The Color Box

by Dayle Ann Dodds, Giles Laroche (Illustrator)

Alexander the monkey finds an ordinary-looking box with spots of color inside, through which he journeys to many bright landscapes of different colors. Each page has a hole revealing the next color he will find.

Genres: Picture Books, Storytime, Animals, Childrens, Juvenile

32 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1992

About the author

Dayle Ann Dodds is the author of numerous picture books for children, including THE SHAPE OF THINGS, TEACHER'S PETS, THE GREAT DIVIDE: A MATHEMATICAL MARATHON, and MINNIE'S DINER: A MULTIPLYING MENU. A former elementary school teacher, she lives in Carmel Valley, California.

Reviews

[Teddi Bear · Rating 5 out of 5]

This rhyming book is fantastic for exploring colors (and shapes) with children. Alexander the monkey crawls into a box and finds that everything's black inside...except for one spot. So he crawls through that one spot and finds a world where everything is yellow...except for one spot. The book features cutouts in various shapes giving a peak at what color is going to come next, which is a fun detail that kids will love. I know I did when I was a little one, and I still do as an adult.

[Melanie Gaum · Rating 2 out of 5]

A monkey explores colors.

The copy the library sent to me was very stained and ripped, but no other copies are available to be checked out.

[Ashley Moser · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book to teach about colors. The illustration of the monkey is a bit freaky. I like the holes in the pages to show the color on the next page.

[Ice Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book to teach children about colours, it made even me an adult happy.

[Josie B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alexander, the monkey, crawls into a box and discovers interiors inside of interiors, each a different color. Die-cut holes give the reader a preview of the colors Alexander will find on the next page. The 3-5 year olds in my preschool storytime enjoyed the book, which I used to talk about colors and shapes. Recognizing shapes is one of the stepping stones to letter knowledge. I paired it with "Q Is for Duck: An Alphabet Guessing Game" by Mary Elting followed by a scrambled alphabet game for a playful storytime promoting letter knowledge.

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like going on this journey with Alexander the monkey. The colors are bright and fun, exploring what could happen if you crawl into a box! There is really good cadence with the book and the colors are vibrant. My husband thought it sad that the monkey ended in a zoo, but overall I would recommend the book. Also there are little shape wholes from page to page that make little minds curious what I son the next page!

[jacky · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun color book. The monkey explores the different colors he finds in a box, each one taking him to a new world. The use of cut outs to show a hint of the next color was nice. There was also a door flap near the end. The kids at story time for letter X day seemed to enjoy it, and the youngest crowd looked at it a lot.

[Christine Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alexander the monkey finds an ordinary-looking box with spots of color inside, through which he journeys to many bright landscapes of different colors. Each page has a hole revealing the next color he will find. www.hcpl.net

Excellent storytime book.

[Pandora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another book to have fun with. When I read it I guess every color is green. The kids love correcting me. The book is easy to use because it repeats so you don't even have to read the page.

[Alyce Dougan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Color Box is a fun book for children that helps them learn and explore colors. I would recommend this for ages 2-6. It’s very simple and easy for children to understand.

[Aiyana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really wonderful, creative illustrations lead through a series of pages that each explore a single color. The language is a little awkward, though.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting color concept book

[Miss Janis the Storytime Lady · Rating 2 out of 5]

meh. tried for littles and for preschoolers, and it just didn't work.

[Mae · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. A monkey goes into a box and finds he's in a completely different world. Creative book where each page gives a hint of what's to come.