This Is Orange: A Field Trip Through Color

K-Gr 3–In a book that is a tour de force through world history, the natural world, and cultural studies, the color orange becomes the focal point for a quick romp through languages, the arts, foods, memorials, flags, and holidays. The painterly drawings in this illustrated book begin with a quick look at different types of citruses—some common, some less so. It continues with an explanation of how the color came to be and the global trade that had to be in place for people to begin to have a word for the color. A section is dedicated to the science of paint pigments and famous art pieces from Mark Rothko and Christo and Jeanne-Claude. The book refers to the ritual of mourning in cultures around the color orange, such as the Mexican tradition for Día de Muertos and the Canada’s September 30th commemoration of the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit children who were taken from their homes and sent to government schools.