"Jeffrey is very attached to the colour blue. He wears blue socks, blue underwear, a blue hat, and -- of course! -- blue jeans. At painting class, he paints only in blue. But when his classmate, Keiko, wants to use the blue paint, Jeffery will have to try a different colour. With some gentle coaxing, the narrator helps him to navigate his emotions, encouraging him to consider Keiko's feelings and to find the courage to try something new while also doing something nice for a friend. Sometimes, Jeffrey fixates on certain likes and dislikes. This story points out that something that's seems simple for some people can be very complicated for others, and Jeffrey's caregiver provides choice and time and space to help Jeffrey process his emotions. The focus of the story is not about getting rid of Jeffrey's fixation -- it's about widening his perspective in order to help a friend, and thus encouraging empathy."--

LORETTA GARBUTT developed her passion for children's books while working as a storyteller, bookseller, and reviewer. Her picture books include A Stopwatch from Grampa and And J.J. Slept. Loretta writes from her home in Toronto, Ontario, and believes that finding the perfect words is just as challenging as choosing the perfect colors.