In a Blue Room [Hardcover]

Jim Averbeck (Author), Tricia Tusa (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Alice is wide, wide awake. Mama brings flowers, tea, a quilt, even lullaby bells to help her sleep. But none of these things are blue, and Alice can sleep only in a blue room. Yet when the light goes out, a bit of magic is stirred up. Pale blue moonlight swirls into her bedroom window. Then the night swirls out, around the moon and into the universe, leaving Alice fast alseep in a most celestial blue room.

(20080331)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. PreS—This dreamy bedtime book doesn't have a single unnecessary word. Alice bounces on her bed, wide awake and making demands. She will only sleep in a room in which everything is blue. Mama brings in flowers, a cup of tea, and an extra quilt. Each time, the child queries the not-blueness, but Mama whispers "Smell." "Taste." "Touch." And when the light finally clicks off, the moonlight streams in, and in its light, everything is blue, and Alice is…fast asleep. Tusa's illustrations, done in ink, watercolor, and gouache, show a child progressing from Pippi Longstocking-like energy, through acceptance, drowsiness, and finally sleep. Their soft colors and simple lines are perfectly suited to the simplicity of the language. This lovely book works well as a one-on-one bedtime read, but it would also be the perfect final selection for a pajama storytime.—Marian Drabkin, formerly at Richmond Public Library, CA
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From Booklist

“In a blue room, / Alice bounces, / wide-awake past bedtime.” And Alice is firm in her desire to sleep only in a room that’s blue, so when Mama brings in violets and lilywhites,  Alice protests—until she sniffs them. And  even though the tea is orange, a sip makes her drowsy, and the green quilt is comfy and warm. It’s not until the lights are off and moonlight bathes everything in blue that Alice gets her wish. Debut author Averbeck provides a spare, charming text for the talented Tusa to work her artistic magic. The ink, watercolor, and gouache artwork keeps its eye on Alice while incorporating whimsy and suffusing the pictures with love. There’s just one problem: Alice’s room is not blue—it’s yellow—and although this may be artistic irony, literal little ones will note the discrepancy. The night spreads are so comforting, though, young listeners will be soon nestling under covers. Preschool-Grade 1. --Ilene Cooper

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books; 1 edition (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 015205992X
• ISBN-13: 978-0152059927
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 9.4 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #630,811 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 4 1/2* Kind of Blue, April 21, 2008

By 

M. Allen Greenbaum (California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: In a Blue Room (Hardcover)

Young Alice not only loves the color blue, she insists on it, especially at bedtime. This particular night seem to especially need blue, as "Alice bounces, wide-awake past bedtime." Mama brings her a few of her favorite things: White Flowers (lilacs and lilywhites), tea (orange colored, steaming in a brown cup, a "silky soft and warm" cozy quilt (a red and green pattern), and "lullaby bells to sing you to sleep" ("yellow bells on black strings" that "chime softly in the window breeze.")

Alice, of course, recognizes that none of these sleep-inducing objects are blue and she lets Mama know. Mama, however, recognizes that it's not the color that soothes Alice, but the process of sharing beautiful, simple objects with her mother. When Alice comments on the absence of blue, Mama (Zen-like) merely suggests that she smell, taste, or touch what she's brought into the room: Alice is in the moment. Slowly, and perceptibly to the smiling, warm mother, Alice drifts off to sleep. As she lies sleepily and cozy in bed, surrounded by her mother's nighttime gifts, her room turns blue. There's a natural explanation for the blue-bathed room, but symbolically, I think it represents Mama's love and Alice's trust.

That's a beautiful message (if I got it right), but it may be lost on youngsters. In fact, I had to read the book a few times to understand the apparent disjunction between Alice's protests and her next-page acquiescence to each non-blue object. It's not really explained, and one needs to do a bit of intellectualizing to resolve it. However, Jim Averbeck's softly beautiful narrative, the increasingly sleepy-time feeling of the story, and the almost magical blue-bathing of Alice's room when she falls asleep minimize the impact of this slight logical leap. Of course, young toddlers probably won't notice at all, and that's what counts.

Special mention must be made of the gorgeous ink, watercolor, and gouache pictures by Tricia Tulsa, an enormously talented illustrator whose soft, fanciful pictures have enough substance to enhance the overall mood. They're a mixture of old-fashioned Americana--bouncy energy and clutter--combined with a delicacy and atmosphere that recalls minimalist Asian painting and brushwork. The unusual but soothing palette is ideal. Printed on high quality paper, this will likely find a treasured spot in the bedtime library.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful! Beautiful! Beautiful!, March 25, 2008

By 

Maria (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: In a Blue Room (Hardcover)

This bedtime story written by Jim Averbeck and illustrated by Tricia Tusa is magical. Averbeck's words shine and shimmer like little lyrical gems in the evening light. His text brings us into the room. I can smell the lilacs and lilywhites, feel the warm tea and hear the lullaby bells chime in the breeze.
Tricia's art is gorgeous. Every new spread brings a fresh perspective and shows Alice longing more and more for her bedroom to be blue.
The end of this story brings a twist that made my heart leap. It is beautiful, magical, and intensely satisfying. I recommend this book to any kid or grown-up who wants their nighttime ritual to be just so.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Bedtime Book Preschoolers and Parents Will Love--Any Time of Day, April 4, 2008

By 

Preschool Teacher (San Francisco) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In a Blue Room (Hardcover)

I read this to a group of preschoolers today and they were wide-eyed, interested and enthralled from beginning to end. The book is ideal for parent and child, any caregiver and child, and school and library readings.

The spare text, full of sensory details, depicts a child avoiding bedtime because blue is her favorite color and she can only sleep in a blue room. It starts lively with Alice jumping on her bed "wide-awake past bedtime" then gradually lulls with words and illustrations as Alice's mother brings her flowers, tea, lullaby bells, and a cozy quilt. Alice becomes more and more drowsy. The words and illustrations seem infused with patience and love, as well as as bit of magic when Alice's desire for a blue room comes true.

In a Blue Room is not just perfect for right-before-bed readings. When I read it to our preschoolers it was nowhere near nap-time let alone bedtime. The delightful surprise twist of an ending also fit perfectly with our recent preschool themes of Moon, Earth and Space, and even our upcoming celebration of Earth Day. After hearing the story our preschoolers rushed to the art table and were inspired to draw pictures of beautiful blue rooms! It's hard to beat Tricia Tusa's illustrations--but watch out, Tricia--you've got some 3 to 5-year-old artistic competition at my preschool, because Jim Averbeck's new book inspires all.