Esther’s Rainbow (Kim Kane & Sara Acton, A&U)

There is something about a rainbow that appeals to kids of all ages (and no doubt, to adults too): its large arc across the sky, the way it appears almost magically after a shower and, of course, its range of shimmering colours. Kim Kane and Sara Acton’s book is all about the colours, and they introduce each one in quite an inventive manner. It all begins when young Esther spies a tip of a rainbow under her stool during lunch. After sliding over her fingers it disappears. However, during the course of the week the colours turn up in various ways. On Monday she sees violet in a bruise on her chin, on Tuesday she smells indigo in the cool of the midnight sky, on Wednesday she sees blue in her brother’s swim-cold lips, and so on. The story is illustrated in soft watercolours, not unlike an actual rainbow’s soft, misty tints. This is a sweet book for children aged three to six, which teaches rainbow-specific hues as well as the days of the week. Preschoolers in particular will enjoy the simple delineation and description of colours. In a nice twist, instead of a pot full of gold, Esther’s rainbow ends in a stack of golden honey.

Thuy On is a Melbourne-based writer and reviewer and the books editor of the Big Issue

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

Category: Reviews