A joyful picturebook tapping into the power of finding positivity in the world around us.

When a little girl wants to know whether rainbows are painted, Grandad explains that instead they are made with hope and kindness to others. The story visits each of the rainbow’s colours, listing associated things that bring hope, joy or kindness. Red is tulips or jam on toast, orange is kicking autumn leaves or dressing up as tigers, yellow is feeling sand on your toes or tasting zingy lemons, and so on. Many of the activities mentioned are those shared between friends or family members, and others focus on giving or being a blessing to others. Others still are just personal pleasures (like dying your hair a punk-rock shade of purple!).

I loved the emphasis on finding joy in everyday things, and it’s hard to read the story without thinking of your own rainbow of joyful activities that bring colour to life. This story could be an excellent springboard into conversations and activities with children about being mindful of small pleasures, about finding positivity and about drawing on how love, friendship and community can bring joy.

Cheerful in concept and also in its bright illustrations and bouncy rhyme, this is a happy read that is perfectly pitched for readers aged 3-7.

A beautiful colour-themed book from National Treasure Julia Donaldson (author of The Gruffalo) and illustrator Sharon King-Chai. The rhyming story follows a little girl who uses her paintbox to inspire her own adventure by choosing colours and following where her imagination takes her, which each step vibrantly illustrated. There are flaps to lift and peepholes to explore.

The gentle rhyming text makes this a good book to read aloud and the colour-themed pages will help little ones learn their colours, and perhaps inspire them to create their own painted adventures too.