As you have probably heard other writers say, I didn’t know what my story would be until I was well into writing it. However, I did know I loved rainbows. I love the promise a rainbow can bring. I love the surprise of finding one suddenly spread across the sky. I love how they feel like magic.

As I wrote, I realized that what I wanted to convey was the joy of being immersed in each beautiful color, and most of all, the magic that occurs when they coalesce into a rainbow. Of course, knowing the science behind the magic is important. The book’s endnotes include information how refraction creates the pattern of colors we perceive. But it’s just as important for the young readers to be enchanted and to have fun. To this end, the children can participate in a guessing game about the colors and identify the variety of items displayed in each color.

Each color is introduced by a description followed by the question, “Which color am I?” I thought as I wrote that it may be too easy, but when I read it to my experimental reader—my seven-year-old granddaughter—she was entirely captivated by finding the right answer.

I ended up writing the book in rhyme because I love to play with language and because rhyme and rhythm are fun to read. This, too, turned out to be fun for my experimental reader.

On my website, and linked below, there is a guide which parents or teachers can use in conjunction with the book to help youngsters learn new words and enrich their emotional vocabulary. They can also learn more about nature, science, differences in perspective, and even cultural differences. 

I hope this book will also suggest a metaphorical message about the magic of creating something new when individual parts come together. Just as various colors of light form something new together, so children coming together can become something new and wonderful. I also address this in the guide on my website.

Last but not least, I hope Rainbow Colors will be fun for children as they play the guessing game, feel the rhythm of the words, and discover their own rainbows

Download the book guide here.