Synopsis
Lemons are not Red. Apples are red. Lemons are yellow. . . .
Clever cutouts in the pages make a simple, original, and utterly beguiling introduction to color.
Laura Vaccaro Seeger, whose The Hidden Alphabet dazzled critics and readers alike, introduces young children to color in this unique concept book with die cuts. The opening spread features a big, bright red lemon and the simple text, "Lemons are not RED." When the spread is turned an equally bright yellow lemon appears ("Lemons are YELLOW") across from a luscious red apple ("Apples are RED").
And so it goes, from carrots that are not purple through reindeer that are not white, et al. The book ends with "The moon is not BLACK / The moon is SILVER / The night is BLACK / Good night! And the reader sees a tranquil night landscape and a house with the lights turned out.
Child Magazine
Thick lemon-yellow brushstrokes frame the image of a plump red ... lemon? "Lemons are not RED," explains the text. True enough, as a turn of the page reveals a lemon-shaped die-cut that converts the red lemon into a yellow one. Kids will adore righting the wrongs of carrots painted purple and flamingos gone gray. (Ages 2 to 4)
Child magazine's Best Children's Book Awards 2004