Not Quite Black and White

by Jonathan Ying, Victoria Ying (Illustrator)

Overview

Silly animals star in this lively picture book that introduces colors in a unique and catchy way.

Have you ever seen a zebra wearing pink polka dots? Or a penguin with bright-yellow boots?

Debut brother-and-sister team Jonathan and Victoria Ying presents these surprisingly colorful animals and more in this clever celebration of colors.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062380661
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	09/06/2016
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Jonathan Ying has been on a steady diet of cartoons, comics, and fantasy novels since he was young. He’s an author and game designer who currently resides in New Jersey. He arrived there by plane. Visit him at www.jonathanying.com.

Victoria Ying is an artist with a background in animation. She is the illustrator of Not Quite Black and White and Lost and Found, What’s That Sound?, both written by her brother, Jonathan Ying. She lives in Los Angeles and enjoys car rides with her dog, Buster, and being at home with her cat, Boots. Visit her online at www.victoriaying.com.

Editorial Reviews

Animation sensibilities are reflected in the quirky silliness this brother and sister team brings to their first original picture book.” — Kirkus Reviews

“The rhyming text is light and playful and makes for a fun read, whether in an individual or group setting....this is a winner for teaching children colors and a solid choice for storytimes.” — School Library Journal

From the Publisher

10/01/2016
PreS—This title uses various animals to present the idea of color. The animals are drawn in black-and-white, but each has an accessory in a specific color. For example, the story opens with a cute zebra. "Most zebras wear stripes,/but this one does not./She much prefers dressing in pink polka dot!" The illustrations are perfect for the text. The stark contrast between the black-and-white and full-color drawings makes it easy for children to understand the concept. For instance, the zebra is wearing a pink flower on her head and a pink polka-dot skirt. There is a stripe on the top of the page that also emphasizes the color being highlighted. Another strength of this offering is that it covers some more complex colors, such as lavender, aqua, and maroon. Not only do preschoolers learn about these hues, they are also introduced to new vocabulary. The rhyming text is light and playful and makes for a fun read, whether in an individual or group setting. "Dalmatians are sprinkled with spots of all shapes./But some pups feel braver in flowing red capes!" VERDICT This is a winner for teaching children colors and a solid choice for storytimes.—Robin Sofge, Alexandria Library, VA

School Library Journal

2016-07-20
Animation sensibilities are reflected in the quirky silliness this brother and sister team (he a game designer, she a former Disney artist) brings to their first original picture book. Eleven anthropomorphic animals drawn in bold black lines against clean white backgrounds each wear a spot of color: a zebra in a pink–polka dot dress, a Dalmatian in a red cape, skunks in blue swim trunks. One drum-playing kitty even sports an aqua mohawk. Each color/animal appears on a spacious double-page spread in which lead initials of the rhyming couplet that forms the text and each color word are printed in the featured color. The rhymes read smoothly for the most part and provide hints for beginning readers. The colors chosen are not the standard crayon-box eight, and unfortunately they are not all pure colors. The vest on the traffic-directing horse is on the dull-brown side of orange, and the maroon flag planted on the moon by a proud badger is more brown than red mixed with purple, making it less than “striking.” The final message brings all the animals together for two final double-page spreads; while not preachy, it is not at all subtle: “From the darkest of dark to the brightest of bright, / we're each pretty special, not quite BLACK and WHITE.” Despite the missteps, parents and teachers looking to insert a message of diversity into a color lesson could do worse. (Picture book. 3-5)

Kirkus Reviews