Why, Oh, Why? The Story of Rainbows

Why, Oh, Why? The Story of Rainbows

Roy G. Biv

Hardie Grant Media, 2025

28pp., hbk.,  RRP $A24.99

9781761452727

Rainbows surprise as they’re suddenly there!

With showers ahead and behind the warm sun,

they delight and dazzle us in a perfect arc.

just lazy raindrops out having fun.

Combining poetry, science and stunning illustrations, Roy the Raindrop introduces young readers to the magic of rainbows, exploring not just the physics but also how others perceive them. Each concept is introduced by a lyrical four-line poem and which Roy explains in a single-sentence speech bubble…

If a rainbow is a serpent,

as Palawa people thought,

then its stripes are much more stripey

than the thylacines they caught.

“First Nations peoples think of rainbows as snakes reborn with new skins.”

A peek inside…

This unique approach will appeal to a wide range of readers whether it’s because they are attracted by the pictures, the language or the science and whichever it is, they are going to know more than they did and perhaps be inspired to investigate further, beginning with exploring the author’s name and perhaps trying the activities on the final pages.  It is the ideal introduction to understanding the phenomenon and while, at first glance, it might appear to be just for early childhood, poems like “Forty-two degrees” open up opportunities for older readers to delve into the maths or the science of light and colour, while “Pot of Gold” and “Dancing Soul” might lead to exploring the myths and magic associated with them – and then there is all the fun of just playing with colours for the artists among us. Who doesn’t like seeing a new mega-tin of paints or coloured pencils spread before them?

Something magical for both the home library and the classroom collection.