Happy Black History Month, readers! We’re kicking off February with this terrific children’s picture book about perspective and empathy and quietly standing up for yourself, because who couldn’t use a little more of that right now?
Robert is a creative kid who has the eye of an artist. He never assumes that anything is just one color or only ever a certain color. When it comes to art and the human experience, he trusts what he sees instead of making assumptions based on how things “should” be.
His teacher Mrs Murphy is almost his complete opposite. She likes things to be predictable and orderly, even when making art. If you’re going to paint a picture of the sky, for example, she thinks you should use the blue marker, regardless of what the sky actually looks like at the moment of depiction. She’s usually too busy to look for herself, after all, so it’s easier and tidier to just default to blue, regardless of whatever spectacular array of colors is actually on display. She and Robert often butt heads, but nicely, on what color the sky is.
On the last day of school, Robert finally uses the blue crayon to color the sky before saying goodbye for the summer. After he leaves, Mrs Murphy can’t help looking at this final piece of art he’s left her and feeling, strangely, a sense of loss. Robert has finally done exactly what she’s been insisting on all year, so why does she feel like she’s the one who’s been defeated? When he comes back in search of forgotten crayons, the two sit down and draw together, in an unspoken truce where Mrs Murphy finally accepts that not everything can be neatly categorized away, whether it be colors or papers or joy.
Al Singh
Doug Merrill
Doreen Sheridan
Emily Lauer
John Pitzel
Lars N. Goldschlager
Laura Eilers
Professor X
Robert Maedgen
Sylvere Ap Leanan
The Shire