Yellow Yellow

by Frank Asch

A boy proudly wears and finds many uses for the yellow construction hat he found--but eventually its owner appears.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Comics

Hardcover

Published January 1, 2019

About the author

Frank Asch is an American children's writer, best known for his Moonbear picture books.

Asch published his first picture book, George's Store, in 1968. The following year he graduated from Cooper Union with a BFA. Since then he has taught at a public school in India, as well as at a Montessori school in the United States, conducted numerous creative workshops for children. He has written over 60 books, including Turtle Tale, Mooncake, I Can Blink and Happy Birthday Moon. In 1989 he wrote Here Comes the Cat! in collaboration with Vladimir Vagin. The book was awarded the Russian National Book Award and was considered the first Russian-American collaboration on a children's book.

Asch lived in Somerville, New Jersey where he and his wife home-schooled their son Devin.

He currently lives in Vermont with his wife, Jan.

Reviews

[Vivian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is out of print. It is about a boy who finds a yellow construction hat. He picks it up and puts it on and it “fits just right”. (of course it goes down to his chin). He wears it everywhere and finds all sorts of uses for it. Then one day he meets the owner of the yellow hat so he gives it back to him. Then he goes home and pulls out a large sheet of white paper and uses a yellow marker to draw all sorts of yellow things until his paper is completely yellow. Then he folds the paper and folds it some more until he has a yellow hat. And it fit just right! (again it’s down to his nose).

[Elizabeth Chang · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first time I flipped through this book, I thought it was a "meh" book.

But then I took a closer look.

And my, my.

This book is wacky.

In a good way!

And definitely deserving a much more than just a skim.

To truly appreciate how weird and wacky this book is....you'll have to spend hours admiring the pictures....and wondering....WHAT THE POOP IS GOING ON?!

It was amusing.

[Danforth Spitzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a bizarre favorites from my childhood. I have been trying to describe this wonderful book for years, i thought it was a fever dream. It feels like a fever dream.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cool book I had written off for a while because it looked old fashioned and possibly boring. I loved the colourless illustrations with just yellow. It could be hard for a big crowd at storytime to make out the illustrations but it would be great for a smaller group with a hat-making craft to follow.

[Rolf]

Loved it for years as a kid-amazing drawings.
So much to see

[Rick Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yellow Yellow is a children's book written by Frank Asch and drawn by Mark Alan Stamaty (creator of the Washingtoon and MacDoodle Street comic strips and frequent contributor to the Village Voice). A simple story unfolds where a boy picks up a yellow hat and relishes wearing it. The frivolity is established by the use of a bold yellow to contrast the hat amidst the dense thicket of lines and details that comprise Stamaty's backgrounds.



A story of a few words, one can't help but feel the actual "A-plot" of Yellow Yellow it too trivial and simplistic. Indeed, it is Stamaty's intense lines that take center stage instead. A fantastical setting is crafted within a short few pages that comprise the book, but it's undeniably dense. Packed with whimsy and the surreal, the background story is almost more riveting. It's difficult to see how the intended readership of very young children would really be able to appreciate the quality of Stamaty's compositions or the somewhat unsettling character designs, though I do think this book could serve as something to stimulate the more precocious readers. Almost an exercise of "Where's Waldo?", one can derive a ton from just parsing the intricate designs that comprise this book. Though clearly a children's book, I do think Yellow Yellow contains enough for readers of all ages to appreciate.

[Elizabeth Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gloriously weird book. I first read this over 35 years ago and wondered if it'd hold up to my memories of it. And it DOES. The artwork is just mind-bogglingly detailed, it's going to take multiple readings to even scratch the surface of all the doodles and hidden poems and tiny creatures running around. I was a little scared of this book as a kid, in a way I liked. It's still a little scary, in the best way.

[Penny Schneider · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness what a book. Interesting story pulls you through the book, BUT the illustrations are what you can get lost in. The amount of interesting indicate details in this book! Just Fascinating. So interesting what you will find. Great addition to my personal library, something I will enjoy looking at over and over.

[Miss Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple toddler and up book about a boy finding a yellow hat and then finding other yellow objects. Done in black, white, and yellow.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much to take in and see in the illustrations- not to be read quickly!

[Edward C · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved this book as a teen--usually after fire it up and enjoying an illegal smile. ALWAYS found something new!

[Larakaa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The level of detail is amazing

[Snail · Rating 2 out of 5]

I want to applaud this book for looking different, but I really didn’t like the art style.

[Andante · Rating 5 out of 5]

Miglior albo illustrato di sempre

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very strange, in a way that would be fun to stare at all the details with a kiddo.