Benicio was a small boy with bright boots and a brave, quiet heart. He loved the library. The library had tall shelves, soft rugs, and books with shiny pictures. Benicio liked to pat each book and say, “Hello, book.”
One rainy morning, Benicio found his Teddy Bear under a round table. Teddy Bear wore a tiny blue bow. He was soft, kind, and a little sleepy.
“Come look,” said Benicio.
On the biggest shelf sat a very dull book. Its cover was gray. Its pages were gray. Even the little moon on the cover was gray.
“Oh,” said Teddy Bear. “Where did the colors go?”
A warm red light swooped down from the high window. It was Phoenix, a cheerful bird with gold feet and a feathery red tail. Phoenix flapped once. Puff! A tiny spark danced in the air.
“I saw the colors fly away,” said Phoenix. “They went whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!”
Then a gentle bell rang. Ding. Ding. A silver glow appeared between two shelves. Guardian Spirit floated out. Guardian Spirit had a calm smile and a cloak made of pale blue light.
“The Sorcerer took the colors,” said Guardian Spirit. “He wanted every book to look exactly the same. Gray, gray, gray.”
Benicio made a small sad face. “Books need colors.”
“Yes,” said Teddy Bear. “Yellow ducks. Green trees. Blue seas.”
“Red dragons!” chirped Phoenix.
Guardian Spirit pointed to a little door behind the atlas books. On the door was a picture of a paintbrush. “Behind this door is the Color Room. The Sorcerer has locked it. To open it, you need three happy things: a warm light, a kind hug, and a brave word.”
“I can help,” said Benicio.
Phoenix flew close to the door. He lifted his wings. “Warm light!” he sang. His red feathers glowed. The first lock clicked. Click!
Teddy Bear opened his soft arms. Benicio hugged him tight. “Kind hug,” whispered Teddy Bear. The second lock clicked. Click!
Only one lock was left. It was very big. Benicio looked at the dark little door. He felt wiggly in his tummy.
Guardian Spirit said, “It is all right to feel wiggly.”
Phoenix nodded. “Brave does not mean no wiggles.”
Teddy Bear held Benicio’s hand with his plush paw. “Say one brave word.”
Benicio took a small breath. Then he took another. “Together!” he said.
The last lock clicked. Click!
The door opened. Inside was the Color Room. It was full of jars. A red jar. A blue jar. A green jar. A yellow jar. But all the jars were shut tight in a big, twisty net.
The Sorcerer stood beside the net. He had a tall purple hat and very long socks with orange spots. He looked grumpy. His magic wand was shaped like a spoon.
“No colors!” he said. “Colors are too noisy.”
Phoenix giggled. “Your socks are orange.”
The Sorcerer looked down. “Oh. They are.”
Benicio walked one small step forward. “Colors make books happy,” he said. “And people happy too.”
The Sorcerer frowned. “Happy is loud.”
Teddy Bear gave him a gentle wave. “Happy can be quiet. Like a blue bedtime book.”
Guardian Spirit lifted one shining hand. In the air appeared a picture from a book: a little child under a blanket, looking at stars. The stars were yellow. The blanket was blue. The child smiled.
The Sorcerer’s face became less grumpy. “I had a book like that,” he said softly. “When I was small.”
“Would you like to read it?” asked Benicio.
The Sorcerer blinked. Nobody had asked him that for a long time.
“Yes,” he said.
So they sat on the soft rug. Benicio held the gray book. Phoenix made a warm lamp-light with his feathers. Teddy Bear leaned against the Sorcerer’s spotty sock. Guardian Spirit turned the pages.
They read about a yellow moon, a green frog, and a red little boat. At first, the Sorcerer only watched. Then he smiled. A tiny smile. Then a bigger smile.
“I miss colors,” he said.
He tapped his spoon-wand on the twisty net. Pop! The net fell away.
The jars bounced open. Red swirled out. Blue swirled out. Green and yellow danced out. Colors rushed through the library like friendly butterflies.
The gray book became bright again. The moon on its cover shone gold. Every shelf sparkled. The rugs became red and blue. Even the rain outside looked silver and lovely.
“Thank you,” said the Sorcerer. “May I help put colors in the books?”
“Yes!” said Benicio.
All day, they worked together. Phoenix carried little color drops. Guardian Spirit guided them gently. Teddy Bear checked each page with great care. Benicio pressed colorful star stickers onto a new book cover.
At the end, Guardian Spirit gave Benicio a small treasure box. Inside was a golden library card with his name on it.
“It says, Color Keeper Benicio,” said Guardian Spirit.
Benicio smiled wide. “Can Teddy Bear have one too?”
Guardian Spirit made a tiny card for Teddy Bear. Phoenix got a feather-shaped card. Even the Sorcerer got one.
Then Benicio chose a bright book. He sat with his friends on the soft rug.
“Hello, book,” he said.
And the colorful book seemed to shine back, “Hello, Benicio.”