Molly Idle continues her ingeniously whimsical board book series with Flora and Friends: Colors. After showcasing counting, opposites, and letters, Idle's fourth board book--part of the larger Flora family, which debuted with 2014 Caldecott Honor-winner Flora and the Flamingo--is spectacular, melding superb art, minimal text, and an interactive layout that teaches the youngest readers about the transformative magic of color.
Pink-cheeked, button-nosed Flora simply adores her avian friends, and her story begins with a single floofy chick. Both Flora's overalls and the bird are red, matching the word on the left page. Open the right flap, and the red bird joins its flock while a few feathered friends fly off to the next page, where Flora--now garbed in yellow--beckons toward a yellow bush with yellow friends. When the right panel is opened, the full sentence is revealed: "Red and Yellow make Orange" and, indeed, an orange bush with an orange flock welcomes both red and yellow residents. Flora's invitations continue as her overalls colorfully adapt: yellow meets blue, producing green; blue comes back to red, making purple; until all the colors meet in a massive gatefold that turns the book into a brilliant rainbow.
Idle cleverly elevates simplicity--paper, colors, pictures--into an exquisite learning experience, gifting the youngest audiences with both enlightenment and entertainment. Beyond mixing hues, this board book is also a wonderful reminder that blending different groups can signal new beginnings. And those curious penguins at book's end? They are both a callback (Flora and the Penguin) and hopefully a promise for more. --Terry Hong