What Color Is Today?

Author: Alison Stephen
Illustrator: Alison Stephen
Publisher: Independently Published

Another picture ebook (that can be downloaded free) that has used the rainbow as a symbol of hope. Author and illustrator Alison Stephens uses different colours to represent the emotions that people may be feeling during the Coronavirus pandemic. Blue is scary (the uncertainty of the spread of the virus), red is angry (everything has been cancelled), Dad is grey with the worry of losing his job due to the prevailing economic crisis. But some colours represent more positive things – ‘Yippee yellow’ means happy times with sunshine and waving to friends. Green makes grocery shopping fun, with painted masks. But most days are a mix of different colours – a rainbow of emotions – and the thank you cards and paintings that the family produce are sent out to the key workers that are keeping the world turning.

The messages we found in this book:

Acknowledgement:

Many children are feeling frightened and worried about the virus and how it spreads from person to person, confused about the uncertainty of the future, and angry about having their social interactions and leisure activities restricted.
Children may be aware of problems that adults are facing during the crisis, such as the threat of job loss or other financial difficulties.
It is not only the child that may be experiencing a range of emotions; adults around them will be dealing with them, too.

Guidance:

The story touches upon some of the hardships and tragedies that have resulted from the pandemic: a friend’s grandma has died from COVID-19, and the protagonist’s father is having to cope with potential unemployment.
It is perfectly normal to feel a range of conflicting emotions every day, but in times of crisis this is even more likely to happen.

Hope & Inspiration:

Not everything about the pandemic is negative. The family is able to spend more time together having fun. They are able to keep in touch with friends my waving from a distance, or via technology/phones.
The family express gratitude. They write to key workers to thank them for their support, and they feel that these people give us all hope.