How Jackson Found His Joy Again

Color becomes both metaphor and therapeutic tool in this supportive account of a child struggling to emerge from a depressive rut. Once “chock-full of joy and vibrant colors,” pale-skinned Jackson’s joy dims in the face of everyday sorrows, and when his best friend moves and his hamster dies, he’s left “gray and empty inside,” hues echoed in the illustrations. Enter a school counselor who provides actionable advice: “Each day, look for one color you see outside, and think about how it makes you feel.... If you can’t find the colors inside your heart right now, maybe you can find them somewhere else.” Emotionally aware prose describes the powerful effects of Jackson’s ensuing efforts: the ocean’s blue offers feelings of “cool and calm and confident,” and an orange sunset brings “warmth and comfort,” leading to his experiencing a “healing rainbow kaleidoscope of wonder.” Jones’s realistic paintings adroitly use a range of hues to echo the text’s theme, and a starry splatter effect amplifies the story’s instruction around mindfully connecting with the world that surrounds. Characters are portrayed with various skin tones. An author’s note and therapist afterword conclude. Ages 4–8. (May)