A review by middle_name_joy
Vanishing Colors by Constance Ørbeck-Nilssen
3.0
Don't let the sunny cover fool you; trust the title.
All hope and color has vanished for one refugee girl and her mother, who take shelter in a bombed-out building on their journey toward safety.
The charcoal drawings are stunning, and succeed in creating a dark mood. It is reminiscent of [b:Rose Blanche|830051|Rose Blanche|Roberto Innocenti|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1347635664s/830051.jpg|1176812] in confronting the stark reality of conflict. Sparks of red and yellow and purple make appearances within the girl's memories of the time before displacement.
As an adult, I was enthralled by the drama of this picture book, and applaud the artistic representation of losing hope and gaining it back shade by shade. As a teacher, I recommend using it with older grades who can process the images and story.
All hope and color has vanished for one refugee girl and her mother, who take shelter in a bombed-out building on their journey toward safety.
The charcoal drawings are stunning, and succeed in creating a dark mood. It is reminiscent of [b:Rose Blanche|830051|Rose Blanche|Roberto Innocenti|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1347635664s/830051.jpg|1176812] in confronting the stark reality of conflict. Sparks of red and yellow and purple make appearances within the girl's memories of the time before displacement.
As an adult, I was enthralled by the drama of this picture book, and applaud the artistic representation of losing hope and gaining it back shade by shade. As a teacher, I recommend using it with older grades who can process the images and story.