Reader Notes
This book is excellent for anyone who is inspired by color and would like to learn more about exploring grief through color.
Recommended Audience
This book was written to appeal to children, but is excellent for people of any age.
Review
My Favorite Color is Blue. Sometimes.was written to appeal to children and youth, but its message resonates with people of all ages, inviting us to explore how color can help us explore and identify our emotions following the death of a loved one. Richly illustrated with colorful paintings, each page focuses on a color and the emotions we may associate with that color.
Blue is my favorite color.
Just not today.
Today I feel blue – the swirling blue of a rainstorm.
The storm is inside of me.
I am angry.
I am sad.
My heart is hurting.
Author Roger Hutchison assures us that the range of emotions we may experience following a loss is okay, whether we’re feeling sad, angry or happy. Readers may be inspired to explore their grief through color by picking up paints, markers or colored pencils to express their emotions after the death of someone they love. The book also includes a list of simple ways we can remember and celebrate the life of a loved one.
About the Author/Artist
Roger Hutchison is the Director of Christian Formation and Parish Life at his church in Houston, Texas, and the author of The Painting Table: A Journal of Loss and Joy. He had the privilege of painting with children who had witnessed the tragic shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, CT. The experience affected him profoundly and convinced him of a vocation to use his writing and art to serve those who grieve.
Discussion Prompts
- What is your favorite color? How might you talk about that color in relation to your grief?
- Look around you. What colors speak to how you are feeling right now? Describe those feelings.
- Which color in the book could you relate to most?
- Why might this book resonate with people of all ages?
- How might you creatively use color to express your grief or to remember someone you love?
About the Reviewer
This book was read and is recommended by the Remembering A Life team.