The Girl Who Heard Colors
-
-
5.0 • 1 Rating
-
-
- $7.99
-
- $7.99
Publisher Description
This eye-opening picture book introduces readers to their five senses and to synesthesia—a condition in which one sense triggers another. For some people, sounds or tastes have colors. And for others, numbers and letters do. Many famous artists have been synesthetes, including Tori Amos, Duke Ellington, Jimi Hendrix, Lady Gaga, Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel, John Mayer, Mozart, and Degas.
Imagine that when you hear a bell you see silver or when a dog barks you see red. That’s what it’s like for Jillian—when she hears sounds she sees colors. At first the kids at school make fun of Jillian. Jillian worries about being different until her music teacher shows her that having synesthesia is an amazing thing. This lively, informative picture book makes synesthesia easy to understand and celebrates each person’s unique way of experiencing the world.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
With the publication of books like Daniel Tammet's Born on a Blue Day, synesthesia has gone from an obscure medical phenomenon to a more widely known cultural term. Harris's (Primary Numbers) story is addressed both to the small population of children who hear colors and smell words, and to the friends, schoolmates, and teachers who may be puzzled by these experiences. She describes Jillian's mixture of visual and aural sensations simply: "When she heard a dog barking she saw bright red." When a lunchbox drops and the teacher asks what has happened, Jillian answers, "Yellow!" Her classmates laugh at Jillian: "When she heard their laughter, she saw inky black." A doctor says Jillian is healthy, but doesn't address her sense of being different; it's a visiting musician who gives her sensations a name. Brantley-Newton (Mister and Lady Day) provides lively, stylish spreads and keeps close to the information given in the text. This is clearly meant as a resource for teachers and librarians; it's less likely to draw readers on its own. Ages 3 5.
