Ochre

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This week I'd like to talk about the word ochre [oh-ker], which can also be spelled ocher. (But I prefer the first spelling.) Used as a noun, ochre means "any of a class of natural earths, mixtures of hydrated oxide of iron with various earthy materials", according to Dictionary.com. I want to focus on the word as an adjective, however, and in this case it means the color of ochre -- which ranges from a pale yellow to an orangish or reddish yellow. To me, ochre seems like the quintessential color of autumn. Here are a few examples of this word in a sentence:

I love walking through the woods in the fall, 

under a blazing canopy of crimson and ochre leaves.

The field was filled with pumpkins of all sizes, 

some a deep orange, some ochre, and a few with still 

a tinge of green.

Anna pulled the bulky, ochre-colored sweater 

out of her closet. "This will be perfect for a 

chilly autumn morning," she thought.

Can you think of other things that are the color of ochre? How would you use this word?

Mnemonic

This week's word is mnemonic [ni-mon-ik], a noun meaning "something intended to assist the memory, such as a verse or formula". (Or, used as an adjective, the word means "helping the memory".)

Back when I was in 9th grade, my Earth Science teacher asked our class to make up mnemonics to help us remember the order of the planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. (Yes, this was back in the old days, when Pluto was considered a planet!)

My teacher suggested substituting a different word (beginning with the same letter) for each planet, thus creating a sentence that would be easy for us to remember. Over 30 years later, I can still recall the sentence I came up with:

My very energetic mother jumped 

straight up near Polaris.

And, to this day, I still use that mnemonic whenever I need to remember the order of the planets (now minus one).

Anything can be used as mnemonics -- images, acronyms, songs, rhymes, phrases. Another mnemonic that I learned in junior high is this acronym:

ROY G. BIV

Each letter stands for a color, in the order that each appears in a rainbow:

Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Indigo Violet

Have you ever used a mnemonic to help remember something? What was it?

Viridian

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I like using specific color words (the ones that go beyond "red" or "yellow") whenever I can. One of those words is viridian [vuh-rid-ee-uh n], the name for a bluish green color, which is more green than blue.

This word always makes me think of scenes like the one in the picture above:

The boat and its crisp white sails 

glided across the viridian waves.

The color also reminds me of something else found in nature:

A brilliant viridian dragonfly rested on the log, 

its wings vibrating and humming in the sunshine.

How would you use the word viridian in a sentence?  What other specific color words can you think of?

Vermillion

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I can't believe it's October already, can you? One of my favorite things about this time of year is the rich, beautiful rainbow of autumn colors everywhere I look. There are the oranges, the purples, the yellows, the browns, and the reds. One of those reds is vermillion [ver-mil-yuh n], which is "a brilliant scarlet red". Here are a few sample sentences:

The trees on the hillside blazed with crisp vermillion leaves, 

brilliant against the blue October sky.

"Sweet ride," he said, trailing a finger 

along the vermillion hood of the car.

What other vermillion things can you think of? How would you use the word vermillion?

Cerulean

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I love the word cerulean [suh-roo-lee-uh n] for two reasons: the way it sounds, cool and peaceful, and also its meaning.  Cerulean is an adjective that means "deep blue; sky blue; azure".  Blue (any shade, really, but especially a deep sky blue) just happens to be my very favorite color. :) Here are some examples of the word in a sentence:

Digging her toes in the sand, 

she gazed out at the cerulean sea.

I painted my bedroom cerulean, 

a serene color to remind me of sunny, summer days.

The child's kite resembled a big, colorful bird 

against the cerulean sky.

How would you use the word cerulean?  What else can you think of that can be described that way?

(Psst... if you haven't heard about the "Blue..." is Two! Birthday Contest yet, you can find all the details here.)

