The End of the Rainbow

April 1, 2015

K-Gr 2-A young girl loves rain, and she's especially thrilled when a rainbow appears at the end of a summer shower. Wondering what is at its end, she and her feline companion embark on a quest to find out. Along the way they meet a rabbit, a bird, a turtle, and a horse and after explaining their mission ask each in turn, "Do you want to come?" Of course, they accept, each imagining a secret treasure to find at journey's end. But when they finally slow down and look up, the rainbow is gone. They remain upbeat, however, as they discover that they have found something even better than their desired prizes: new friends. The only spread, aside from cloud-filled endpapers, is the one showing the child, exuberant at the sight of a rainbow stretching overhead across the meadow. Brief text follows, appearing most often on white background along with spot art rendered in watercolor and ink. Facing full-color pages depict the cartoon characters hurrying toward their goal, the ever-present rainbow overhead-until they pause to discover "It's gone." Youngsters will enjoy chiming in on the repetitive text and talking about why finding friends would be better than finding treasures at the end of a rainbow. VERDICT This enchanting story might inspire readers to set out on adventures of their own.-Marianne Saccardi, Children's Literature Consultant, Greenwich, CT

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2015
This early-reader riff on cumulative folk tales features a girl in pursuit of the end of a rainbow who discovers there's no pot of gold.Setting out, the girl invites in turn her cat, a rabbit, a bird, a turtle and a horse to come with her. As each animal joins, the simple, childlike illustrations show a thought bubble of the item each animal is hoping to find. The cat hopes for a fish; the rabbit, a carrot; the bird, a birdbath; the turtle, a butterfly; and the horse, an apple. When they evidently reach the end-at any rate, they can no longer see it-everyone is disappointed, but the girl, undaunted, says, "We didn't find the end of the rainbow. But we found something better. We found new friends." Even for a first-level reader, the plot is thin and spans only 24 pages. While the ink-and-watercolor illustrations are amiable, the overall effect is more of a one-liner than a sustained narrative. Still, it fills the bill for those children just beginning to tackle independent reading and should provide a satisfying sense of mastery without much angst. Though children will probably move on from it quickly, it will definitely help them on their ways. (Early reader. 4-7)