Red and Green and Blue and White

Written by Lee Wind and Paul O. Zelinsky

Narrated by Adam Grupper

On a block dressed up in Red and Green one house shone Blue and White.It’s a holiday season that both Isaac, whose family is Jewish, and Teresa, whose family is Christian, have looked forward to for months! They’ve been counting the
days, playing in the snow, making cookies, drawing (Teresa) and writing poems (Isaac). They enjoy all the things they share, as well as the things that make them different.

But when Isaac’s window is smashed in the middle of the night, it seems like maybe not everyone appreciates “difference.”

Inspired by a true story, this is a tale of a community that banded together to spread light.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Oct 19, 2021
• ISBN: 9781705046302

Lee Wind

Lee Wind is the founding blogger and publisher of I'm Here. I'm Queer. What The Hell Do I Read?, an award-winning website about books, culture, and empowerment for Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans, Questioning and Queer youth, and their Allies. He is the author of No Way, They Were Gay?: Hidden Lives and Secret Loves, which won the ILA Children's and Young Adult's Book Award and was named a 2021 Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book. Lee also works for IBPA and SCBWI. Visit him online at www.leewind.org to see and share how #QueerHistoryIsEverywhere.

Reviews for Red and Green and Blue and White

[nbmars · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This beautiful story opens:“On a block dressed up in Red and Green, one house shone Blue and White.”The author explains that as the holidays approached, Isaac helped his family set up Chanukah decorations in their front picture window. Teresa, his best friend who lived across the street, helped her family trim their Christmas tree.But that same night, after dark, someone threw a stone through Isaac’s window, shattering the glass and causing their menorah to flicker out. Isaac didn’t want to stop lighting the menorah; it would be like hiding that they were Jewish, and that didn’t feel right to him. So the next night, he lit the menorah once again.Across the street, Teresa put up a big picture in her window of a menorah that said “For Isaac.” Other friends started making similar pictures, and they posted them in the school and in the library. Local stores and restaurants joined in, and the story was on the television and in the newspapers.Three weeks later, the author writes: “From more than 10,000 windows came. . . Christmas tree and Menorah lightRed and green and blue and whiteStronger together Shining bright!”An Author’s Note at the conclusion of this story reports that it was inspired by the real events of December 1993 in Billings Montana. Theresa and Isaac are real too, although their interactions and some details have been fictionalized. He writes:“What I hope shines through is how the people in Billings chose to not just stand by and be BYstanders while bad things happened to others. Instead, they stood up to say the bad things weren’t okay. They chose to be UPstanders. And when the whole community stood up together for friendship, and respecting differences, and love - the stone-throwers backed down. And in Billings, Montana, love won.”Artwork by the revered illustrator Paul O. Zelinsky fills the pages with bold lines and colors that bring to life the holidays, along with a brief look at the terror of antisemitic hatred. A spirit of joy and friendship dominate the imagery, however, as they dominated the factual story. Zelinsky manages to show emotional complexity and an entire city with spare lines that are nevertheless rich in detail and meaning.Evaluation: This story for readers aged 4 and up is told simply and clearly. Without being didactic in the least, it manages to convey the true meaning of community, universal love, and tolerance that under the best circumstances will inform the holiday season.

[salsabrarian · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A fictionalized retelling of a real incident in Billings, MT, when a community came together to support a Jewish family after an attack on their home during Hanukkah. See "The Christmas Menorahs: How a Town Fought Hate" by Janice Cohn and Bill Farnsworth.

[melodyreads · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

kindness, tolerance and events that really happened