Kirkus Reviews
Two circles of different colors compete to prove each is the best in the latest from the creator of I Used to Be a Fish (2016).Blue shows that it is associated with first-place ribbons, the moon, caterpillars, frogs, etc. (Kids may wonder about some of the choices.) Yellow proudly displays a crown, trophy, and school bus. The first asserts that it "is the only color that has its own music," while the second responds, "but the instruments are yellow." Details on the Photoshopped circles and other images are drawn with Sharpies, and the compositions range from scattered items on a page to more-compelling double-page spreads contrasting the fastest (a cheetah) with the largest (a whale). Eventually two vehicles collide and form green. Just as they decide that they are "best…TOGETHER!" a red stop sign appears. Although red starts to make a pitch, before the conversation can get rolling in earnest, a primary-hued rainbow concludes the story. Those learning colors and vocabulary will enjoy the conflict and concepts, but literal-minded children may be bothered by the need to suspend disbelief about basic objects, some of which are questionable examples, while others are arbitrary. Minor flaws aside, the book presents color blending in an entertaining way. (Picture book. 2-5)
School Library Journal
(Sun Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)
PreS-Gr 2 A great competition beginsBlue vs. Yellow. With each succeeding page, the debate continues to highlight every reason to favor or dislike the hues. "Blue is the color of the whole sky," but all you see in the sky "is a bright yellow sun." "If you're blueyou're sad." Or "if you're yellowyou're a scaredy-cat." "The FASTEST animal in the world is yellowbut the BIGGESTis blue." As the merits of fast yellow cars and big blue trucks are extolled, an unexpected mid-book explosion challenges readers with an opportunity to explore the merge of the two colors, the glory of green and the impossibility that yet another colorRed might actually be the best. Humor propels the conversation while simple dot shapes and common objects accented with black populate the pages with additional yellow or blue digital images. VERDICT While nothing new or groundbreaking here, this is a general purchase for schools, art classes, and libraries where young readers enjoy the humor of persuasive speech in the context of an outrageous competition. Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano ISD, TX