The Inspiration

I had the idea for this Little Book character to go on adventures around the world via book boxes and giveaways when driving by a local Little Free Library every morning. The idea of seeing the world through the eyes of this children’s book appealed to me. But two weeks into my son’s Kindergarten year and during the idea stage, he started exhibiting signs of separation anxiety. My idea shifted and within an afternoon, I had the first draft of what would become Little Book’s Big Day Out.  

what's with all the color

Did you know the colors you see every day are like little secret messengers that talk to your brain? 

It’s true! This is called Color Psychology, and we used a lot of color psychology throughout Little Book’s Big Day Out. Did you notice the color that meant Little Book was sad? How about when he was hopeful?

Different colors can change your mood, make you feel energized, or help you calm down. 

Let's look at what some of the coolest colors might be whispering to you!

💚 Green—the color of growing plants. It symbolizes balance, harmony, and growth, but can also be used to show envy. It makes you think of new beginnings, health, and feeling peaceful. If you feel worried, green can help you feel balanced and quiet inside. Fun fact about green: our eyes can process more greens than any other color due to the amount of time our ancestors spent in forests. Green is a color I used to show hope and calm. 

💛 Yellow—the color of sunshine and smiley faces. It symbolizes happiness and optimism, but can also be used to show caution, egotism, and cowardice. Yellow can boost your energy, help you think clearly, and fill you with optimism. I used yellow to show when Little Book and Addie were joyful. 

❤️ Red—the color of fire and hearts. It symbolizes intense emotions like love, courage, strength, and even anger. It’s full of energy and draws your attention. Use it when you need to feel motivated, but be careful. Too much red can make you feel overstimulated or a little mad.

🧡 Orange—the color of a sunset and a warm fire. It symbolizes enthusiasm and creativity, but it can also be used to show anxiety. Orange is great when we are feeling social and happy. However, sometimes when you see too much, it can make you feel jumpy or worried. I used orange to show when Little Book or Addie were experiencing anxiety. 

💙 Blue—the color of the ocean and the sky. It symbolizes trust, wisdom, confidence, and peace, but can also evoke feelings of sadness and isolation. Blue is usually a very peaceful color that helps your body relax, but when the color is deep and dark, it can sometimes make you feel a little gloomy or sad. Deep blue is used to show when Addie and Little Book were sad.

💜 Purple—the color of magic, royalty, and cool mysteries. It mixes the calmness of blue with the energy of red. Light purple (like lavender) can be very relaxing and inspire you to dream up new ideas.

Now that you know about the power of colors, how will you use your color superpower?

💚 When you need to chill out, look at light blue or green. Use them in your bedroom to help you sleep.

❤️ When you need to get things done, use bright spots of yellow and/or red in your study area.

🧡 When you feel a little sad, find some bright yellow or happy orange to lift your spirits.

💙 When you feel anxious or too hyper, step away from the bright colors and go to a place that has calming green or soft blue.

And remember, everyone is different. A color that makes you feel happy might make your friend feel sad, and that’s okay. The important thing is to notice how the colors in our world make you feel!

The Illustrator

The Author