Blue Rider

Groundwood Books

Canada & United States, 2018

Papadopolous . Greece, 2021

On a crowded city sidewalk, a child discovers a book. That evening, the child begins to read and is immediately carried beyond the repetitive sameness of an urban skyscape into an untamed natural landscape. The child experiences a moment of true joy, and as if in response to that single blissful moment, the world seems to come alive.

“A dazzling vision of the way art transcends the everyday.”

Publishers Weekly

“Here is a tribute to art, to books, and to the power of the imagination.”

Booklist

“Valerio excels at conveying the pure joy of color and form and, not incidentally, the ability of art and books to lift us up and away.”

Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“This book simply and persuasively speaks to the power of art to brighten and illuminate our lives, no matter how or where we find it.”

Horn Book, starred review

“A sumptuous wordless tale.”

The New York Times

“Looking at art doesn’t always stir the soul, but when it does the sensation can be so powerful as to feel like a subsuming rapture. Geraldo Valério manages to replicate this dizzying and rare experience in Blue Rider.”

Wall Street Journal