Sophie Masson (text), Michael McMahon (illus.), Two Rainbows, Hardie Grant Egmont, 1 July 2017, 48pp., $24.99 (hbk), ISBN: 9781760127794
Colour and rainbows are both recurring themes in children’s picture books. Luckily for us, Sophie Masson and Michael McMahon have found a way to explore these themes in a brilliantly simple and charming way. Colour is explored in both a city and a farm context, through the eyes of a girl who has moved to the city from the farm. This move means she’s experiencing the city with melancholy at first, but soon with a growing appreciation of the similarities between the places.
The writing is clear and poetic, such as:
“On the farm, indigo was as velvet as a moth, and the star-spangled night sky.”
This kind of writing has a simple enough structure for children to understand and imitate, but beautiful enough that they will be inspired and moved.
McMahon’s illustrations are filled with rich colours, clean lines and engaging detail.
There are different ways teachers could explore the themes in this book. Exploring the differences between two places, describing colours through poetic writing and discussing how children might cope with change.
Reviewed by Madeleine Crofts
