Book excerpt: Imagine a world without colour! Such a world would be dull and boring. Planet Earth is full of colour, and people all over the world love and appreciate colour in its many forms. Children will find their favourite colours in this unique collection of colour stories that tap into the imagination and enthusiasm of children, starting with a fantasy story about a colourful little dragon. Stories about all the colours of the rainbow plus black, white, grey, pink, brown, turquoise, silver and gold have been created to also give children some understanding and appreciation of colour and its relevance in their world. Some stories contain a subtle message skilfully woven around the characters. For example, The Little Rainbow Dragon has a subtle antibullying message. A Story About Black has a subtle message about overcoming being afraid of the dark. Children all over the world relate to timeless stories such as these. They also provide a vehicle to foster a love of literature. Reading to children is, and always has been, an essential element in establishing a framework for independent reading.