How To Find Your Rainbow
This review is from: Princess Rosie's Rainbows (Hardcover)
"Princess Rosie's Rainbows" is a new book for children ages four and up from Wisdom Tales, a publisher devoted to presenting stories with spiritual themes from traditions and cultures around the world. It would be difficult to think of a story more appropriate to the goals of this publisher than this book.
Set in a mythical faraway kingdom, "Princess Rosie's Rainbow" tells the story of a young girl who, as the king and queen's daughter, has everything material and more that she needs from life. Rosie is introspective and serious. She loves rainbows and is unhappy with their transience. Rainbows do not last. Sensing her unhappiness, the king and queen offer a bag of gold to anyone who can make a forever rainbow for Rosie.
Many people try and fail, including the royal astronomer who has a near miss. At last, a wise, wizened old woman, Becca, proves equal to the task. She teaches Rosie that material things pass away and that forever rainbows and other sources of joy can be found by remembering to look within one's own heart.
This is a lovely, important and powerful teaching. As with all spiritual teachings, it is easier stated than practiced. Young Rosie appears to understand it in the book. Most adults spend their lives trying to understand, reach an understanding at different times, and need to keep working at it. Thus this little book teaches and reinforces a difficult lesson for people of all ages.
Scientific learning is treated with respect in this book. The astronomer teaches Rosie how to form rainbows on the outside while Becca teaches Rosie to find them inside. A short appendix to the book presents the lesson taught by the royal astronomer to the reader.
Bette Killion, a 91-year old author of many works for children wrote the text for the book while Kim Jacobs, an artist and designer of a line of stationary, prepared the illustrations. The illustrations are in beautiful, varied, rainbow-like pastel colors with scenes of the quaint faraway kingdom, with ships in rivers, narrow streets, and Rosie's ever-present pet dog.
Children and their parents and teachers will enjoy and be inspired by this little book. Wisdom Tales kindly sent me a review copy.
Robin Friedman
