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Blue

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

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Blue

Written by: Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond
Narrated by: Tashi Thomas
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About this listen

2025 Georgia Children's Book Award, Nominated
2022 NCTE Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children, Winner
2023 Texas Bluebonnet Master List, Nominated

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 wonderful audiobook for listeners 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.

This vibrant and fascinating picture book, adapted for audio, follows one color's journey through time and across the world, as it becomes the blue we know today.

©2022 Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond (P)2022 Listening Library Art Chapter Books & Readers Geography & Cultures
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What the critics say

"Sumptuous art that never stops surprising."—NPR

"Entrancing... A vibrant historical picture book that will leave readers curious about other colors."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Brew-Hammond’s graceful prose and fluid organization, coupled with Minter’s emotive illustrations, set synapses firing."—The Bulletin, starred review

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