CCBC Booklists

CCBC Review:

Indigo is celebrated as a color, a plant, and an art form in a multifaceted volume that begins with the author’s childhood recollections of the color blue. Growing up in Korea, she admired blue in its many forms: the fluctuating blue of the sky, the stripes on the sleeves of her hanbok, the sea. Now an adult living in the United States, she grows indigo on a small cooperative farm. Each summer she and her friends cultivate the plants from seeds, harvest the leaves, and make their own indigo dye—“the bluest blue of all”—which they use to color a variety of garments and other fabrics. Indigo is more than just a color; for her and her friends, it represents connection, cultural heritage, and healing. (Korea has a long cultural history of jjok, or indigo, dyeing.) The narrative touches on the uses of indigo around the world and its history in the United States while remaining grounded in the author’s personal experience. Illustrations made using watercolors and hand-dyed indigo fabrics include clear, labeled images showing the steps of the indigo-making process. Extensive end matter includes information about indigo species and Korean jjok dyeing, a map showing the variance in indigo shades around the world, and instructions for making indigo dye using two traditional East Asian methods. ©2023 Cooperative Children’s Book Center

Illustrated by Rosa Chang

CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 5-9
Age Range: PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7) Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Format: Picture book
Subjects: Art and Artists Asian Americans Cause & Effect Collaboration Colors (Concept) Creativity Farming and Farmers Koreans and Korean Americans Natural Resources
Diversity subject: Asian
On CCBC Booklists: Picture Books for Older Children and Teens: Never Too Old  Asian in America: Selected Books for PreK-Grade 12 to Support Hmong and Asian American Studies in Wisconsin 

Publishers: Minedition, Astra
Publish Year: 2023
Pages: 38
ISBN: 9781662650659
CCBC Location: Non-Fiction, 667 Chang

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