Free Resources
for Young Readers,
Families, and Professionals
The Day the Sky Woke Up Purple
by Lauren Neumer Whitehurst and Alison Neumer Lara
REIMAGINED FROM ORIGINAL STORY BY Susan Star Light Neumer
ILLUSTRATED BY Helen Haggerty
An Interactive Read-Aloud Picture Book About Colors, Big Feelings, and Trying Again
Activity Sheet About Feelings
What do you do when you don’t quite feel like yourself?
In The Day the Sky Woke Up Purple, one morning the sky is quite upset to wake up purple. It looks at itself and cries,
“Oh dear! Oh no! I don’t know what to do. I’m not supposed to be purple. I’m supposed to be blue.”
But the sky doesn’t give up. The sky looks around it for an answer and tries one idea after another with unexpected outcomes. Along the way, the sky takes readers on a rhythmic journey through vibrant colors, changing emotions, and big feelings.
The book’s illustrator, art teacher Helen Haggerty, has created a free downloadable watercolor activity called “How Does Your Sky Feel Today?” to encourage young readers to use art to express the way their sky feels today.
Families and professionals can combine this read-aloud picture book and the art activity to help preschoolers and young readers express their feelings.
There are no wrong colors and no wrong feelings. Every sky is different!
An ideal social-emotional learning tool for:
parents and caregivers
preschool classrooms or libraries
school counselors and child psychologists
There are no wrong colors and no wrong feelings. Every sky is different!
Downloadable Coloring Sheets
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The Sky with Daisies (coloring sheet)
Printable coloring sheet of sky with daisies from the book The Day the Sky Woke Up Purple
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The Sky with Oranges (coloring sheet)
Printable coloring sheet of sky with oranges from the book The Day the Sky Woke Up Purple
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The Sky with Sun (coloring sheet)
Printable coloring sheet of sky with the sun from the book The Day the Sky Woke Up Purple
Art in Action
How Artist Helen Haggerty Created the Sky Illustrations for The Day the Sky Woke Up Purple
Authors Lauren Neumer Whitehurst and Alison Neumer Lara had a vision. In honor of their family oral storytelling tradition, the two sisters were reimagining their mother’s often-requested rhythmic tale, “The Day the Sky Woke Up Purple,” so they could publish a read-aloud picture book that all preschool children and their families could enjoy.
They knew right away that Helen Haggerty’s artistic style was a perfect fit. They met to share their manuscript and discuss the evolving emotions and feelings as the sky tries one idea after another to return to its usual hue—but unexpectedly turns another color with each attempt.
Helen was delighted to accept the challenge. She had to ask herself, “How do you draw a sky that has emotions and takes actions?”
Here she shares materials she used in her process of creating the vibrant, colorful illustrations for The Day the Sky Woke Up Purple. When you read the book, you’ll see how she immerses us in a textural, sensory read-aloud experience that we’ll reach for again and again.
Note: Hover over any image and click to enlarge for a closer look!
Early character study of the sky
Nose explanation for the sky
Study of blob shapes to represent the sky
Nose shape exploration for the sky
Explanations of nose studies
Evolved expressions of the sky
Feedback from Professionals Who Support Children
“A rare and luminous book, The Day the Sky Woke Up Purple gently reminds us that we are all a beautiful spectrum of emotions, experiences, and possibilities.”
—Sara Jane Harris, M.A. in children’s theater, former K-8 drama teacher, certified expressive arts facilitator
“The Day the Sky Woke Up Purple gently teaches young readers that with curiosity, resilience, and a sense of adventure, they can find what restores them.”
—Dr. Katie O’Connell, PhD, LP, child clinical psychologist, author of the “Find Your . . .” Thoughts and Feelings book series
More About The Day the Sky Woke Up Purple
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The Day the Sky Woke Up Purple — About the Book
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT OUR PICTURE BOOK FOR CHILDREN
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Reader Reviews of The Day the Sky Woke Up Purple
HERE’S WHAT FAMILIES, KIDS, AND PROFESSIONALS SAY ABOUT THE BOOK
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A Mother's Story Reimagined by Her Daughters
READ THE FAMILY BACKSTORY BEHIND THE DAY THE SKY WOKE UP PURPLE
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