Books in Full Bloom

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It's spring -- for a few more weeks, anyway.  The season of spring always makes me think of flowers, gardens, and the color green.  I went to the library earlier this month in search of "springy" books for young children, and found a few that I wanted to share with you:

Seasons,

written and illustrated by Blexbolex,

translated by Claudia Bedrick, 2010

As the title suggests, this book isn't just about spring, but about all of the seasons.  Each page is a work of art, a stunning graphic topped by a short, often one-word title. (While the photo above shows a two-page illustration, one-page pictures are the norm in this book.)  Many of the pages play off of each other.  For example, LEAF/COCOON, SEED/SHOOT, SWIM/SUNBURN.  At first this book may seem geared for the youngest of children, beginning to learn about the world around them.  However, the artwork makes this a book to be enjoyed by all ages.

***

Wildflower ABC: An Alphabet of Potato Prints,

written and illustrated by Diana Pomeroy, 1997

In this book, Pomeroy presents one wildflower per letter through gorgeous illustrations made from potato prints.  A section at the back gives more information about each of the flowers.

***

Green,

written and illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger, 2012

Vibrant illustrations showcase different shades of green, from the typical "forest green" and "lime green" to the creative "slow green" and "zany green".  Each page also provides a cut-out, a peek into the pages before and after it.

***

Growing Vegetable Soup,

written and illustrated by Lois Ehlert, 1987

A favorite of our family's since my 17-year-old was little, this book shows the cycle from seed to shoot to vegetable -- and then to the stove and the dinner table.  I always love Ehlert's bold, vivid illustrations and the ones in this book are no exception.  A delicious-sounding recipe for vegetable soup is provided at the end of the story.  (I think we might try it this summer!)

***

Counting in the Garden,

written and illustrated by Kim Parker, 2005

Count the various creatures in the garden -- from one to ten -- in this colorful book.

***

Fletcher and the Springtime Blossoms,

written by Julia Rawlinson

and illustrated by Tiphanie Beeke, 2009

I love all of the Fletcher books; he's such an adorable little fox!  In this story, Fletcher enjoys all the signs of spring throughout the woods -- until he sees what he thinks are snowflakes in the air.  Of course, after warning all of his friends that winter isn't over yet, he discovers that they were really tree blossoms.  The story and illustrations combine to create a fun, cheerful book.

***

Seed Magic,

written by Jane Buchanan

and illustrated by Charlotte Riley-Webb, 2011

The Birdman sits in his wheelchair, feeding his friends, the pigeons.  He thinks the birds are beautiful, but young Rose would much rather look at beautiful flowers in the garden. The Birdman gives Rose some seeds -- magic seeds, he says -- and instructs her to "plant" them on her windowsill.  What kind of garden will grow from these magic seeds?  It turns out to be an unusual garden, not quite what Rose expected, but a lovely one all the same.

***

A Little Story About a Big Turnip,

retold by Tatiana Zunshine

and illustrated by Evgeny Antonenkov, 2003

Zunshine retells a Russian folk tale about a family that must work together to pull a giant turnip out of their garden.  I have heard this story before -- though not this exact version. Kids always seem to like saying the refrain along with whoever is reading it to them.  My favorite part of this book would have to be the comical illustrations that made me chuckle with every turn of a page.

***

Quiet in the Garden,

written and illustrated by Aliki, 2009

A young boy goes to the garden and sits quietly -- very still -- then observes his surroundings.  It turns out that the garden is teeming with life, from robins to squirrels to frogs and more.  I like how this book encourages children to pay attention to the natural world all around them.

***

In the Garden: Who's Been Here?,

written and illustrated by Lindsay Barrett George, 2006

Christina and Jeremy's mother asks them to gather some vegetables from the garden.  When they get there, they discover various signs that someone (many someones, actually) have already been there.  Readers will enjoy guessing who has eaten some of the sunflower's seeds, who has left a slimy trail on a leaf, etc. before turning the page and finding out.  At the end of the book, George provides more detailed information about each of the critters who have visited the garden.

