Title: Rainbow, A First Book of Pride
Author: Michael Genhart
Illustrator: Anne Passchier
Publisher: Magination Press, 2019
Ages: pre-school
Genre: Nonfiction
Themes: rainbow, color meanings, pride, lgbtqia+ community
Opening:
“Rainbows.”
“Every color means something.“
Synopsis:
This is a sweet ode to rainbow families, and an affirming display of a parent’s love for their child and a child’s love for their parents. With bright colors and joyful families, this book celebrates LGBTQ+ pride and reveals the colorful meaning behind each rainbow stripe. Readers will celebrate the life, healing, light, nature, harmony, and spirit that the rainbows in this book will bring.
Why I like this book:
This book does exactly what the title promises. It’s a book for the very young celebrating the rainbow as a Pride symbol! The simple, minimalist text (three words per double spread) illuminates meanings for each color e.g. blue is harmony. The illustrations are bold and beautiful, displaying a race- and gender-diverse cast of children and families celebrating life. I am okay with Genhart’s choice to stick to the the traditional Pride flag, instead of the updated Philadelphia version that incorporates black and brown strips (that represent people of color in the queer community) as I believe he wanted it super simple for the very young.
The author says at the back of the book, “Rainbow flags are happy too. They celebrate love, hope, diversity, and acceptance.” There is a picture with all the families holding rainbow flags, and a little girl holding a sign that says LOVE in rainbow colors, and two men kissing and their mouths make one smile. SWEET! This book is an uplifting and colorful celebration surely to make you smile!
This would make a perfect book to explain the PRIDE rainbow and introduce pre-schoolers to LGBTQIA families.
Activities/resources:
Each week a group of bloggers reviews picture books we feel would make great educational reads. To help teachers, caregivers and parents, we have included resources and/or activities with each of our reviews. A complete list of the thousands of books we have reviewed can be found sorted alphabetically and by topics, here on Susanna Leonard Hill’s website.
In my 20's, with only my guitar and a rucksack, I wandered the continents, immersing myself in the lives of some wonderful people, projects and stories, which changed the way I view my responsibility to others and this earth. Right now I'm a European transplant in the US who writes books for children and young adults. Stories can help us not only navigate our world but can connect us to others, and allow us to inspire and help each other. I believe that equity and empathy should be at the core of our all actions, words, and stories.
I am also a school librarian and I get a kick out of book-matchmaking! And I use the pronouns she/her.
Enjoyed your review. This is a sweet read for young children! Everything about it is perfect for the targeted age group. I almost ran my review of it today, but am glad I didn’t. Will wait a while before I share.
Sounds like a wonderful and age-appropriate book to celebrate Pride every day. Thanks for the rec, Joanna!
What a fun, and important, book and a great review Joanna. I’m excited to get a hold of a copy at the library. Thanks for featuring it.