IN A BLUE ROOM

It’s time for Alice to go to sleep—it’s past bedtime, in fact—but as Alice explains, blue is her favorite color, and she can only sleep in a blue room. To help her relax, Mama first brings flowers. As Alice points out, they aren’t blue. “Ah . . . but smell,” Mama says. Alice breathes in the white and purple flowers and begins to settle down. Next Mama brings tea. It’s not blue, but with Mama’s patient encouragement, Alice tries it and rubs her eyes. A soft green quilt has Alice snuggling in, and yellow bells tinkle in the evening air. Now it’s time for the moon to arrive, and as Mama turns off the light, it bathes the room in blue. The quilt is blue now, as are the bells, the moon, sleeping Alice and, at last, the room. A comforting story of mother and child, this will make an excellent bedtime read and an inventive introduction to color as well. Adrift in sleepy hues, the engaging watercolor-and-ink illustrations are the perfect touch. (Picture book. 3-6)