A Universe of Rainbows: Multicolored Poems for a Multicolored World

by Matt Forrest Esenwine, Jamey Christoph (Illustrator)

Overview

Rainbows in all their glory are celebrated in this STEAM-filled poetry collection from an all-star roster of children’s poets. Perfect for Poetry Month and Earth Day.

What do Yellowstone’s Grand Prismatic Spring, Peru’s Vinicunca mountain, the star Betelgeuse, and a drop of water have in common? Rainbows! In this iridescent collection, Nikki Grimes, Irene Latham, Joyce Sidman, Janet Wong, and sixteen other poets explore bursts of color across nature.

Each selection explores a new rainbow—and not just the ones in the sky. In haiku, free verse, and other forms, the poets capture marvels like crystals, pilot glories, Gouldian finches, and marble caves. Acclaimed illustrator Jamey Christoph brings each rainbow to life in brilliant color and playful detail.

Informational sidebars flank each poem, offering scientific context for readers, and recommended resources and a glossary are also included. Part of Eerdmans’ Spectacular STEAM for Curious Readers series.

Poems by:

• Nikki Grimes
• Matt Forrest Esenwine
• Renee M. LaTulippe
• Joyce Sidman
• Irene Latham
• David L. Harrison
• Heidi E. Y. Stemple & Jane Yolen
• Amy Ludwig VanDerwater
• Alma Flor Ada & F. Isabel Campoy
• Rebecca Kai Dotlich
• Marilyn Singer
• Charles Waters
• Laura Purdie Salas
• Charles Ghigna
• Lee Wardlaw
• Janet Wong
• Allan Wolf
• Georgia Heard

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780802855718
Publisher:	Eerdmans, William B. Publishing Company
Publication date:	04/01/2025
Series:	Spectacular STEAM for Curious Readers (SSCR)
Pages:	56
Product dimensions:	12.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)
Age Range:	6 - 10 Years

About the Author

Matt Forrest Esenwine is a children’s author and poet whose books include The Thing to Remember about Stargazing (Tilbury House), Once Upon Another Time (Beaming), and A Beginner’s Guide to Being Human (Beaming). His work has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and featured in numerous anthologies. Also a voiceover actor and commercial copywriter, Matt lives in Warner, New Hampshire, with his family. Visit his website at mattforrest.com.
 

Jamey Christoph has illustrated over twenty books, including The Great Lakes (Knopf), Stonewall (Random House), and Outside My Window (Eerdmans). His books have been named to many best-of-the-year list, including from the CBC and NYPL. Jamey lives in New Hampshire with his husband and their crazy dogs. Visit Jamey’s website at jameychristoph.com and follow him on Instagram @jameychristoph.
 

Editorial Reviews

"From terrestrial tinted bacteria in a geyser pool and upward to the dying star Betelgeuse (“lilac, rose, blue aster.../ a blooming bouquet/ light years away”), all ages will be immersed in eloquent verse that ranges in style." 
— Publishers Weekly 

"A delightful anthology . . . Christoph’s illustrations dazzle. . . . A solid addition to any collection, providing a pairing of arts and STEM."
— School Library Journal

"Appealing poetry and cogent science writing combine for a unique take on the ever-captivating rainbow."
— Kirkus Reviews

“a veritable who’s who of poets.” 
— Betsy Bird, A Fuse #8 Production (A School Library Journal blog)

From the Publisher

2024-12-28
Augmented by sidebars with science facts, 22 poems explore rainbows in nature.

Esenwine contributes five poems, while veteran writers including Janet Wong and Nikki Grimes deliver others. The entries are organized into five sections. “Rainbows of Light” covers several examples of refraction, from a post-storm rainbow to a child’s collection of prismatic crystals. Another section, “Rainbow Waters,” examines four bodies of water and the reasons for their unique colors. Three of them—two of Yellowstone National Park’s hot springs and the Fly Geyser in Nevada—are examples of nature’s response to the often-devastating impact of human interference. David L. Harrison eulogizes the captivating blue of Yellowstone’s Morning Glory Pool as it yields to bacterial damage from human-tossed coins, rocks, and garbage. The section “Living Rainbows” collects nine poems focusing on plants and animals whose plumage, petals, exoskeletons, scales, wings, and peeling bark variously exhibit brilliant, surprising colors. The entries in the fourth section, “Rainbows of Rock,” examine mountains and caves, while a single, lovely poem by Georgia Heard comprises the concluding “Rainbows Beyond.” Heard marvels at the “celestial nursery” forming within Betelgeuse’s brilliantly hued swirl of dust and gases, “a blooming bouquet / light years away.” The information in the insightful sidebars is well explained, while Christoph’s illustrations deftly capture actual and imagined landscapes, depicting diverse humans and alternating pastel compositions with saturated color-scapes.

Appealing poetry and cogent science writing combine for a unique take on the ever-captivating rainbow. (recommended resources, glossary)(Informational picture book/poetry. 6-10)

Kirkus Reviews