Double Pink

November 7, 2005
Think pink" is the mantra of Madison, a girl who can't get enough of her favorite color. From a babbling baby ("Pink!" is her first word) to a youngster choosing her wardrobe and decorating her bedroom, Madison never considers alternate hues. But to this heroine, the color is more than a mere matter of taste; it embodies feelings, too ("But her pink walls and pink ceiling were lonely without a pink bedspread, pink sheets, and a pink pillow"). Readers will be hard-pressed to find a page on which the word or color pink does not appear—nearly ad nauseam. Ingram's (Boing!
) illustrations in muted tones initially balance out this overabundance—a hot pink party dress tempered by a pale pink birthday cake, for instance. But once Madison makes her birthday wish "that everything in the world was pink," nearly all of the remaining pages themselves are fluorescent pink, indicating a passion that has turned to obsession. Images of Madison appear in lighter and lighter strokes, until the heroine is practically invisible—and, finally, very frustrated. Debut author Feiffer's ending feels somewhat contrived, but pink-obsessed girls will enjoy this tale, and the message will be familiar to parents whose children move from one interest du jour to the next. Ages 3-6.

November 1, 2005
K-Gr 3 -When Madison decides she likes something, she likes it a whole lot, and her favorite color is no exception. Pink walls, pink clothes, pink toys -too much is never enough. Eventually, her signature shade of pink is literally all over everything, and Madison is forced to acknowledge that she may have taken things too far. Feiffer's simple text reads easily, and Ingman's playful acrylic-and-ink paintings take a light approach to this look at childhood obsession. If nothing else, the artist's liberal application of a violent shade of shocking pink makes a powerful artistic statement about overkill. Lots of kids have a signature shade or motif; whether they're into fire trucks, fairy princesses, or purple dinosaurs, young readers are likely to identify with Madison, and a few might even be tickled -well, you know." -Catherine Threadgill, Charleston County Public Library, SC"

Copyright 2005 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2006
Madison has been obsessed with the color pink since she uttered it as her first word, and she dresses and decorates accordingly--until she reaches her limit. Unfortunately, she is never imbued with personality beyond her central obsession, which lends the somewhat obvious story a patronizing quality. Conversely, the art is inventive and occasionally resplendent--no easy task, given the circumscribed palette.

(Copyright 2006 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)