Common Sense Media Review
By Jan Carr
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Dreamy, visually stunning meditation on colors and seasons.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 4+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In THEY SAY BLUE, a girl sits on a beach, musing about the color of the sky and the sea, and then thinks, "What about a blue whale? Is a blue whale blue?" She knows that an egg yolk is orange, and that the blood pulsing through her is red. A spring day that's gray and rainy seems more hopeful when she comes upon a purple flower. She sheds her winter wear and reaches her arms up to become a tree that moves through the seasons. When she awakens from a deep sleep, she and her mother look out at the black crows that "bob and chatter in the field outside ... Tiny inkblots on a sea of sky."
Is It Any Good?
This moving meditation on color, seasons, and more of life's wonders opens with seagulls and closes with crows, and the art itself soars. They Say Blue is constructed of childlike questions and sensory observations that ring true to age and encourage kids to be mindful and open their eyes to the world around them. It takes a fantastical turn when the girl raises her arms like branches, and becomes a tree that passes through spring, summer, fall, and winter.
The text and art work together beautifully to evoke mood, as at the end when the girl's mother parts her hair "every morning, like opening a window," and sunshine yellow streams in past the midnight blues. Most pages feature the girl, but one vibrant spread shows school kids of many races playing together on a playground, and includes one girl who uses metal forearm crutches. The front end papers are sunny yellow, and the back ones are moody blue, and Tamaki's expressive splashes of color convey real emotion throughout.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the colors in They Say Blue. What colors do you notice in the world? Where do you see them? Which are your favorite?
Is the sea always blue? What about the sky? Can you think of other things that people say is a specific color but is sometimes another one?
How does the girl feel on different pages? How can you tell? Do the colors around her help show her mood?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Jillian Tamaki
- Genre : Picture Book
- Topics : STEM
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Abrams Books for Young Readers
- Publication date : March 13, 2018
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 5 - 7
- Number of pages : 40
- Available on : Nook, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate