Charley Harper's Book of Colors

Charley Harper’s brightly rendered animal illustrations in this board book will teach youngsters their colors in no time, with Zoe Burke’s rhyming text offering read-aloud fun. A RED bug with BLACK dots / A sleepy cat with ORANGE spots A bumblebee with stripes of YELLOW / he’s a very busy fellow.

Charley Harper

Midcentury modernist Charley Harper (American, 1922–2007) portrayed the natural world with heart and humor. In vivid colors and simple shapes, his cardinals, ladybugs, and clever critters have become icons of wildlife art. His illustrations were published in magazines and books, notably Ford Times and The Giant Golden Book of Biology. A longtime conservationist, Harper created posters for more than 50 nature- and conservation-oriented organizations. His US National Park Service posters—massive, requiring a year each to paint—showcase delightful depictions of entire ecosystems in a style he defined as “minimal realism.” In his adopted hometown of Cincinnati, his public works are the legacy of an artist truly beguiled by the wild, one whose art was a quiet catalyst for ecological action.