The Gray City

A Bank Street Best Book of 2025, Outstanding Merit Selection

Let there be color! From the creator of the Mouse Adventures–Torben Kuhlmann–comes an epic, illustrated story about a girl who sets out to bring color back to a city where everything is gray.

There is something off about Robin’s new city. Everything there is gray—house facades, people, even flowers. Where are all the colors? Robin sets out in search of color and uncovers a plot: behind all the gray is the faceless Gray Works company. Thanks to her powers of deduction and a few allies, Robin gets into the company’s control center and sets all the controls to colorful. In the end, only her cat is left gray.

Torben Kuhlmann–creator of the Mouse Adventures series including the 2019 Batchelder honor winner Edison–uses his love of science and his mastery of illustration to introduce color theory to young readers through his striking visuals and contemporary narrative.