The Black Book of Colors

Title: The Black Book of Colors

Author: Menena Cottin

Illustrator: Rosana Faría

Genre: Special Needs

Awards: None

Age Group: Pre-K—5th

The Black Book of Colors is just what it sounds like. It is a book about colors, but there is not color; it is all black. That is because it is written from the perspective of a boy, Thomas, who is blind. He knows color not by seeing it, but by hearing it, tasting it, touching it, and smelling it. This book goes through each color, describing it the way Thomas experiences it. Red could be sweet like watermelon, while green is like freshly cut grass. Yellow is like mustard, and blue the open sky. It ends with black, the "king of all colors". Thomas can appreciate all the colors and the different senses that they evoke. 

I would definitely use this book in my classroom! This is such a cool and hands-on way to learn about the way that those who are blind experience color. Not only does it bring the reader's attention to the disability of being visually impaired, but it introduces braille and the idea that you don't necessarily need to see to experience the beautiful world around you. 

My pictures do not do the book justice, but here you can see how it was translated into braille:

And here, you can see that the illustrations are created in the same raised or bumpy way as the braille:

I would recommend this book for Pre-K through 5th grade, as any child in elementary could benefit greatly from reading this book. It teaches about blindness in a simple and engaging way, which allows students to be more understanding of peers that may be blind or visually impaired.

Some activities that go along with The Black Book of Colors are...

• Braille Craft: Students can pick something to create, such as a flower. Students will outline the flower using liquid glue on a black sheet of construction paper. When the glue dries, it will create the same effect as the illustrations in the book. Students can then describe the way that the illustration would sound, feel, smell, and taste.
• Color Mini-Book: Students can create a mini-book in which they write their own descriptions of the colors based on their experiences. How would they explain the colors to someone who cannot see?