The first time I read Black Bird Yellow Sun, I was not impressed. I read it primarily focusing on the colors. The book contains all of the primary and secondary colors, along with pink and gray. But, like all children's books, I read it multiple times. I noticed how the order follows the day of the bird, from sunrise to sunset, and flows from one page to another. The bird plays in the green grass, but then a red snake appears, and it flies away to the grey mountains. I started to appreciate the book more. It's still not deep, but you could imagine a story. On each page, there is a black bird and an orange worm. I pointed them both out, teaching gestures. Some children may enjoy the search and find the worm.

Recommended age: 0-2 years

Writing style: The text is straightforward. Each page begins with "Black Bird" and then follows with another colored object, like "Blue Moon."

Lexile range (unofficial): 10L - 200L
Decoding difficulty: 2/5
Vocabulary difficulty: 1/5
Sentences difficulty: 1/5
Patterns difficulty: 1/5

Illustration style: The illustrations are a collage. The backgrounds use thick paint, textured like a sponge pressed into the page and lifted. The bird and worm are cut out of cardboard and placed (usually) on top.

Reality-based: Sure. There isn't much of a story here, but everything flows if you think of a bird going about its day. ( )

The back of the book reads "From morning's yellow sun to evening's blue moon, Black Bird discovers the colors of the day."........and that's really all that can be said about it.

It is great for early literacy in that you can talk about the colors on each page. It's also a great beginning reader as there are approximately 16 words in the entire book. And the illustrations are interesting with apparent paint splotches and paper cutouts.

But it's kind of dull to read. Did not love it at all. It's more boring than I wanted it to be. ( )

Light steps away from his familiar, intricate style to produce a bold new board book. A sharply defined black bird stands against bold backgrounds of splashy color; a yellow sun, purple grapes, green grass, and pink flowers. Each background is sponge-painted, with thick, luscious texture. Hidden in each spread is a little orange worm, accompany Black Bird as she discovers the many colors that can be seen throughout the day, from the blazing yellow of the newly risen sun to the quiet blue of the moon against a darker blue sky.

The bold, brief text names the bird and the color in each page and nothing more, but the pictures open up older readers to speculation on a possible story. Why is the bird accompanied by the worm? Is she not hungry? Are they friends? Babies can also appreciate the bold contrasting colors and practice pointing and turning pages as they view each new color and shape.

The book itself is a medium-sized square, about 7x7 inches. It's a thinner cardboard than some board books, but without any additional moving parts should be sturdy enough for many small hands (and mouths) to enjoy it.

Verdict: This departure from Light's usual artistic style will be a welcome addition to board book collections, especially for the youngest of listeners. Recommended.

ISBN: 9780763690670; Published March 2018 by Candlewick; Review copy provided by the publisher; Donated to the library

At first glance, one might find this little board book stark and unappealing and think that something more detailed and riddled with true-to-life illustrations more fitting for a young child. However, after getting into the pages of the book, the simple theme of a black bird (yes, a real black bird and drawn with simple lines in stark black) traipsing through the green grass, on the purple grapes, and through the orange leaves I changed my mind. In Black Bird Yellow Bird the young child has a somewhat innovative way to learn his or her colors. The colors are strong - especially the stark black, and there is a lot of the specified color on the page.

I love the little orange worm that creeps along on each and every page. Little ones will love finding the little critter.

A different sort of book, but truly good and worth considering for home or library.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher to facilitate this review. Opinions are my own and are freely given. ( )

2018, colors, great contarst