Blue

Where did the colour blue come from- and how did it evolve to be the colour we know today?

For centuries, blue powders and dyes were some of the most sought-after substances in history. Expensive to make and hard to find, they were believed by many to hold supernatural powers. Artists used paints made with ground lapis lazuli rocks from Afghanistan to recreate sky and sea, while merchants captured sea snails for the blue drops their bodies released to dye royal fabrics. Indigo blue dominated economies from India to Nigeria, with American plantations growing it as a cash crop on the backs of enslaved Africans. It wasn't until the invention of the chemical blue dye that blue could be used for anything and everything, as accessible as a pair of jeans.

From Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond and Caldecott Honor artist Daniel Minter comes a fascinating picture book tracing one colour's journey across the world and through time.