I Am a Rainbow
PreSchool-Grade 2—This eye-catching picture book is all Dolly: big, bright, and shiny on the outside, sweet as Southern tea on the inside. Through straightforward (and only slightly forced) rhyme, readers are introduced to the idea that colors make up the world around them and can be used to describe their emotional landscape as well. "When I'm tickled PINK,/It means I'm feeling dandy./Everything is great and/As sweet as cotton candy." The comparisons are predictable: red/angry, green/jealous, blue/sad, but suit the intended audience. Parton also encourages empathy ("So remember as you go/from hue to hue/That each and every person/Has feelings too") and self-control ("It's not/always up to you,/The way that you feel./But/how you act,/Isa different deal")—important concepts for this age group. Sheffield's bold, digitally rendered illustrations match the cheery simplicity of the message and the slightly flat, didactic text. This book radiates the author's good intentions and is sure to be appreciated at storytime.—Piper Nyman, Brookmeade Elementary School, Nashville, TNEND