***

How Groundhog's Garden Grew,

written and illustrated by Lynne Cherry, 2003

When Little Groundhog is caught eating vegetables from someone else's garden (something groundhogs love to do, I've found from personal experience!), Squirrel decides to show Little Groundhog how to grow his own garden.  Through her story and beautifully detailed illustrations, Cherry explains all the steps of gardening, from gathering seeds and planting them to tending the garden to harvesting and eating the food.  While providing an entertaining story, she also offers useful information for gardeners of all ages!

***

In addition to the fictional picture books I shared above, I also came across this nonfiction for young readers at the library:

It Could Still Be a Flower,

written by Allan Fowler,

with photos by many, 2001

Close-up photographs and easy-to-read text combine to teach children the names and features of various kinds of flowers.

***

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you will know that I love poetry.  It shouldn't come as a surprise that I also looked for and found some "springy" poem collections at the library:

Busy in the Garden,

written by George Shannon

and illustrated by Sam Williams, 2006

In this book, Shannon shares twenty-four short poems about gardens, spring, and summer.  Some of the poems are riddles, some are silly, and all of them are fun!  Watercolor illustrations by Williams complement the poetry nicely.

***

Seeds, Bees, Butterflies, and More!:

Poems for Two Voices,

written by Carole Gerber

and illustrated by Eugene Yelchin, 2013

This book offers eighteen nature-related poems to be read aloud by two people.  My seven-year-old Ben and I had a good time reading them together!  At the end of the book, Gerber provides more information about the various subjects of her poems.  Yelchin's charming artwork illustrates each poem.

***

Have you read any of the books in this post?  If so, what did you think of them?  What are your favorite picture books for springtime?

Chartreuse

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Recently, I was watching the television show "The Amazing Race".  For one of the challenges, team members had to know what chartreuse [shahr-troos] meant.  I think that all of the participants knew the word was a color, but for some reason, several of them thought that it was a red.  They were wrong.

Chartreuse is a greenish color with a yellow tinge, like the color of the plant shown in the picture above.  I think of it as a light, "springy" green (as opposed to a deeper, "summery" green).  Here are a couple of sample sentences I came up with:

The chartreuse Granny Smith apple 

looked as tart as it tasted.

The sun peeked through 

the new chartreuse leaves of the maple tree, 

warming the ground with its light.

How would you use the word chartreuse?  Can you think of other objects that could be described that way?  What other unusual color words can you think of?

The Colors of Autumn

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The Colors of Autumn

Burnt umber
Burnt sienna
Mars red
Orange henna
Silver gray
Olive green
Naples yellow
Tangerine
A touch of black
But not much blue --
Autumn's down-to-earth in hue.

~ Douglas Florian, 

from Autumnblings

I love this color poem.  Florian aptly describes the riot of earthy colors that we see around us every autumn.  He does it with a touch of rhyme, which always makes me smile -- at least when it's done well.  (And Florian's poem certainly qualifies!)  What colors do you see when you look outside in the fall?

What is Black?

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What is Black?

Black is the night
When there isn't a star
And you can't tell by looking
Where you are.
Black is a pail of paving tar.
Black is jet
And things you'd like to forget.
Black is a smokestack
Black is a cat,
A leopard, a raven,
A high silk hat.
The sound of black is
"Boom!  Boom!  Boom!"
Echoing in
An empty room.

Black is kind--
It covers up
The run-down street,
The broken cup.

Black is charcoal
And patio grill,
The soot spots on
The window sill.
Black is a feeling
Hard to explain
Like suffering but
Without the pain.
Black is licorice
And patent leather shoes
Black is the print
In the news.
Black is beauty
In its deepest form,
The darkest cloud
In a thunderstorm.
Think of what starlight
And lamplight would lack
Diamonds and fireflies
If they couldn't lean against
Black....

~ Mary O'Neill

I love all these different descriptions of the color black, especially "things you'd like to forget", the sound it makes, and the final image.  I also like how O'Neill uses rhymes in her poem to answer her title question.  Can you think of anything you might add to your own list of things that are black?  

