I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Author Matthew Bennet Young takes readers on a journey through equality and acceptance through poetry and colour in the book “Maybe Colours”.
The Synopsis
Maybe Colours is a beautifully illustrated picture book with simple poetic text that encourages an understanding of the importance of equality and diversity using colour as a theme.
♥ Encourages children to express their experience and feelings
✓ Perfect gift for anyone that loves poetry and art.
★ Many teachers/schools have used the book as a template.
Children can write their own simple poem about their experience of colour and then enjoy illustrating it!
The content, illustration and layout are arranged to give a sense of space for reflection. Designed for adults and children to discuss their associations and experience of different colours, this book conveys that there are many different sources and shades of the ‘same colour’, (it’s not all black and white) and that every colour has its place and equal significance. Maybe Colours is a meditation on possibilities and was the basis of a course developed in Sweden to support and specifically promote a new EQ (emotional intelligence) curriculum in schools there. Essentially Maybe Colours was written with a view to encouraging tolerance and understanding – the word “maybe” is a “pivot” for perspective-taking, enabling us to consider other possibilities for meanings, concepts and in real-life situations we can find ourselves in. Developing children’s abilities to consider alternative perspectives about sources of colour, associations with objects or animals has real-world applications: misunderstandings often occur when we do not consider alternative possibilities of meaning when engaging with other people. The active use of this word may help to prevent such misunderstandings and to encourage open-minded thinking.
The Review
The author did an incredible job of crafting a moving and memorable story in such a short amount of time. The theme of diversity and acceptance was beautifully displayed in the book, with simple yet thought-provoking poetry highlighting the many paths that each colour could take in life.
The imagery and tone of the book really did a great job of keeping readers invested in the author’s message. The beautiful blend of colour and abstract images helped give readers a sense of similarities and differences that makes up life itself and was the perfect way to teach children about equality for all.
The Verdict
Powerful, thoughtful, and engaging, author Matthew Bennet Young’s “Maybe Colour” is a must-read children’s book meets poetry and picture book. The balance of imagery and poetry really created a harmonic narrative, and while a short book overall, the message was quite impactful and the perfect way to illustrate our need to teach our future generations how to hold one another in much higher regard. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
About the Author
Matthew has been writing stories since his childhood in England. His children’s stories can be recognized by a “naïve” style, written as much from a child’s view of the world as possible, but in a way that is also intended to appeal to adults. He tries to write to disrupt associations and challenge assumptions that are commonly made around us. Matthew was appointed a Writer in Schools by the Ministry of Culture and Communications in Quebec and through this program delivers literary workshops to children in the Montreal area. He has taught at school, college and university level in Sweden and Canada and has been invited to give readings and teach workshops at schools, museums and literary festivals in New York, Berlin, London and Gothenburg. Matthew currently teaches in Montreal.
He enjoys growing food, cooking, doing yoga and walking on the chalky downs of North Dorset when he can.
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