Review by Booklist Review
Other hues will turn green with envy at the visually stunning and factually thorough attention given indigo blue in this vibrant and informative picture-book debut by a Korean American artist and dyer. Chang recalls a childhood drenched in the vivid blues of Korea's nature, but she is an adult in the U.S. when a gift of indigo seeds changes her life. Immersing herself in the plant's history and artistic uses, Chang grows and harvests indigo plants with friends "on a little farm in the middle of Baltimore," and invites readers to learn their cultivation methods. This includes the traditional Korean extraction of "a dense and rich blue paste" called niram that the gardeners use to dye fabric. The prose turns pensive as Chang pivots from watercolor portraiture to highlighting her captivating textile handiwork. Textured samples of fabrics celebrate the global significance of indigo dye. Gauzy blueand-white starbursts suggest Japanese shibori or Yoruba adire oniko resist-dying techniques akin to tie-dye or batik, while tiny embroidery stitches adorn patchwork evoking Japanese sashiko techniques, appliqué, and Korean bojagi cloths. Back matter is expansive with botanical, geographic, and cultural connections. This intimate and meditative exploration of color will pair wonderfully with Nana Ekua BrewHammond and Daniel Minter's Blue (2022) and should find quick use in both scientific and artistic circles.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Chang's autobiographical debut starts off recounting a childhood encounter with indigo dye in Korea, where she first fell in love with "the strong shade of blue sky we called jjok." Later, as an adult in Baltimore, she is given indigo seeds by a friend, and experiential text invites readers to join a community of people, portrayed with various skin tones, tilling soil and tending indigo seedlings in a neighborhood farm until the leaves get large enough "to cover the palm of my hand." "But how do we get a blue dye from these green plants?" Careful time-lapse paintings of a jar of water-covered indigo leaves grows gradually bluer, intensified with pickling lime. The dyers talk about what indigo means to them ("I think indigo is the color in which lives the spirit and soul of my people," one unattributed quotation reads) and Chang acknowledges indigo's historical connection to the labor of enslaved people ("It is important to remember the pain along with the joy"). Indigo-dyed textiles form a backdrop for watercolor portraits of individuals working with the dye in this heartfelt personal reflection about community and heritage. Ages 4--8. (May)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
An exploration of all things indigo. In this thought-provoking work, Chang explains that she fell in love with the color blue while daydreaming as a child in Korea. She reminisces about "the strong shade of blue sky we called jjok" as well as the "darkest blue of all in the night sky during a camping trip in the woods." When she moved to the United States as an adult, a friend gave her the seeds of an indigo plant--the source of the blue she has long admired in clothing like her hanbok. "Now I grow indigo plants with my friends on a little farm in the middle of Baltimore." She explains how they plant seeds in seedling trays, replant them in the garden, harvest the plants, and extract the dye using ingredients such as calcium hydroxide. Chang touches on the cultural significance of indigo--to her friends, it means "community" or "the spirit and soul of my people." But she notes that "indigo also has a painful past" and that many enslaved people were forced to work on indigo farms. As Chang and her friends harvest and share seeds, she reflects on the knowledge and joy she has found while working with the medium. An attractive stitched patchwork of indigo-dyed textiles is interspersed throughout the bright, intricately textured illustrations. (This book was reviewed digitally.) An enjoyable dive into the cultural impact of a hypnotizingly beautiful color. (more about indigo, jjok and Korean history, recipe for making indigo dye, a map of indigo plants around the world) (Informational picture book. 5-9) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
