The Hidden Rainbow: A Springtime Book For Kids

by Christie Matheson, Christie Matheson (Illustrator)

Overview

All the colors of the rainbow are hidden in the garden, but can the little bee find them—with help from the reader? Christie Matheson, author of the popular and acclaimed Tap the Magic Tree, brings a garden to life in this bright, interactive picture book about the natural world—and our place within it.

One little bee peeks out on a world of gray and snow.
She’s looking for bright colors and needs you to help them grow.

Bees need a healthy and colorful garden to survive. Luckily, all the colors of the rainbow are hidden in this garden—but the bees need the reader’s help to find them. Brush off the camellia tree, tickle the tulips, and even blow a kiss to the lilac tree. With every action and turn of the page, a flower blooms and more bees are drawn to the feast. 

Christie Matheson is a master at creating simple picture books that encourage children to engage with the natural world. In The Hidden Rainbow, she introduces the colors of the rainbow, counting, and the basic ecosystem and vocabulary of a garden. Beautiful collage-and-watercolor art captures all the bold colors of a garden throughout the seasons, and the interactive text will captivate young readers at every story time.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062393418
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	06/09/2020
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 11.50(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Christie Matheson is the author of the acclaimed picture books Tap the Magic Tree, Touch the Brightest Star, and Plant the Tiny Seed. Her three young children like to take her birding in the Presidio of San Francisco.

Christie Matheson is the author of the acclaimed picture books Tap the Magic Tree, Touch the Brightest Star, and Plant the Tiny Seed. Her three young children like to take her birding in the Presidio of San Francisco.

Editorial Reviews

This color/counting/concept book will have young readers buzzing. . . . Readers will learn a lot about both nature and essential concepts. . . . This book is sweeter than honey.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“This title introduces colors, counting, and apiary activities in an engaging fashion. . . . There’s plenty to delight young ones here.” — Booklist

“Told in rhyming couplets, this engaging concept book shows young children how people and bees can benefit each other. . . . Search for up to ten bees hidden in the cheerful, brightly-colored illustrations. . . . A charming and interactive story.” — School Library Journal

From the Publisher

This title introduces colors, counting, and apiary activities in an engaging fashion. . . . There’s plenty to delight young ones here.

Booklist

This title introduces colors, counting, and apiary activities in an engaging fashion. . . . There’s plenty to delight young ones here.

Booklist

★ 2020-03-15
This color/counting/concept book will have young readers buzzing.

Following a bee as she emerges from the hollow of a tree and visits a nearby garden full of flowers and fruit trees, readers will learn a lot about both nature and essential concepts. Starting with red tulips, the honeybee is joined by nine of her sisters as they visit a range of flowers and colors in rainbow order. With each new visit, readers are encouraged to perform a small kinetic act to advance the action before the page turn: wipe snow off a blossom, wave the bees onward, blow away some rain drops, etc. Experienced educators and librarians will use these time-honored tricks to turn this into a memorable and active experience, and the directions are so straightforward that an untrained caregiver or new reader will be able to take full advantage of the book during a lap-read too. Once the work with the flowers is done, the bees are off to the fruit trees and bushes, where the book allows readers to engage in a conversation about healthy fruits and how they’re grown. The watercolor-and-collage illustrations deftly support the text, and bright, full-page color that backgrounds text as each new flower is introduced is bold enough to be seen from the back of the room. Additional backmatter expands on the role of honeybees.

This book is sweeter than honey. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews