Yellow Blues.

Gregory Bryan is a member of the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg.

The young protagonist in this colourful picture book wants a new pair of yellow rubber boots. Unfortunately, she is unable to procure a pair. “Life is not fair,” the young girl concludes.

Told in rhyming text, the story—a child desperately wants something, but is not able to convince her parents to buy it—is one young readers will be able to relate to. The rhyming text, however, occasionally seems forced and, at times, stilted and uneven. When embedded among true rhymes, some of the near rhymes are even a distraction.

Text limitations aside, Moore’s artwork is lovely. His visually intriguing illustrations make wonderful use of bold and bright colours, and his humorous character depictions and facial expressions add detail lacking in the text.

While there is much here to like, and some children may even love the book, the flaws in the text are too problematic to ignore. Recommended with reservations.