The End of the Rainbow

K-Gr 2—A young girl loves rain, and she's especially thrilled when a rainbow appears at the end of a summer shower. Wondering what is at its end, she and her feline companion embark on a quest to find out. Along the way they meet a rabbit, a bird, a turtle, and a horse and after explaining their mission ask each in turn, "Do you want to come?" Of course, they accept, each imagining a secret treasure to find at journey's end. But when they finally slow down and look up, the rainbow is gone. They remain upbeat, however, as they discover that they have found something even better than their desired prizes: new friends. The only spread, aside from cloud-filled endpapers, is the one showing the child, exuberant at the sight of a rainbow stretching overhead across the meadow. Brief text follows, appearing most often on white background along with spot art rendered in watercolor and ink. Facing full-color pages depict the cartoon characters hurrying toward their goal, the ever-present rainbow overhead—until they pause to discover "It's gone." Youngsters will enjoy chiming in on the repetitive text and talking about why finding friends would be better than finding treasures at the end of a rainbow.