Yesterday I Had the Blues

by Jeron Ashford Frame

Moods change from day to day, and you never know what tomorrow will bring. But one thing’s for sure: when you’ve got love around you, the blues won’t stick around long.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Poetry, African American, Emotion, Family, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2003

Reviews

[Aneesa · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are a lot of books with this premise, but this one is fun to read.

[Kirsten Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: This book is about a boy who had a bad day that day before and he describes this as the blues. The next day when he is feeling better, he says has the greens. The book continues and he goes through how different people have different colors to describe their emotions. For example, his greens are shown to represent happiness whereas when he talks about his grandma's happiness he describes it as the yellows. Throughout the whole book, he goes through his neighborhood and house talking about how the colors describe however that particular person is feeling. So when he is talking to his mom she says she has the reds and that indicates to him not to mess with her because the emotion she is feeling is anger. In the end, he says that being in a family like his makes him feel golden.

Themes: The theme of this book is how to cope with different emotions and how you can express them in a variety of different ways. This also represents how we can look at the world in a new perspective based on how they respond when we ask them how they are feeling.

Personal Response: I like this book because it was simple to understand the premise and can be used in a way to understand one's emotions and it lets the reader know it is okay to feel a different emotion than what everyone around you is feeling. This is important because I feel like the world gets wrapped up in how everyone needs to be happy all the time and are told not to show the ugly emotions that we have inside of us when in fact it is essential to our mental health to be able to express these kinds of feelings even if they are considered taboo.

Recommendation: I would use this book in probably Pre-K through 3rd grade because after 3rd grade this book may seem too simplistic for their age level. I would use it to show kids that it okay for them to feel what they are feeling and show them that they should able express those emotions in a comfortable. I would also go with the idea of using color to possibly create a chart where they can put clothespins on a color based on how they are feeling so I can evaluate for the day who I may need to check up on periodically. This book is overall a good way to show emotions simply because colors are easy to understand.

[Karyn The Pirate · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Yesterday I had the blues... but today I got the greens." What does having the blues mean? How do you have the greens anyway? Frame brings us a whole rainbow of colors to feel in this wonderful story of one boy, his family and their range of moods and emotions.
This books screams to be read aloud. Read aloud in a slow, soulful voice. I loved it enough to read outloud in the middle of the Children's Department so everyone could hear me. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement as they listened to all the different descriptions of the moods - blue, green, gray, etc. I think we all have felt each different description at one time or another. But the best part is the ending - "the kind of family makes you feel like it's all golden." RIGHT ON!!!

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading this book. It is in the picture book section of the children's area of the library. I read it like a poem. I think it's a great example of poetry with lots of feeling and color. It's set in an urban environment but colors of the rainbow are always tranferrable to other settings. The boy had the blues yesterday, the greens (happy feeling) today and is hoping that he will have the silvers tomorrow. Hoping for a new silver skateboard. In the meantime, his father has the greys, his younger sister has the pinks, his older sister has the indigos, his mom has the reds, his grandma has the yellows. I wonder what color I would use to describe myself?

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yesterday, a boy had the blues, "those deep down in my shoes blues, the go away, Mr. Sun, quit smilin' at me blues."
But today he has the greens, "the runnin' my hand along the hedges greens", and his sister has the pinks, and watch out, because Mama has the reds!
Nice use of colors to show emotions, and Frame doesn't go for the trite or obvious, but keeps it relateable. Plus, it's illustrated by R. Gregory Christie - love!

[Ashley Sandel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audience: Kindergarten to second grade
Appeal: Children who like colors, children who are interested in feelings and things associated with them, black children and children of other races who have black friends
Application: Talking about colors, talking about feelings and what you might associate different feelings with, talking about how different colors make you feel and what you think they mean
Award: None

[SaraLaLa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book reviews the colors, feelings (without actually giving the feelings names other than a designated color), and family. It's good to discuss different feelings with children, and explain that they're all normal and that people feel different things at different times.

I wouldn't call this a story. There's no plot at all. It's more like a list of ideas/feelings.

[Renae Williams]

The acrylic paintings in this book are amazingly done. This would be an engaging book for young children who are still learning colors because each page in this book features a new color. The story is well written and has a nice poetic feel.

[Joni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I could give this book 10 stars!!! it made me smile all the way through, yet made me think about all that was shared. What a great kids book, yet great for adults too!

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Yesterday I Had the Blues” is a beautifully written picture book that explores the emotional landscape of a young boy through a rich scheme of colors and sounds. Author Jeron Ashford Frame weaves language with rhythm and feeling, using colors as a metaphorical lens to depict a wide range of emotions—without ever naming them. This invites young readers to infer and interpret, making the book not only engaging but also an effective tool for developing emotional literacy.

What sets this book apart from other color-emotion stories is its musicality. There’s a jazz-like rhythm to the text that mirrors the ebb and flow of feelings, giving the story a soulful tone. Each page draws readers into the world of the boy as he moves from the deep sadness of the blues to the fiery spark of red, the calm of green, and beyond.

