Gray
by Laura Dockrill; illus. by Lauren Child
Preschool, Primary    Candlewick    40 pp.
5/24    9781536235463    $18.99
e-book ed.  9781536237153    $18.99

This visually and metaphorically resonant picture book follows a child living through a day when they are not “sunshine yellow” or “balloon bright.” Instead, they describe themself as “gray today. I just am. I am gray. Gray is when I don’t feel like me.” Dockrill uses simple and evocative metaphors to reflect a feeling to which many young readers and listeners (and probably many older ones, too) can relate, and to demonstrate the bleakness of dour thoughts. A sympathetic caretaker provides gentle reassurance that the colors inside a person don’t go away, even on gray days, and their love for the protagonist won’t go away either. Child’s distinct mixed-media illustrations, with engagingly varied compositions, shift between grayscale and sunny hues to create a contrast that embodies the sense of being “gray like the storm in the clouds” in a colorful world. The text lets readers and listeners accept feelings of darkness, and reminds them, “It’s OK to feel gray.” The art manages to convey both the protagonist’s emotions and the wonders that can be present on an average gloomy day. Altogether a welcome reminder that even on the grayest days, hugs (and support from others) can help, and color can return.

From the July/August 2024 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.