The Sound of Colors

n,The Sound of Colors: A Journey of the Imagination

Written and Illustrated by: Jimmy Liao

Picture Book

8-11

*****

In this story a woman who ha recently lost her sight travels around the city.  As she describes riding the subway without her sense of sight she uses her imagination to create possible worlds around her.

This book was a magical journey for me.  I was drawn in by the first few pages and each new page filled me with suprise and wonder.  The writing has soft, lyrical quality that makes what would be everyday observations into mysterious insights, "I walk down, down, down, to the subway platform, where the wind never blows and the rain never falls".   The illustrations are done in water color to create surreal scenes in everday places.  She comes out of the subway to find pigs playing in a forest of golden leaves or imagines the beach she is laying on to be a giant submerged whale. The main character wonders many fantastic what ifs that remind me of when I still asked wondered about the world, before I thought I already knew it all.  It reminded me of the quote, "Thinking we know it all closes our hearts to what is beautiful and new".  Her lack of sight allows her to imagine endless possibilites about the world around her.  She is searching for home, a friend, someone to hold her hand and look at the stars.  I can relate to feeling so alone in the world at times. 

This book is pure pleasure.  I would read it to children to illustrate that books can be a magical escape.  I would remind them that they can use their imagination to shape their world.  The style reminds me of Shel Silverstein's poetry because both look at the everday in an extraordinary way.  I could also take it in a different direction and discuss what it would be like to lose your sight and be alone in the world.  Is she sad about losing her sight?  If she could see would she imagine all of these wonderful things?