Starred Review for Publishers Weekly (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Having expertly explored letters in <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">The Hidden Alphabet, Seeger now turns her attention to colors, again using die-cuts to great effect, neatly revealing objects with correct and incorrect hues. The book begins with the title statement (the line is reused with different objects and colors throughout) on a yellow spread; a die-cut opening in a lemon shape, on the right, allows the red hue below to show through. When readers turn the page, they discover that the red shade is part of an apple, while the die-cut lemon shape, now on the left, appears in its proper yellow, from the previous spread ("Lemons are <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">yellow/ Apples are <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">red"). The heavy brushstrokes that Seeger applies to the backgrounds and objects add pleasingly tactile textures to the otherwise simple, cutout shapes. Other color pairs show a gray flamingo that turns its proper pink next to an elephant's profile, and blue grass (of the non-twangy variety) that becomes green next to a cloud-swept blue sky. After revealing the moon to be silver and the night to be black in the penultimate scene, the light of a die-cut window in a small country cottage goes dark as readers turn the page and the text bids them "Good night!" Vaccaro once more delivers a compositionally faultless primer. Ages 2-5. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(Oct.)

ALA Booklist (Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 CST 2005)

This creatively designed volume combines an introduction to colors with a bedtime story. Cutouts of various items, such as a lemon, a carrot, and a flamingo, show through to the next page, revealing colors these objects are not. Simple, repetitive text provides the names of the items and colors: Lemons are not red, Carrots are not purple, and so on. When the page is turned, an object of the correct color is now revealed, for example, a bright-red apple. Backgrounds show textured brushstrokes of thick paint, which contrast nicely with the flat style of the cutouts. There's no cutout at the book's end, just an outlined slice of moon: The moon is not black / The moon is silver / The night is black / Good night. This engaging presentation invites participation, but the small trim size, although suitable for children's hands, may make group sharing difficult.

Horn Book

This color concept book shows pairs of objects (fruits, animals, vegetables) first in the wrong color through a die-cut hole, then correctly after a page turn. Young children will enjoy the feeling of superiority as they work to provide the correct answer before the page turns. The colors and textures look nearly edible, and the heavy paper should stand up to multiple readings and pokings.

Kirkus Reviews

A few words, a handful of brilliant colors and a bewitching idea will enchant the youngest of book lovers and their resident grownups, as did Seeger's Hidden Alphabet (2003). "Lemons are not RED," proclaims the text, as emphatically as any three-year-old, except that the die-cut shape of a lemon on the page appears, quite clearly, to be red. But when the page is turned, and the text "Lemons are YELLOW" appears, the die-cut shape displays the proper, enticing yellow. The following page pronounces, "Apples are RED," and displays a shapely, luscious specimen. Carrots aren't purple, flamingoes aren't gray, and grass is not blue; each cut-out displays the wrong color and then rights itself. Seeger has done marvelous things with her brushwork, from impasto to shimmering smoothness, so that the color values are emphasized by texture. Clever, imaginative, and utterly beguiling. (Picture book. 3-7)

School Library Journal

PreS The creator of The Hidden Alphabet (Roaring Brook, 2003) offers another visual treat. The text is appropriately spare. The first spread reads, "Lemons are not/ RED." The word "RED" appears on a bright yellow page beneath the die-cut shape of a lemon with a red background showing through. When the page is turned, the die-cut shape falls on the correct yellow background, with the words "Lemons are YELLOW" underneath. The red background of the facing page is revealed to be an apple, with the phrase, "Apples are RED." This framework continues throughout the book, and children will quickly catch on and join in the visual game. The paired objects are related, which gives the text an internal consistency. However, the choices never become predictable, so a sense of surprise is always maintained. For example, Seeger couples reindeer with snowmen, flamingos with elephants, and the moon with the night sky. Illustrated with richly colored yet simple oil paintings, this offering will delight preschoolers. Robin L. Gibson, formerly at Perry County District Library, New Lexington, OH