Emily's Blue Period
By Darienne Stewart,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Sensitive story of using art to process difficult emotions.
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What's the Story?
Emily, an aspiring artist, sees a connection between Pablo Picasso's work and her own life, which is all mixed up. Her dad has moved to a new home, where everything seems to be cube-shaped. Her brother is acting up, and she feels sad. Emily decides she's in a blue period, just like Picasso. She's excited to try a new project -- a collage of her house -- but she's not sure what to do: Emily has two houses now, and she has to decide which one is home to do her project.
Is It Any Good?
This thoughtful book doesn't sugarcoat things: Life can be sad and messy, and there's no easy fix. But blue periods don't last forever, and they can help you find your way back to sunshine. For families going through separation, divorce, or other difficult transitions, EMILY'S BLUE PERIOD is an especially compassionate and helpful book.
Muted pencil-and-watercolor illustrations by Lisa Brown capture the meditative mood. Cathleen Daly's forthright text is worked in and around the artwork, with simply drawn circles transforming dialogue into speech bubbles. The story is divided into five themed, fast-moving chapters, making it an ideal crossover book for kids moving from picture books to chapter books. It's a wonderful book to read together -- be sure to have some art supplies ready at hand to make your own collage afterward.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Emily expresses herself through art. How do you feel when you create artwork when you're unhappy?
How do the illustrations and the words work together in this book? (The chapter titles are a good starting point.)
Try creating a collage project or some "blue period" artwork. What idea are you trying to express?
Book Details
- Author: Cathleen Daly
- Illustrator: Lisa Brown
- Genre: Family Life
- Topics: Arts and Dance , Brothers and Sisters , Great Girl Role Models
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
- Publication date: June 17, 2014
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 4 - 7
- Number of pages: 56
- Available on: Nook, Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: July 13, 2017
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