The Color of Home book review by Leah

Title of the Book: The Color of Home 

Author Name: Mary Hoffman 

Reviewer's Name: Leah 

Publisher: Penguin Books

Date of Publication: 2002

Rating: 1-5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The picture book is about a young boy named Hassan. He and his family move to the United States, away from the war happening in Somalia. Hassan struggles to acclimate to his new environment, feeling like everything is dark and gloomy. The young boy attends a new school, where he has trouble fitting in because he is unable to speak English. Fortunately, Hassan and his teacher find a way to communicate through art by drawing his life experiences. The instructor finally realizes that Hassan should tell his life story, so they invite a guest interpreter to Hassan’s school. Afterward, he finally adjusts to his new life and sees the world as a brighter picture. The lesson/message of this book is people need to make sacrifices for their families in order to ensure their well-being and happiness. Hassan’s uncle gave up his life by standing up to a soldier in an attempt to ensure their family’s safety. Another sacrifice made was Hassan’s life in Somalia. He had to leave his friends, home, and family behind all in hopes of a brighter future for his sister and him. In addition, Hassan’s parents had to sacrifice their house and life in Somalia too for their children. 

Throughout the book, readers are able to make connections to the IB Learner Profile attributes. This includes open-mindedness and risk-taker. The teacher was open-minded and welcomed Hassan into her classroom with open arms. She sought to learn and understand his perspective and life story. Furthermore, Hassan was a risk-taker. On his journey with his family to America, he approached it with determination as well as when he arrived at school. Hassan was resourceful by using the set of art supplies provided by his teacher to communicate since he could not speak the common language. Moreover, the pictures in the book were by Karin Littlewood. She took a more watercolor look so you could see the blending of different colors. At the beginning of the book, she used darker saturated colors to represent how Hassan sees the world as dark and gloomy. Also, as a symbol of how he is sad that his home in Somalia is no longer safe because there is an ongoing war and his family has moved to an unfamiliar place. Then, at the end of the book, Karin applies lighter brighter colors and light saturation so readers can understand the change in how the young boy views America from sad to bright as he believes there is a brighter future ahead of him. These colors also display his happiness in being able to tell his story through painting and the interpreter. Overall, the book has a special meaning behind the pictures and plot that make it a story worthwhile to read.