Little Blue and Little Yellow (Paperback)

by Leo Lionni (Author, Illustrator) "Little blue has many friends but his best friend is little yellow who lives across the street..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"An unusual, imaginative, stimulating, and appealing picture book." -- -- The Horn Book

Product Description

Little blue and little yellow share wonderful adventures.One day, they can't find one another. When they finally meet, they are overjoyed. They hug until they become green. But where did little blue and little yellow go? Are they lost?

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (August 24, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688132855
• ISBN-13: 978-0688132859
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 7.6 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #16,798 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A little bit of this, a little bit of that, March 13, 2004

By	E. R. Bird "Ramseelbird" (Manhattan, NY) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Ever feel like you've been stumped by a book? Like a moral of a story has been staring you in the face and you're just too slow or dim-witted to get it? Such was my reaction after reading Leo Lionni's elusive, "Little Blue and Little Yellow". I liked it. Of course I did. But on my honor as a gentleman I just did NOT get the book's message. Which is perhaps exactly as it should be.

We all are familiar with Leo Lionni's work, even if we don't initially think we are. Whether you've seen his cut out mice or forest scenes, his is a recognizable style. In this particular book Lionni has relied on roughly hewn pieces of brightly colored paper (or is it fabric?) to tell a story. The tale follows two blobs of color. On is Blue. The other is Yellow. Yellow and Blue are good friends and lead productive blobby lives with their other little friends. They play games, attend school, etc. One day Blue looses Yellow for a little while and when they are reunited they hug until they meld into a single splotch of green. The single green splotch, however, looks nothing like Blue or Yellow. Whatever will our intrepid heroes do?

Suffice to say, all turns out well in the end. The status quo is maintained, peace reigns, yadda yadda yadda. So what's the moral of the story? Just to help you figure it out, the last two pages of the text display Blue and Yellows momma and poppas hugging one another until THEY turn green. Maybe it doesn't mean anything at all. But it certainly does make for an interesting tale. Nothing like simplicity to tie up the ole synapses for a while.

I can see children enjoying this book. I can also see different children growing bored with this book. It really is going to depend on the child more than anything else. If you have a kid that likes rousing adventures about (oh I dunno) tangible objects, this may not be the book for them. If, however, you've a child who's a little more dreamy. A little more open to different kinds of stories and characters, consider this book a perfect fit. Colorful, interesting, and unique. Lionni does many things with this book, but he does not disappoint.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My most memorable book, September 1, 2004

By	Mordy Golding (Long Island, NY USA) - See all my reviews

Ask me what my favorite book was when I was growing up and that answer is going to be Little Blue and Little Yellow. Sure, there were other books that I'd read over and over again, or sit in the library with a stack of em on a Friday afternoon after school, but none was like Little Blue and Little Yellow.

I can't describe why or how, but the book just connected with me. Fast-forward over 25 years later and here I am, a graphic designer, and I still am inspired by this book. I'm also a teacher and usually mention this book during my class, as it pertains to graphic design and the mixture of colors. Every time I tell the story, the class enjoys it immensely. And I teach adults mind you :)

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Delightfully simple, September 24, 2001

By	Kaila Hires "keehir" (Winston-Salem, NC USA) - See all my reviews

This is a book I read many times as a child. I still have
that worn copy and treasure it as one of my favorites. It tells
a story of friendship in which the characters are illustrated by torn
circles of colour. A little colour theory is added to the mix
(yellow and blue become green) and all ends happily. Some
reviewers I think read a little too much into it and see comments
about racial prejudice. The parents' are not prejudiced,
they simply do not recognize their children. Delightful!