• Age: 6 to 9
• Grade: 1 to 4

As a child, Josef Albers loved to watch his handyman father paint houses.When Josef grew up and became an artist, he reduced each image to its simplest shapes, breaking it down into blocks of color.

He made an incredible discovery: he could alter the entire mood of a painting just by changing the way he combined the colors! Josef spent his entire life studying color, and what he found revolutionized the way people look at art.

Julia Breckenreid is an illustrator who lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Her thoughtful picture book illustration work has been featured in the NYT Books section and chosen for The Original Art Exhibition: A showcase of illustrations from the year’s best children’s books of the year at the Society of Illustrators Museum in 2021 and 2023. Previously, Julia’s work has been awarded a gold medal by the Society of Illustrators in New York and acknowledged repeatedly by American Illustration, Communication Arts and 3x3 professional awards annuals.

Julia Breckenreid's profile page

Natasha Wing's profile page

• Arizona Grand Canyon Young Readers Master List
• Long-listed, Arizona Grand Canyon Young Readers Maste
• Long-listed, California Eureka! Award, Honor

“* Spare, engaging text paired with striking gouache illustrations make this book a perfect choice for aspiring young artists.” —School Library Journal, starred review

“An accessible and lively introduction to this artist and to color theory.” —Publishers Weekly

“An expanded biographical spread and comprehensive glossary with a color wheel greatly enhance this unusual effort, which closes with hands-on projects that explore color theory.” —Booklist

“[A] sophisticated and engaging account of an artist and color theorist.… Strikingly illustrated by the award-winning graphic artist Breckenreid (in an admirable picture-book debut) and supported by terrific, inclusive backmatter, this will prove a must-have for museum shops as well as school and public libraries hungry for handsome and unique art books.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Brechenreid's paintings illuminate the story . . . always employing her subject's preferred flat colors and geometric shapes.” —The Horn Book, Starred Review

“Art and science intersect inAn Eye for Color: The Story of Josef Albers.... Brilliant canvases with squares within squares are today part of the modern art canon. Albers, their creator, emigrated from Germany to the United States in 1933, and ultimately he produced more than 1,000 such images in a quest to understand color and perception. Oddly, he doesn't enjoy instant name recognition. This lively biography will help correct that. Wing, who grew up down the street from Albers, finds much to appreciate in his paintings, persistence and passion.” —San Francisco Chronicle