"Ned the little black boy and Ted the little white boy only saw things in black and white."
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A Story of Colours by Paul Raven
Illustrated by Heather Cleland Trafford Publishing
book review by Michael Radon
This difference of opinion leads Ned and Ted to the exploration of the world around them, observing nature and taking a less self-centered view of life. Vibrant illustrations bring the story to life as Ned and Ted learn to see each of the marvelous colors of life one by one. Whereas the pictures start out monochromatic to show the way each boy sees the world, as they come across various animals who point out their own colorful features, the landscape begins to fill in with color as well. Of course, each animal claims the world is colored the same as its own dominant feature much like the boys at the start of the book, but it is through sharing everyone's perspective that Ned and Ted are able to see the big picture.
Aimed primarily at very young audience, A Story of Colours is a good book to read aloud to a child, reinforcing colors and what to associate them with as well as offering a valuable lesson that everybody sees things their own way. While the story is quite brief, you can open up a discussion about colors and animals and all sorts of things once the story is finished. As the first book in a series following the adventures of these two young children, this tale shows its promise as the foundation for more stories simultaneously about learning simple things while carrying an underlying message about human social concerns.