Robert looks at the world around him through the eyes of an artist. He notices that the sky is not always blue. His teacher, like most grownups, needs to be reminded of that fact.

The give and take between the child and the adult is what I'll remember about this book. That, and the colorful illustrations by Sawyer Cloud.

This is a lovely reminder to take the time to really notice your surroundings.

This story follows Robert as he paints the sky at points across the school year, each time pointing out to his orderly teacher that "the sky is not (just) blue". The book encourages kids and teachers to appreciate the expansive range of colors, emotions, and personalities present in skies and people. They may not conform to our expectations, but their surprises are beautiful and joyful. I would recommend this book for parents or teachers looking for an art or nature-based project or who want to discuss how to handle differences in personalities and points of view.

Thank you to Netgalley and Free Spirit Publishing for providing an advance copy of this book for review.

Absolutely incredible. Loved how Robert thoughtfully explained how he saw the world to his teacher, who had become so used to things being a certain way and couldn't see the world in ways that were different than her own. I appreciated that, at the end, she realizes that she's lost some of that imagination and open-mindedness she had before.

5/5⭐️ I love the perception of the mind in children! Just like this kid Robert my child sees the exact same things in the sky and tells me! I love the fact that she tells me the colors she sees outside not knowing herself that colors changes our mood and feelings! It’s great reading this!

Speaking as someone who teaches young children, this hit close to home and has changed the way I am doing things. In the past when one of the children I am teaching asks what colour the sky is, I have always replied blue. Not anymore.

This is one of those stories that sticks with you. Not only the wonder which Robert sees in the world but also the growth Mrs Murphy goes through. It's not a story which is cut and dry but one that helps you look at things from a different perspective, a child's perspective.

My four year old and I always discuss a book when we have finished reading. We talk about what we like and what we didn't. I was impressed with how well she grasped the message in the story. The talks we had about colours also opened my mind up that wee bit further.

This is a story I will be recommending far and wide to all audiences. It is certainly going to have a special place on my shelves.

Thank you to NetGalley and Free Spirit Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

I might have cried a little bit. Just love an inspirational children's book! The best part about this book is the whole thing. I loved Robert's observations, his dedication to capturing the beauty of the earth, his insistence of "something more" to his teacher, and the supplemental materials at the end of the book. I totally get where Mrs. Murphy is coming from: a little burnout, a little prescription to teaching what's decidedly "right". The approach to engaging with her insistence that the sky is blue is kind and not judgmental towards her point of view. I can not say enough about this little read!

I loved this book! The main thing that made me like this book so much was the organization, plot, and meaning. The book was organized very nicely, with a perfectly balanced amount of ups and downs, highs and lows, This allows the reader to feel a range of emotions (sadness, creativity, joy, wonder, etc.) while reading, which is always a really great thing for a book to accomplish. These pros also tie into the plot, which was obviously well-thought-out and made a lot of sense. Lastly, I adored the meaning: be creative. This is a very broad and common meaning, but this book showed a new facet of this message that you don't see everyday. Additionally, Robert's creativity is infectious, and I have no doubt that readers will walk away from this book feeling inspired.

This is such a good book! I would absolutely read this to any child. Not only does it bring wonder and whimsy to the kids, it feels like a lesson in seeing things differently and coming together

The Sky Is Not Blue by Joy Jones; illustrated by Sanger Cloud

A wonderful children’s picture book that combines science and taking the time to see the world around us.

The Sky Is Not Blue is a delightful new children’s picture book about Robert, an adorable child who draws the world, specifically the changing aspect of the sky, as he sees it rather than relegating it to an indiscriminate blue background. I think I fell in love with this fictional child the first time he appeared on the page for his infectious joy and inspirational enthusiasm for life and the beauty he saw around himself. His consistent connection to the real look of his world eventually affects his teacher as well.

I would have loved to have had this book in our library to share with my children when they were Robert’s age. Besides the storyline of observation and conscious intent, the book includes small bite-sized and child-friendly facts and the basic science behind why the sky is seen as blue and other colors. I was glad to watch Robert remain steadfast in drawing what he actually saw rather than succumbing to the cliché of always having a swath of blue at the top of his drawings.

