It’s an Orange Aardvark! written and illustrated by Michael Hall (2014)
Michael Hall has produced another wonder in picture book magic.  His newest book, It’s an Orange Aardvark! is so much more than a book about colors for preschoolers. Oh no! It’s detailed enough to hold the interest of any fun-loving, humor-loving, gotcha-loving reader. Picture this – a small colony of adventurous, hard-working, construction-hat-wearing, carpenter ants watch as the yellow hatted ant makes a hole in their stump to see what’s outside. With each hole he makes the others imagine what awaits on the outside. They fear it might be an aardvark who is just waiting with his long, sticky tongue to eat them through the peephole. The colors they see through the holes made are both reassuring and terrifying at the same time. What if it’s an orange aardvark? What if it’s an orange aardvark wearing blue pajamas? ‘Goodness! Gracious! Yikes! Whrrr…’ there he goes drilling another hole. With each hole, which is an actual hole in the pages of the book, the reader and the carpenter ants see another color and imagine another terrible disaster. In the end, they see a beautiful rainbow and dare to go outside.  ‘Yippee! Hooray! Whee! Arrrggghhh!’
Michael Hall has done it again! He’s created more than a color concept book, his artwork and story are masterful. A really funny and interactive gem for toddlers.
This is definitely one I’ll share with my family and friends!
Juliana Lee 