Colors of Israel - Softcover

"Bold, bright photography illustrates this color-concept picture book set in Israel. With a design reminiscent of Tana Hoban's classic books, numerous scenes both rural and urban showcase some distinctly Israeli features represented through the color palette. The red of an Israeli mail van or double-decker train, the yellow of a bus-stop sign or tree blossoms, and the brown of freshly baked challah at market or a cow in the Golan Heights are some examples. The shades of gray are seen at the beach with pigeons on the sand or the public benches in Jerusalem, while black flags at the beach serve as warning signs. White is the color of the Shrine of the Book, and pink is clearly the color of postage stamps. The name of each color is printed in English, Hebrew, and transliteration, and there is an abundance of Hebrew captured in many of the crisp photographs. With sites including Akko, Jaffa, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Giv'atayim, among others, Raz offers a pleasing survey of the country's geography. A nice, basic introduction to language, Israel, and some of its vibrant highlights." -- Kirkus Reviews

"Each page spread in this well-produced book features Israeli objects and sights of a specific color. Beginning with red's presence on a mail truck, stoplight, and train, and moving along through orange, yellow, green, blue, gray, brown, black, white, and pink, the spreads show each color's name in large type, both in English and Hebrew, with the latter's pronunciation also provided in roman letters. Some of the objects depicted will likely be familiar to young North American children, such as oranges and gray pigeons, while others specific to Israel, such as the flag, featured for blue, and the white Shrine of the Book, might not. This simple book offers several possibilities for sharing and viewing independently, as the photos are vivid and show everyday life, while the text is scant and serves merely to identify object names and color. Simpler than Bill Martin and Eric Carle's Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (1967), this visual travelogue will be readily accessible to the very young." -- Booklist Online

"This new book stuffed with great photos of Israel is for those who love Tana Hoban or Lois Ehlert, popular children's authors who are known for their brightly designed concept books for toddlers and preschool children. Here, we are shown that 'blue and white are not the only colors of Israel' by showcasing the vibrancy of the land and scenery - from a red double-decker train in Akko, to brown challah at the market, to the famous white Montefiore Windmill in Jerusalem.

Each color is written in giant typeface in English and Hebrew and transliterated for non-Hebrew readers. The photographs are vibrant and exciting and will surely stimulate little minds to ask questions about all the geographical locations and Hebrew signage, along with teaching the important vocabulary of colors in Hebrew. More than just a color concept book, this one is a sure winner." -- Jewish Journal

"The author/photographer has taken a close look at Israel and has focused on the many vibrant colors found in the cities, towns, beaches and just about everywhere. Each page is devoted to a particular color and features several beautiful photographs, with the name of the highlighted color printed in English, Hebrew and transliteration and shows several Israeli sites with which children can become familiar. This is a simple, fun way for young children to learn some Hebrew vocabulary and begin to identify with Israel." -- Jewish Book Council