red and green and blue and white
by Lee Wind
Illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky
Sydney Taylor Award Notable Book
Association of Jewish Libraries Best of the Year
“We come together in strength. It's a message the world can use, throughout the year.”—The New York Times
“Affecting. This moving tribute to religious pluralism will uplift children.” — Wall Street Journal
On a block dressed up in Red and Green one house shone Blue and White.
It’s a holiday season that both Isaac, whose family is Jewish, and Teresa, whose family is Christian, have looked forward to for months! They’ve been counting the days, playing in the snow, making cookies, drawing (Teresa) and writing poems (Isaac). They enjoy all the things they share, as well as the things that make them different.
But when Isaac’s window is smashed in the middle of the night, it seems like maybe not everyone appreciates “difference.”
Inspired by a true story, this is a tale of a community that banded together to spread light.
Type: Picture Book
Pages: 32
Format: Hardcover
Publication: October 19, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-64614-087-9
PRAISE
Sydney Taylor Award Notable Book
Association of Jewish Libraries Best of the Year
“We come together in strength. It's a message the world can use, throughout the year.”—The New York Times
“Affecting. This moving tribute to religious pluralism will uplift children.” — Wall Street Journal
★ “Zelinsky has covered every page with bright colors, with optional text that dances through the pictures and occasional vignettes that add detail and movement to the story. This is a strong addition to holiday stories, one that can be reread and rediscovered many times and whose theme of community support and friendship is appropriate year-round.”
—School Library Connection (starred)
★ “The visual treatment here is particularly striking—Caldecott Medalist Zelinsky’s vibrant digital art has the bold, rough-hewn textures of scratch block, and dramatic compositions that recall sweeping cinematography emphasize fraught emotions in this moving historical tale that encourages taking a stand.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred)
★ “Captures the celebratory joys of the season. ”
—The Horn Book (starred)
★ “A powerful and inspiring example of community, friendship, respect, and love.”
—School Library Journal (starred)
★ “Vibrant and compassionate...Wind and Zelinsky's offering gives young readers an inspirational, empathy-building story about honoring your identity and standing up against hate. Stronger together, indeed.”
—Shelf-Awareness (starred)
“[A] moving tale about community solidarity.”
—Foreword Reviews
“The true meaning of the holiday season shines here.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Wind’s pitch-perfect text is elegantly spare, accessible on many levels, and lyrical enough to invite multiple read-alouds. Caldecott Medalist Paul O. Zelinsky’s gorgeous art captures the magic of holiday lights in the night, and expresses the story’s shifting moods – from playful, to briefly worrying, to heartwarming. RED AND GREEN AND BLUE AND WHITE is an important, inspiring story about the power of love to overcome hate, a timely and inclusive take on the Chanukah theme of light overcoming darkness, and a strong contender for the Sydney Taylor Book Award.”
—Sydney Taylor Schmooze
"Red and Green and Blue and White is a wonderful story about standing up for what is right, supporting others and respecting differences. Excellent illustrations complement the text. This is an important book for parents to read with their children and for teachers to share with their students.”
—Glenn Perrett, Syndicated Columnist, Metroland Media
“Based on a true story, this is a beautiful picture book of support, resilience, and community. Zelinsky's illustrations evoke movement, warmth, and friendship. Wind's storytelling is poetic and relatable, and together they show young readers how a town can come together to support in the face of hate. Not just one for a holiday display, but for hope and amity.”
—Tildy Lutts, Belmont Books
“Most of the houses on Isaac's street are decorated with red and green for Christmas, but Isaac's house is decorated in blue and white for Hanukkah. When Isaac's front window is broken in the night, his friend Teresa comes up with a way to support Isaac and his family. A lovely reminder of how easy and kind it can be to support members in your community.”
—Cathy Berner, Blue Willow Bookshop
SEE INSIDE THE BOOK
Interior spread
Interior spread
About lee wind
Lee Wind, M.Ed. is the author of the MG nonfiction No Way, They Were Gay?: Hidden Lives and Secret Loves and the YA novel Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill. Lee works for IBPA and SCBWI, and lives in Los Angeles with his husband and their teenage daughter, where he writes stories to empower kids and teens to change the world. Visit him online at www.leewind.org.
About paul o. zelinsky
Paul O. Zelinsky has become recognized as one of the most inventive artists in the field of children's literature. Among his many honors are the 1998 Caldecott Medal for Rapunzel, as well as Caldecott Honors for three other books: Hansel and Gretel (1985), Rumpelstiltskin (1987), and Swamp Angel (1995). In 2018, Paul was given the Carle Honor Award for Illustration. He lives with his wife in Brooklyn, New York. They have two grown daughters.