I recommend THE SKY IS NOT BLUE to those with young readers or listeners, especially ones with an affinity for drawing and coloring.

This book is a fantastic offering to inspire alternative points of view. The illustrations compliment the emotions and sentiments perfectly. I know my class would love copies of this book in our library, when it’s released.

I love a good diverse book, showing REAL people. Seeing the kiddos see themselves in a story is amazing. This book fits that bill. It's inclusive and diverse. This would be a good read for school age kiddos to read on their own, I'd say best for probably 3rd and 4th graders.

This is an illustrated short story about Robert, a boy who loves drawing and loves color, and how his unique vision of the world impacts his teacher. It was a reminder for me as an educator of how much my own students can teach me, but also how I can affect them, sometimes negatively, when trying (consciously or not) to impose (?) my vision of the world to them. It's a sweet book that I think readers of all ages will enjoy, but I would especially recommend it to be read to children by an adult who cares for them, either a parent, a teacher, or another caregiver.

Picture books are actually pretty nice and fun to read. I love the concept of the story. And he is right you know. The sky is not always blue. Tbh i never really thought about it. If you think about the sky or you draw it, you always think of blue. But in this book you learn that it is indeed not always blue. It makes you think about it, at least i had that. Because really thinking about it, makes me realize that the sky is a ton of different colours. So i really liked the concept of this book and how it was executed. I also liked the characters and that he came through to his teacher at the end.

I received an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A truly lovely book that adults and children alike would benefit from reading. When I was in school, and even now, we often hear of teachers who refuse to listen to students that might correct them. In this book the teacher listens instead of being stuck on adamantly admitting their assumption is incorrect. The student ends up teaching them and in the end they see that perhaps they'd closed off their mind to the possibilities. There's a valuable lesson here about how adults, especially at times those who become teachers, often stop seeing things and become rigid in their ways. When a student then corrects them? You hear horrible stories about them punishing the child or making fun of them in front of their classmates, etc. In this book, the teacher doesn't behave in this manner and instead learns something beautiful from their student. I loved that so much.

The art itself is lovely. Given the importance color plays in this story, it's nice to see how the color comes through in the illustrations. I was pleased to see that it shows that the sky isn't always blue cause as a kid I used to think about that too whenever teachers, especially art teachers early on, would insist on encouraging blue for the sky. The sky is full of so many colors at different times and in different weather, and the illustrator did a great job showing that in this book.

Robert has an artist heart and eyes. When he looks out the window he sees more than the color blue. Can his organized teacher see the same things he sees, or will she continue to pass him the blue marker despite the sky outside.

I love the idea of being observant and challenging the norm when it isn't correct. This would be a perfect book to share with young artists. Do not color the sky blue because it's tradition. Look with your eyes and show the many changing colors.

Thank you to Teacher Created Materials and NetGalley for the digital ARC. This is a beautiful book and I can see it making a big impact in your artists lives. Look for this book in late October 2024.

This is a very cute book. I appreciate the diversity in it. It provides a great lesson that teachers can actually learn from students too! Roberts pictures are very pretty in the illustrations!

It was a very heartfelt and endearing story. The back of the book provides educational information and questions that could open up conversation relating to creativity and individuality.

This book led to a great conversation about all the different colors that the sky can be during the day, and even at night! We loved the creativity and vision, and the relationship between Robert and his teacher. The diversity of the characters illustrated in the book was wonderful to see, and all the pictures were bright and engaging.

I thought that this was a wonderful book and it was a pleasure to read.

The writing style was great, it was well written and had a great flow to the story. I loved the messaging that the author got across through the story too and how they showcased the power of imagination and not just accepting the norm.

The illustrations in the book are lovely and they work so well with the story and are a big part of bringing it all to life - they really are very well done.

It is 5 stars from me for this one - very highly recommended!

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. Sometimes, adults forget about simple things like what color the sky is and how different it can be each day; in this story, a young boy's teacher keeps trying to get him to color a blue sky on days when the sky isn't blue.