Phosphorescent

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A few weeks ago, when I asked friends and readers of this blog to list some of their favorite words, one person wrote phosphorescent [fos-fuh-res-uhnt].  I like the word, too, especially the sound of it.  It has a certain spookiness about it.  Phosphorescent is an adjective, and it means "exhibiting phosphorescence (the property of being luminous)". Synonyms for the word include "glowing" and "shining". Here are a few example sentences:

Some marine animals, like jellyfish, 

are phosphorescent and produce their own light.

When my son turns off his gecko's lightbulb at night, 

the phosphorescent lamp surrounding it 

continues to glow for several minutes.

She used phosphorescent paint 

when making ghosts for the annual haunted house.

What other things can you think of that are phosphorescent?

O is for Orange

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An excerpt:

O is for Orange

The color of pumpkins
     and the harvest moon.
Fall is orange
     but leaves too soon.

~ from J is for Jack-O'-Lantern: 
A Halloween Alphabet,

written by Denise Brennan-Nelson

Normally I am not a fan of the color orange.  In the fall, however, I can appreciate the color.  In the fall, I love to see all the different shades of orange around me -- the pumpkins, the leaves, the moon, the Halloween decorations. I am thankful for autumn and the way it changes my perspective on ordinary things, like the color orange....

Cinnabar

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This week's word is a color, another name for bright red: cinnabar [sin-uh-bahr].  Cinnabar is also the name of a mineral, the principal ore of mercury, which occurs in red crystals or masses.  I like the way the word sounds -- it's prettier, more exotic-sounding, than "red".  When I hear it, I think of the word "cinnamon" which reminds me of fall. (Mmmm... apple crisp!)  Cinnabar reminds me of fall as well, and the leaves changing color.

The forest leaves blazed with

gold, orange, copper, and cinnabar -- 

a kaleidoscope of autumn colors.

The cardinal perched on the tree branch, 

a spot of cinnabar among the green leaves.

The orchard trees stood in rows, 

their branches laden with plump cinnabar apples, 

just waiting to be plucked and turned into pies.

What do you think of when you hear the word cinnabar? What other interesting color names can you think of?

Iridescent

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According to Dictionary.com, the adjective iridescent [ir-i-des-uhnt] means "displaying lustrous colors like those of the rainbow".   I remember when my mother-in-law taught this word to my daughter Emmalie when she was only 2 years old, and she would amaze other adults by using the word (correctly!) in her conversations with them.  Since then, the word has always brought a smile to my face.  Here are a few sentence examples:

The iridescent bubble floated on the breeze until it popped.

Buzzing past on iridescent wings, the dragonfly 

dipped down, hovered over the surface of the water 

for a moment, then flew toward the setting sun.

She fingered the seashell, admiring 

its smooth, iridescent interior.

Can you think of other things that are iridescent?  How would you use the word in a sentence?

Periwinkle

Some of the periwinkle growing in our yard, April 2012
(These have more purple in them than the crayon does....)

Periwinkle [per-i-wing-kuhl] is a purplish blue color, also known as "lavender blue".  The name comes from the periwinkle plant (also called creeping myrtle) which bears flowers that color.  I have loved the word -- and the color -- for as long as I can remember.  Whenever anyone asks the question: If you were a crayon, what color would you be?, I always answer with periwinkle. (See the Crayola page about the crayon color here.)

I named one of my stuffed animal seals Periwinkle when I was a little girl, and as a teenager, I was thrilled when the color was chosen by my high school graduating class for our caps and gowns:

That's me on the right. :)  I know the gowns look more
blue in this picture than a lavender blue, but that's just
the lighting.  Trust me, they were periwinkle.

The last of the evening light reflected 

periwinkle sky on the still lake.

With her hand, the young girl smoothed

 the velvety periwinkle dress against her legs.

What other things can you think of that are periwinkle in color?  If you were a crayon, what color would you be?

(Psst... if you haven't read about the Big Blue Birthday Contest yet, please check out this post.)