There is a Rainbow

by Theresa Trinder, Grant Snider (Illustrator)

Overview

A hopeful picture book that reminds readers we are all connected. Sometimes we are separated by distance, sometimes by the way we feel. Even though the world is full of barriers that can make us feel alone, we are all just on one end of a rainbow—connected by all that color and light, there is always something, or someone, waiting for us on the other side!

Inspired by the multitude of rainbows found in the windows of homes around the world following the coronavirus lockdown, this uplifting picture book shares a message of hope and resilience that is truly timeless.

• Offers comfort to readers young and old
• Perfect inspirational read-aloud
• Celebrates the power and importance of community support

On the other side of a window, there is a neighbor.
On the other side of a sadness, there is a hug.
And on the other side of a storm, there is a rainbow.

Poetically told with a heartwarming message for some of life's most difficult moments, this book encourages readers to look past their immediate surroundings and find comfort, connection, and courage.

• Ideal for young readers going through any difficult experience
• Parents and grandparents looking for a story with a positive, hopeful message
• Fans of picture books that teach new perspectives

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781797211664
Publisher:	Chronicle Books
Publication date:	01/26/2021
Pages:	52
Product dimensions:	8.10(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD150L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 6 Years

About the Author

Theresa Trinder spent a decade at Hallmark Cards, where she wrote and edited children's books. She has also developed literacy curricula and has an MFA in Poetry. She was inspired to write this book by the rainbows made by her family during the COVID-19 Shelter in Place in Greenlawn, New York.

Editorial Reviews

01/11/2021

Employing parallel phrasing (“There is a here. There is a there”), this picture book follows a dark-haired child of color and a white child who has red pigtails. The duo draws a sidewalk chalk rainbow together, safely distanced, before parting. “On the other side of the screen,” one spread begins, showing the pale child alone in her room on a laptop, “there is a school,” portrayed in a Zoom-like grid. “On the other side of the window,” reads another page, as the brown-skinned child paints apartment windows with a rainbow, “there is a neighbor”; the child leans out and waves. Dense, emphatic strokes of colored pencil by Snider emphasize connection despite separation. “On the other side of today,” Trinder concludes, imagining the reunion of the children, “there is tomorrow.” Quietly, but with upbeat faith, this rhythmic narrative holds out hope for better times. Back matter includes an author’s note explaining the book’s inspiration: the rainbows Trinder saw in windows during the Covid-19 pandemic. Ages 4–6. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

"A reassuring text and upbeat illustrations get to the heart of our shared COVID-19 experience-gently acknowledging loss and uncertainty while offering a message of hope and resilience. . . . Trinder's compassionate words and Snider's vibrant art are just right for this moment."-The Horn Book Magazine

"The perfect pandemic book is here. . . . To children, it will be a relief to see their current lives in these pages; for adults, it's hope for a new normal. On the other side of sorrow, there are hugs, and on the other side of today, there is tomorrow. [There Is a Rainbow is the] book we need, the message we deserve."-School Library Journal, starred review

“[A] gentle picture book. . . features a chalked sidewalk with encouraging words: Stay strong. Stay safe. We got this. In it together.”—The San Francisco Chronicle

"Dense, emphatic strokes of colored pencil by Snider emphasize connection despite separation. . . . Quietly, but with upbeat faith, this rhythmic narrative holds out hope for better times."-Publishers Weekly 

"With vibrant, expressive illustrations and concise, contemplative prose, [There Is a Rainbow] highlights aspects of what kids may be feeling or experiencing during pandemic lockdowns, all with a supportive, engaging approach. . . . [T]he blend of reassurances and optimism, in text and art, will likely resonate and be appreciated on multiple levels by children and adults."-Booklist, starred review

From the Publisher

★ 01/01/2021

K-Gr 4—The perfect pandemic book is here. In illustrations that dynamically emulate a (aesthetically attuned, highly skilled) child's drawing, a text with the lilt of a hop, skip, and a jump sets up expectations and neatly subverts them. On the other side of a screen, shown as a laptop on a child's legs and setting up an expectation of a game or perhaps streaming, is a classic grid that now has come to mean Zoom! Outside a window where one child stands, looking, is a parade of people, safely distanced and in masks, coping with a new version of real life. Chalk drawings declare that "Black Lives Matter" and "Stay Safe," as well as "Thank You Heroes." To children, it will be a relief to see their current lives in these pages; for adults, it's hope for a new normal. On the other side of sorrow, there are hugs, and on the other side of today, there is tomorrow. VERDICT The book we need, the message we deserve.—Kimberly Olson Fakih, School Library Journal

School Library Journal