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

Discover a world of creativity and tradition in this fascinating picture book that explores the history and cultural significance of the color blue. From a critically acclaimed author and an award-winning illustrator comes a vivid, gorgeous book for readers of all ages.

For centuries, blue powders and dyes were some of the most sought-after materials in the world. Ancient Afghan painters ground mass quantities of sapphire rocks to use for their paints, while snails were harvested in Eurasia for the tiny amounts of blue that their bodies would release.

And then there was indigo, which was so valuable that American plantations grew it as a cash crop on the backs of African slaves. It wasn't until 1905, when Adolf von Baeyer created a chemical blue dye, that blue could be used for anything and everything--most notably that uniform of workers everywhere, blue jeans.

With stunning illustrations by Caldecott Honor Artist Daniel Minter, this vibrant and fascinating picture book follows one color's journey through time and across the world, as it becomes the blue we know today.

Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
Published: 02/15/2022
ISBN: 9781984894366
Pages: 40
Weight: 1.25lbs

Review Citations: Booklist 10/15/2021 pg. 44
Publishers Weekly 01/10/2022
Horn Book Magazine 01/01/2022 pg. 130
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 01/01/2022 - Book Of Special Distinction