The Day the Sky Woke Up Purple

One morning, the sky wakes up purple-and it is quite upset."Oh dear! Oh no! I don't know what to do. I'm not supposed to be purple. I'm supposed to be blue."

Determined to find an answer, the sky tries one colorful idea after another. With every attempt, the sky expects to turn blue-but something entirely unexpected happens instead! Young readers will delight in guessing which color comes next and joining in the sky's irresistible refrain as it journeys through vibrant colors and some very big feelings.

With rhythmic repetition, vivid illustrations, and plenty of opportunities to participate, The Day the Sky Woke Up Purple is an engaging read-aloud picture book that encourages young children to be curious, keep trying, and discover that an unexpected result simply means it's time to try something new.

Along the way, children can explore color concepts, identify changing emotions, practice prediction, and discover the value of problem solving, self-trust, perseverance, resilience, and kindness.

Originally created by Susan Star Light Neumer as an interactive oral story to entertain her daughters during long car rides, the tale became a beloved family tradition that was later shared with Susan's grandchildren. Her daughters, Lauren Neumer Whitehurst and Alison Neumer Lara, have now reimagined their mother's story as a picture book, beautifully and colorfully illustrated by artist Helen Haggerty.

Ideal for families, read-aloud settings in preschool classrooms or libraries, and professionals including counselors, therapists, and child psychologists, The Day the Sky Woke Up Purple turns colors and big feelings into a playful journey of discovery-and reminds young children that when one idea doesn't work, they can always try again.

Readers of all ages who enjoyed The Color Monster, The Day the Crayons Quit, and The Dot will appreciate The Day the Sky Woke Up Purple's social-emotional learning values, opportunities for family discussions about naming feelings, and the creative inspiration of the artwork, all wrapped up in moments of discovery, wonder, and hope.

A Book Making a Difference

Night Sky Press, LLC is a proud sponsor of Save the Children's Learn Without Limits program, bringing books and educational resources to children in rural America. Through this partnership, Night Sky Press is donating 50,000 hardcover copies of The Day the Sky Woke Up Purple, giving 50,000 children a copy of the book to call their own.

Author: Lauren Neumer Whitehurst,Alison Neumer Lara
Publisher: Night Sky Press, LLC
Published: 09/29/2026
Pages: 36
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.71lbs
Size: 8.50h x 8.50w x 0.25d
ISBN: 9798997201807
Audience: Ages 4-8

About the Author
Whitehurst, Lauren Neumer: - Lauren Neumer Whitehurst is the mother of grown boy-girl twins and resides with her husband, Jim, in Longboat Key, Florida. Lauren's parents claim she learned to read at the age of three, though her guess is that she probably just memorized her favorite books. A lifelong lover of literature, she could not be more excited to be a published author.Lara, Alison Neumer: - Alison Neumer Lara lives in Chicago with her two daughters. Alison's parents claim her age-three vocabulary was more like a ten-year-old's, and she always has had an uncanny ability to find the perfect word for whatever she wanted to convey. A published journalist many times over, she is delighted to add children's book author to her accomplishments.Haggerty, Helen: - Helen Haggerty is an illustrator and high school art teacher based in Massachusetts, where she lives with her wife, Meghan, and their sweet and silly dog, Phoebe. As the proud aunt to four avid readers, Helen hopes her illustrations inspire the same sense of wonder, joy, and imagination that they bring to her own life.