart of the book’s message: Orange you glad the title color is finally getting its due? Background characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 5–9. Author’s agent: Amy Tompkins, Transatlantic Agency. Illustrator’s agent: Emily van Beek, Folio Jr./Folio Literary. (Oct.)