#Review: The Colour of the Sea by Anjali Joshi

The Colour of the Sea by Anjali Joshi is a lovely introduction to the life and curiosity of C. V. Raman, told through the questions that stayed with him as a child. Rather than presenting his achievements as a list of facts, the book follows his journey from wondering why the sea is blue and why rainbows appear to experimenting, observing patterns and refusing to accept easy answers.

What I particularly liked is the way the story connects ordinary observations with scientific thinking. The progression feels natural: a question leads to another question, then to observation, experimentation and, eventually, a deeper understanding. The writing is simple and accessible without making the subject feel overly simplified. The illustrations by Khushi Sridhar are colourful, expressive and especially effective in bringing the sea, light, rainbows and Raman’s experiments to life.

The book’s strongest message is that curiosity is where discovery begins. It also quietly reinforces the value of persistence, observation and asking “why?” even when others think the question is insignificant. At times, the storytelling feels more informative than dramatic, but for a nonfiction children’s book, that works reasonably well. Overall, it is an engaging way to introduce young readers to both C. V. Raman and the joy of scientific curiosity.

Find this book here.