about the book
Red is having trouble being red. After all, it is rather hard to be a color you’re not. He may have a bright red label, but he’s really blue.
Thinking Red needed more practice, his teacher has him draw strawberries. Have you ever seen a blue strawberry?
Maybe he just needs to find the right friend. Red’s mother sends him on a playdate with a yellow classmate—“Go draw a nice orange!” That’s definitely not an orange orange.
No matter what Red does, everything turns out blue. Will anyone ever understand that Red is not red?
about the author/illustrator
Michael Hall creates his own video trailers for his books. Most writers can just barely get their laptop to work, but then again, Michael has a really unusual background for a writer.
He earned a bachelor’s of science degree from the University of Michigan. For several years he worked in bio-chemical research before becoming a graphic designer.
In 1984, Michael co-founded Hall Kelley, Inc. This award-winning firm specializes in creating identity designs (logos) for companies, and Michael is the principal designer. Logos are meant to tell a lot about a company with a few simple shapes. Michael does the same thing with his illustrations for his children’s books—he tells a story using a few simple shapes.
The process he uses to create his illustrations is referred to as acrylic monotype ink prints. See this site for a great demonstration of just how he makes the prints. The process involves snitching his wife’s pinking shears without her catching him!
Michael lives with his wife Debra and their two daughters on a farm in a small town northeast of St. Paul/Minneapolis, Minnesota. His studio is in a converted barn on the farm.
Sources:
Author/Illustrator website
Author/Illustrator’s company website : Hall Kelley
Author/Illustrator process : From the Studio/Greenwillow Books
Author/Illustrator profile : Greenwillow Books
Also by Michael Hall:
Wonderfall. Greenwillow. September 2016.
Frankencrayon. Greenwillow. 2016.
It’s an Orange Aardvark! Greenwillow. 2014.
Cat Tale. Greenwillow. 2012.
Perfect Square. Greenwillow. 2011.
My Heart Is Like a Zoo. Harper Collins. 2010.
read more!
The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse by Eric Carle
Page after page of bright unusual animals follow the statement: “I am an artist. I paint,”. There is a blue horse, a red crocodile, a purple fox, and much more. In the end, we learn that there was a real artist, Franz Marc, whose paintings of oddly colored animals was banned by the Nazis.
Big Bad Wolves at School by Stephen Krensky
Rufus, a carefree wolf, enjoys rolling in the grass, running like the wind, and jumping rope with the other forest creatures. Worried that he’ll never survive in the cruel world, Rufus’ parents ship him off to Big Bad Wolf Academy to learn all about real wolf work. But wearing clever disguises and speaking sheep don’t interest Rufus. How can a free-spirited wolf survive this boarding school boot camp?
Frankencrayon by Michael Hall
This picture book has been cancelled. The tale of Frankencrayon, which you were about to read, has been ruined by a scribble on the page! The story can’t go on! There’s no way to erase the scribble—but wait, the crayons playing Frankencrayon may have found a solution. Maybe this picture book isn’t cancelled after all…