How the Colour Monster can help your family during lockdown

“But I see your true colors, shining through
I see your true colors, and that’s why I love you.
So don’t be afraid to let them show
your true colors, true colors
are beautiful, like a rainbow.”

— Billy Steinberg

It’s not always easy to articulate our emotions, even at the best of times. COVID-19 has stirred them up good and proper (as they say here in Dorset).

Young children, in particular, may not have the words to describe how they’re feeling (which is why they end up having tantrums). One of the many benefits of picture books is that they can enable children to find ways - and words - to help them express what’s going on inside. My Good to Read this week is a fantastic example of a book that does just that - in a gentle and entertaining way. 

Meet the Colour Monster! 

The Colour Monster by Anna Llenas (Templar 2016) is described by Book Trust as ‘[d]eceptively simple, surprisingly powerful and satisfyingly reassuring’. A book about feelings - and colours - it features a friendly, fuzzy monster. You know, the kind you’d find inhabiting Sesame Street. (Come to think of it, he does resemble Oscar the Grouch with that big, animated monobrow!)

Llenas’s art is so expressive - childlike in its simplicity and sheer exuberance, with intensely scribbled crayon marks and wild brush strokes. It’s a joy to behold! 

Her story begins with the introduction of the Colour Monster (we turn the page and discover the narrator’s a little girl):

 

This is my friend the colour monster.

Today he’s all mixed up and very confused. 

He doesn’t know why.

 

(His shaggy fur is a rainbow of red, yellow, green and blue.)

 

Look at you, you’re all over the place!

 

That’s because the monster’s ‘feelings are all stirred together’ - so his colours are too.

I think probably lots of us feel like that at the moment.

The girl then proceeds to help Colour Monster sort himself out. She names and describes how the emotions might feel, then divides them by colour, putting each into a separate jar.

Such a beautiful idea!

 












































 

This is happiness.

It shines yellow like the sun and twinkles like the stars.

You feel bright and light. You laugh, you jump, you dance! You want to share that feeling with everyone.

 

So often children are taught that the negative emotions are wrong (or they are denied and brushed aside).

Stop crying.

Pull yourself together.

Calm down!

In a very visual way, the colour monster expresses emotions that we often pretend - even to ourselves - we don’t have.

Abject fear.

Sorrow.

Out and out RAGE!

The strength of The Colour Monster is that Llenas doesn’t pass judgement on whether they are good or bad.

They just are.

 

This is anger.

It blazes red like fire.

Anger can make you want to stomp…

…and Rooooooaaaaaaarrr!

and shout, ‘It’s not fair!’

 

What’s lovely about this book is how it could be used to spark discussion about feelings. We don’t all think the same - and might disagree with the colour associations presented in the story! For example, Llenas presents blue as sadness, ‘gentle like a rainy day.’

 












































 

But for my seven-year-old nephew Isaac, blue is his Happy Colour!

Isaac is autistic - and he sometimes describes feelings as colours. (He also assigns colours to people. His mum is peachy, I’m dark blue.) For Isaac, red is quite a grumpy colour (‘because it’s as hot as the sun!’). But sometimes, red’s his second Happy Colour, and makes him think of kisses:

 

My Happy Colour is blue. ... It makes me feel [like I’m] flying in the sky like a bird and swimming a long way in the water. 

Orange makes me feel calm, very calm I mean because it’s an inviting colour to me.

Yellow makes me feel happy, summery and smiley.

Green is my favourite colour. It makes me delightful! It’s a really comfortable colour to me. I love green plates as well. And black makes me feel as [if] I’m in the dark. 

- Isaac, aged 7

 

(Which apparently is a good thing - Isaac likes the dark.)

A first-grade teacher explains why being able to discuss our emotions is so important:

 

Learning about feelings and emotions is part of developing positive self-esteem and better relationships with others. As a child’s emotional intelligence grows, they are increasingly able to use their emotional information to guide their own thinking and behaviour; in other words, to calm themselves down.

- Grade Onederful blog

 

The teacher goes on to explain that children who can name and understand their feelings are better able to handle the ups and downs of childhood. They are more confident and display a maturity that their peers lack.

So it came as no surprise to read that The Colour Monster’s creator, Anna Llenas, cites her art psychotherapy training as an influence. Llenas ‘currently acts as a teacher and art therapist specialising in art and emotional education.’ Her experience in these fields shines through her work - and makes The Colour Monster a valuable addition for any bookshelf.

I also think that kids, stuck at home during these socially-distanced times, will find it creatively inspiring. I know I do! It was the cover art that first attracted me to it: the charming monster sits peacefully blowing a series of coloured button-like bubbles. Llenas’ technique is unusual and noteworthy. Her illustrations are created using collage. Often with quite thick bits of card (they look like pieces of old cardboard boxes) which cast pleasing, soft shadows onto the backgrounds. It almost feels like you could pick the bits up from off the page!

Look, kids! it shouts. You can make some awesome art using things from around the house.

Colour in some old bits of card, cut out some shapes, piece them together and see what you can create. (Interestingly, this is very similar to the way that Chris Haughton develops his art for books like A Bit Lost and Shh! We have a Plan.)

The Colour Monster concludes with a new colour.

 

‘You look different, Colour Monster! Er…how do you feel now?’

 

Radiating hearts, coloured with shades of pink and smiling from ear to ear - the illustration says it all!

 












































 Good to Read

Books about feelings and colours

The Colour Monster by Anna Llenas (Templar 2016)

My Many Coloured Days by Dr Seuss, ill. by Steve Johnson & Lou Fancher (Red Fox 2001)

 


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 DISCLAIMER: THESE ARE AFFILIATE LINKS WITH WATERSTONES (UK) AND INDIEBOUND (USA) SUPPORTING LOCAL BOOKSHOPS THE BEST WAY I KNOW HOWFind out more about the creator of The Colour Monster atannallenas.comSourcesTrue Colors - lyrics by Billy SteinbergThe Colour Monster by Anna Llenas (Templar 2016)The Colour Monster review - BookTrustFeelings Are Important: The Color Monster Book Review and Activities (GradeOnederful)