There Is a Rainbow

January 11, 2021
Employing parallel phrasing (“There is a here. There is a there”), this picture book follows a dark-haired child of color and a white child who has red pigtails. The duo draws a sidewalk chalk rainbow together, safely distanced, before parting. “On the other side of the screen,” one spread begins, showing the pale child alone in her room on a laptop, “there is a school,” portrayed in a Zoom-like grid. “On the other side of the window,” reads another page, as the brown-skinned child paints apartment windows with a rainbow, “there is a neighbor”; the child leans out and waves. Dense, emphatic strokes of colored pencil by Snider emphasize connection despite separation. “On the other side of today,” Trinder concludes, imagining the reunion of the children, “there is tomorrow.” Quietly, but with upbeat faith, this rhythmic narrative holds out hope for better times. Back matter includes an author’s note explaining the book’s inspiration: the rainbows Trinder saw in windows during the Covid-19 pandemic. Ages 4–6.

Starred review from January 1, 2021

K-Gr 4-The perfect pandemic book is here. In illustrations that dynamically emulate a (aesthetically attuned, highly skilled) child's drawing, a text with the lilt of a hop, skip, and a jump sets up expectations and neatly subverts them. On the other side of a screen, shown as a laptop on a child's legs and setting up an expectation of a game or perhaps streaming, is a classic grid that now has come to mean Zoom! Outside a window where one child stands, looking, is a parade of people, safely distanced and in masks, coping with a new version of real life. Chalk drawings declare that "Black Lives Matter" and "Stay Safe," as well as "Thank You Heroes." To children, it will be a relief to see their current lives in these pages; for adults, it's hope for a new normal. On the other side of sorrow, there are hugs, and on the other side of today, there is tomorrow. VERDICT The book we need, the message we deserve.-Kimberly Olson Fakih, School Library Journal

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from February 1, 2021
Grades K-3 *Starred Review* With vibrant, expressive illustrations and concise, contemplative prose, this picture book highlights aspects of what kids may be feeling or experiencing during pandemic lockdowns, all with a supportive, engaging approach. Focusing on a young girl and boy--individually, with their families, and with each other--a variety of scenarios begin with the refrain "On the other side of . . ." to suggest more positive things to come. "On the other side of the screen," for instance, shows the girl looking at a laptop in her room, followed by "there is a school," depicting a Zoom-like mosaic of classmates' welcoming faces. The story concludes on an upbeat note as children walk together toward school ("On the other side of today . . . there is tomorrow"). Brightly hued colored-pencil art incorporates sweet touches, particularly the rainbow motif, which appears in the palette, in sidewalk-chalk drawings, and in the sky after rain--a nice reinforcement of being connected, whether near or far. Though COVID-19 isn't specifically named, and some background details, such as masking and Black Lives Matter and Stay Safe signs, may need explaining for younger ones, these are good opportunities for discussion. On the whole, the blend of reassurances and optimism, in text and art, will likely resonate and be appreciated on multiple levels by children and adults.

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