Cover of They Say Blue

They Say Blue

by Jillian Tamaki

They Say Blue by Jillian Tamaki is assigned in US schools at grades k–5. It appears across 1 curriculum reference, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where They Say Blue is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

Grade range
Grades K–5
Pages
40
Reading time
about 45 minutes (est.)
First published
2018
Genre
Children's
ISBN-13
9781683352778
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About this book

Now available as a board book, the award-winning They Say Blue is a playful, poetic exploration of color and point of view In captivating paintings full of movement and transformation, we follow a young girl through a year or a day as she examines the colors in the world around her. Egg yolks are sunny orange as expected, yet water cupped in her hands isn’t blue like they say. But maybe a blue whale is blue. She doesn’t know; she hasn’t seen one. Playful and philosophical, They Say Blue is a book about color as well as perspective, about the things we can see and the things we can only wonder at.

Why widely assigned

This Children's title, typically at grades k–5. Written in the 2010s; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is They Say Blue?
They Say Blue is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades K–5. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
How long does it take to read They Say Blue?
It takes about 45 minutes to read They Say Blue (40 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 45 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign They Say Blue?
They Say Blue appears on reading lists for Boston Globe–Horn Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is They Say Blue banned in schools?
They Say Blue does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally.

Why this book is on this list

Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.

Lexile measure
Not classified — this book has no published Lexile measure.
Grade band
Grades K–5 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 1 curriculum on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Not yet documented in a state-level framework on this site.
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: read-aloud.