R. Gregory Christie’s evocative illustrations elevate the narrative even further. His expressive characters and vibrant artwork captures the mood within and perfectly complements the lyrical text. The art reinforces the emotional atmosphere of each page, helping children connect color, expression, and feeling in a powerful way.

Ideal for classroom discussions or cozy read-alouds at home. With its unique voice, rhythmic storytelling, and layered depth, it would be a great addition to any bookshelf, especially for those seeking books that nurture empathy and emotional intelligence in young readers.

[Cassidy Crandall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Colors were depicted as moods of family members of a young boy that who’s mood on Monday was blue. A sad blue for many reasons not just because it was Monday but because he wanted a new skateboard. But the next day was green and that was when we got an inside look into his family members moods too: pink, grey, red, yellow. The moral of this story was that when they all come together; it would be “golden.” That made me smile and remember that not everyday will be sunshine and glitter but there are ways to overcome bad days especially with the support of family. I really admired the illustrations that were made to engage the reader and seek there emotion too. The illustrations were made from acrylic paint with the addition of what looked like specialty paint to intact the facial features of the characters. Having this book in your classroom would be beneficial for students to read and use perhaps when discussing the deeper meanings of colors and their so called, “meanings” and oras.

[Kaci Beesecker]

Yesterday one boy had them bad—not just the ordinary blues, the "deep down in my shoes" blues, the "go away Mr. Sun quit smilin' at me" blues. But today he's traded in those blues for greens, the "runnin' my hands along the hedges" greens, the kind of greens that make him want to be SOMEBODY.

This book could be used in the classroom by reading the book, and then making a poster and having the students relate their moods and feelings to colors and objects, and they could make their own books.

[Arielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has such a fun cadence and an earnestness about it. It gives an introduction to feelings without getting technical or heavy.

The characters are people of color which gives nice exposure to culture as a secondary as opposed to main focus. As an aside, the parents are together as well.

It is quick and not very interactive. Great for bedtime.

[Michelle Colar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Fiction
Grade range: PreK-2nd

This was an awesome little book. I love how it actually has a great meaning behind it. The book talks about how this kid is having a not such good day which what he calls I "the blues". As the book goes on he asks everyone in his family what kind of day they're having and they tell him colors also. His next day gets better and he starts to feel better. At the end of the novel he says, "Yeah, yesterday I had the blues. Today I got the greens. Tomorrow maybe it'll be the silvers. The rocket-powered skateboard silvers! And around here, that's okay. 'cause together we got somethin' that'll never change. We got a family the kind of family makes you feel like its all golden". I think that was a great ending to the book because it really teachers children to make the most of the time you have with your loved ones no matter your mood.

[Sherri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book shows a family's emotions by saying different members of the family have a certain color. For example, the father says he has the grays. A fun way to look at emotions, feelings, and color. I want to make sure the stories I read to my students reflect the diversity of my students and this one is a great example.

[Diana Isiordia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book would be great for reading to young children. I enjoy the descriptions of feelings based on colors and what they represent to different individuals. I think a great activity would be for children to share what color they feel like on a given day and then they can explain what that color means.

[Breyanna Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young boy ponders a variety of emotions and how different members of his family experience them, from his own blues to his father's grays and his grandmothers yellows. This book is an African American fiction story.

[Jacki · Rating 3 out of 5]

This family experiences a multitude of colors, not just the blues. A positive reminder at the end says no matter what color you have, you always have family that makes it all alright. The semi realistic people and the bright colors make this an enjoyable read.

[Wendy Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a lovely book with gorgeous illustrations. I was looking for storytime books for Black History Month and appreciated the opportunities for dialogic reading (the social-emotional and color themes). Though the author doesn't appear to be a person of color, the illustrator is.

[Kristin Sadler]

This book explains a little boy and how he had the blues, but his family and friends were feeling like different colors. This is a good book on giving the lesson of emotional and expressing our emotions in a positive manner.

[Kaelee Bungard · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book on not only how it's okay to feel emotions and how you may not feel the same everyday, and that's okay. But it is also a great book for children to practice what certain colors look like.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book to read to students so they know that not everyday is going to be great and they are going to be happy all the time. It is important for students to know that everyone has bad days but there will always be another day to make it better.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful book that explores emotions, but doesn't name them.

[Mrs Tupac · Rating 3 out of 5]

My son gets so moody so reading this to him was a must and he got familiar with his colors more

[Monise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for kids to read and understand/explain their feelings in ways that make sense to them!

[Sydney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was interesting. It was about expressing different emotions and feelings through colors. This would be a good way to help children express emotions.

[Camilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book for the pre-K crowd. Interesting for the adult reading it, and helps kids recognize their own and others' emotions (which is a good step on the road to regulating them appropriately.)

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is full of color! Love it!

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book about colors and feelings and family

[Kathy Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great for teaching little ones about their emotions.