I’m always happy to discover wonder in subjects that I know little about – like visual art. Ellen Stoll Walsh’s Mouse Magic makes color theory fun and offers readers the chance to experience how we perceive color. Complementary colors, the ones opposite each other on the color wheel, appear to jump around when juxtaposed. Cool!
The last year has seen some other entries into the “picture books about color and the way we perceive it” mini-genre. An Eye for Color is the story of Josef Albers. After immigrating to the United States in the early 1930s, Albers spent many years systematically studying color relationships until he produced Interaction of Color, a now classic text that demonstrates what he learned in his disciplined explorations. We perceive what we can objectively say is the same color in very different ways depending on the environment the color is situated.
The Day-Glo Brothers is the surprisingly interesting story of how Bob and Joe Switzer developed Day-Glo paint. I know, I know - it doesn’t sound that interesting. Why check this book out? Because Chris Barton shares a great piece of American industrial history and a compelling family story. From one brother’s desire to light up his magic show and the other brother’s need to make money to pay his medical bills after a workplace accident, the Switzers developed something we see every day – those shockingly bright greens, oranges and yellows. Brighten up your own day with picture books at the library.
The Day-Glo brothers: The true story of Bob and Joe Switzer's bright ideas and brand-new colors