Rainbow Boy

November 30, 2020
Inspired by Rouanzion’s gender nonconforming child, this picture book interrogates the habit of assigning colors and activities to a specific gender. When adults ask the unnamed protagonist, who has variegated brown hair and tan skin, the “ ‘favorite color’ question,” the child offers a different hue for each day of the week, corresponding to favorite pastimes: on Sundays, pink is their favorite color, as they enjoy “play ballerina,” while Tuesdays are for orange and basketball. But when grown-ups persist in asking for a single favorite color, the protagonist turns to their mother for affirmation: “Your heart is just too big for one color alone. You need a whole rainbow to fill it up.” Dynamic digital illustrations by Chomiak highlight the child’s energy and imagination. While the ending feels slightly abrupt, the narrative clearly encourages readers to avoid projecting limiting binary social norms. Ages 3–5.