The Black Book of Colours

Menena Cottin (author) Elisa Amado (trans)

Rosana Faria (illus) Walker Books, UK: 2010

ISBN: 9781406322187

Genres: picture book

Issues: perception

BolognaRagazzi Award: Winner
NYTimes ‘Best Illustrated Children's Book'

Thomas can't see red. But he can feel it, taste it, smell it and hear it. ‘Red is sour like unripe strawberries and as sweet as watermelon.'

Sighted people often forget that it is not necessarily our dominant sense. Perhaps if we experienced the world differently our colour perceptions would also alter. Thomas draws the reader into his sightless world and shares the wonder he feels at the beauty around him.

This remarkable book is a must-have for every library. Rosana Faria has done an outstanding job of the illustrations, creating finely detailed line drawings that are printed in raised, shiny black on black pages. The reader is encouraged to use fingers to explore this colourless world, to try and sense through touch that which they are accustomed to seeing. Cottin's text is poetic in its descriptions of Thomas' colour perceptions. The book is cleverly constructed to reposition the sighted person's view that those without sight are somehow less, or deprived. The Black Book of Colours is going to fascinate readers of all ages and should start some very interesting discussion.

Cannot be too highly recommended.