Book Description
for This Is Orange by Rachel Poliquin and Julie Morstad
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
Using a curious and conversational tone, the author offers readers an exploration of the color orange, including its naming, creation, and use. The mineral realgar, for example, was used to make an orange pigment, and the orange mineral crocoite led to the discovery of the element chromium. Remarkable tidbits are balanced with more child-centered observations (“Artists can make their own orange by mixing red and yellow paints”). On a double-page spread that shows a child viewing an oil painting, the text reads, “This painting is called Orange and Yellow. It is by Mark Rothko, and it is very large. If you stand close enough, you might feel absorbed into its orange glow.” From paintings to space suits, and from monarchs to marigolds, Poliquin’s curated field trip invites readers to consider the color orange in their own worlds.
CCBC Choices 2026. © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin – Madison, 2026. Used with permission.

