A Rainbow of Birds

Have you ever looked up into the sky and marveled at a rainbow?

(Public domain photograph by Petr Kratochvil at publicdomainpictures.net)

In Janet Halfmann’s creative new book  A Rainbow of Birds (illustrated by Jack Foster), birds capture that sense of wonder when they tell their babies a “bird folktale” to explain the colors in the sky.

After a rain, all the baby cardinals gather to listen to Papa Cardinal tell a story about how birds created the first rainbow. First the red cardinals, then the orange-breasted robins, then the yellow warblers all flew up into the sky. With just a tiny bit of conflict, there was a squabble between the next two colors of birds. Who do you think went first, the green parrots or the blue jays?

The first thing that comes to mind as you read this book is that it would be great for preschoolers who are learning their colors (see an example two-page spread of the brilliantly-colored illustrations at Guardian Angel Publishing.) It is also an opportunity to discuss the less-used terms “indigo” and “violet”.

At the end of the book Janet has added four pages of “Rainbow Facts and Fun” that are like a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Suggestions for activities include how to make a rainbow outdoors, how to make a rainbow indoors, how to make a rainbow book, and much more. The ideas, facts, and suggestions are more than enough to keep a group of young children occupied on a rainy afternoon.

A Rainbow of Birds is a delightful find for young children. The tale will surely make them want to learn more about rainbows, and the hands-on activities at the end will help them do it.

Age range: 3-8
Paperback: 20 pages
Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc; large type edition edition (February 15, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1616334622
ISBN-13: 978-1616334628

Other books by Janet Halfmann:

 

 

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