In a Blue Room
by Jim Averbeck
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Book Summary Information
Author: Jim AverbeckIllustrator: Tricia Tusa
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-04-01
ISBN: 015205992X
Number of pages: 32
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books
Book Reviews of In a Blue Room
Book Review: 4 1/2* Kind of Blue
Summary: 5 Stars
Young Alice not only loves the color blue, she insists on it, especially at bedtime. This particular night seem to especially need blue, as "Alice bounces, wide-awake past bedtime." Mama brings her a few of her favorite things: White Flowers (lilacs and lilywhites), tea (orange colored, steaming in a brown cup, a "silky soft and warm" cozy quilt (a red and green pattern), and "lullaby bells to sing you to sleep" ("yellow bells on black strings" that "chime softly in the window breeze.")
Alice, of course, recognizes that none of these sleep-inducing objects are blue and she lets Mama know. Mama, however, recognizes that it's not the color that soothes Alice, but the process of sharing beautiful, simple objects with her mother. When Alice comments on the absence of blue, Mama (Zen-like) merely suggests that she smell, taste, or touch what she's brought into the room: Alice is in the moment. Slowly, and perceptibly to the smiling, warm mother, Alice drifts off to sleep. As she lies sleepily and cozy in bed, surrounded by her mother's nighttime gifts, her room turns blue. There's a natural explanation for the blue-bathed room, but symbolically, I think it represents Mama's love and Alice's trust.
That's a beautiful message (if I got it right), but it may be lost on youngsters. In fact, I had to read the book a few times to understand the apparent disjunction between Alice's protests and her next-page acquiescence to each non-blue object. It's not really explained, and one needs to do a bit of intellectualizing to resolve it. However, Jim Averbeck's softly beautiful narrative, the increasingly sleepy-time feeling of the story, and the almost magical blue-bathing of Alice's room when she falls asleep minimize the impact of this slight logical leap. Of course, young toddlers probably won't notice at all, and that's what counts.
Special mention must be made of the gorgeous ink, watercolor, and gouache pictures by Tricia Tulsa, an enormously talented illustrator whose soft, fanciful pictures have enough substance to enhance the overall mood. They're a mixture of old-fashioned Americana--bouncy energy and clutter--combined with a delicacy and atmosphere that recalls minimalist Asian painting and brushwork. The unusual but soothing palette is ideal. Printed on high quality paper, this will likely find a treasured spot in the bedtime library.
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