Books About Colors And Rainbows

Picture book review list for a theme week about colors and rainbows. Great choices for toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary children. Brief reviews of each.

This collection of Books About Colors And Rainbows is just so bright! We've LOVED our Colors And Rainbow Themed Preschool Week, and these books have been a big part of it. We found a few new favorites, and hope that you will as well.

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Panting A Rainbow by Lois Ehlert, part of book review list about colors and rainbows

Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert

We love everything by Lois Ehlert. In this beautiful book, a child and her mother plant a garden with a rainbow of colors. We get to watch the seeds and bulbs sprout and burst into beautiful blooms. The colors are bright, and I love pointing out all the different flowers to the girls. This one is a classic, and is suitable for older babies, toddlers, or preschoolers.

The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt

The Day the Crayons Quit is such a cute and clever book! Each color in a box of crayons is upset about the way they are used (or not used). The book is written as a series of letters from each crayon, and with a handwriting style of typeface. I love books that encourage children to think about things in a different way, and this one fits the bill. Toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary aged children will love it!

I Am A Rainbow by Dolly Parton

I'll confess. Were I not a huge Dolly Parton fan, this book probably wouldn't make the list! The writing is not terribly sophisticated, and the illustrations are simple and a bit cartoonish. But since I LOVE Dolly, she gets a place on the list. One great aspect of the book is that it presents many of the different associations that colors have with emotions-- for example green often means jealousy, and blue can mean feeling sad. These are common expressions in our language, and this book presents those in a straightforward manner.

Rainbows Never End by Laura Lyn DiSiena, part of book review list about colors and rainbows

Rainbows Never End: And Other Fun Facts by Laura Lyn DiSiena

There are a few tidbits of information about rainbows in this fantastic nonfiction book, but most of it is about weather in general. It gets included on my list, though, because it is just so darn cute, bright, and clear. The girls both loved this book and learned quite a bit from it as well! I recommend this book for older toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary aged children.

Moonbear's Skyfire by Frank Asch part of book review list about colors and rainbows

Moonbear's Skyfire: A Moonbear Book by Frank Asch

I love the simple illustrations in this "Moonbear" book. Simple line drawings with basic colors appeal to children. What I wasn't crazy about, however, was that the text could easily confuse children. Bear throws water on a rainbow (thinking that it is fire) and the rainbow suddenly fades. Little Bird finds "golden" honey in a tree that happens to be at the end of the rainbow. I pointed out that these things were just coincidences to my girls, but I wish that the book just didn't cause confusion to begin with.

The Rainbow And You by Edwin C. Krupp

The Rainbow And You was my favorite nonfiction book this week. Some nonfiction books can be dry or not engaging, but the beautiful illustrations in this book kept my girls interested. It clearly explains how rainbows are formed and other great information about color. Much of it is above the comprehension level of preschoolers, but even being exposed to this information is valuable.

All The Colors Of The Rainbow by Allan Fowler

This non-fiction book about rainbows is a good choice to grab at your library. The text is simple and straightforward, and explains how rainbows are formed in a way that most preschoolers could probably understand. It also covers color mixing, other ways that you can 'create' a rainbow, and a bit of history.

Little Pip and the Rainbow Wish by Elizabeth Baguley

My little Maggie LOVES mice, so this book was certainly her top pick of the week! Pip is a shy little mouse who wants to make some new friends. He thinks he needs to bring them a rainbow, but eventually realizes that they don't need such an extravagant gift. The illustrations are sweet, as well. I think that toddlers, preschoolers, or elementary aged children will enjoy this book.

Rainbow Stew by Cathryn Falwell

In this book, a grandfather takes his grandchildren into the garden on a rainy day as they gather a rainbow of vegetables for a big pot of stew. It was nice to point out the array of colors that we can (and should) eat, since I'm always looking for ways to tie in lessons about healthy choices. Toddlers and preschoolers will like this book.

A Rainbow Of My Own by Don Freeman

You probably know Don Freeman as the author of the "Corduroy" series. In this sweet story, a boy sees a rainbow but then is sad when it disappears. He imagines that he has his very own rainbow to play with. When he returns home, he finds out that a rainbow has formed in his room through his fishbowl. This cute story is appropriate for older babies, toddlers, and preschoolers.

The Magic School Bus Makes A Rainbow by Joanna Cole

This is a great book, packed with tons of information and a cute story to tie it all together. We love the "Magic School Bus" series since it makes learning fun. There is lots of text and the book is packed with pictures. This particular book also goes along with an episode of the television show (available on Netflix) so your child can get a double dose of Ms. Frizzle. The information is on a fairly advanced level, so I recommend it for older preschoolers or elementary aged children.

How Do Dinosaurs Learn Their Colors? by Jane Yolen

This is a simple little board book that identifies colors. It features the familiar dinosaurs from this popular series, playing with toys of different colors. This book is a good choice for babies and toddlers.

Monsters Love Colors by Mike Austen

My girls asked to hear this book over and over and over again. It is a simple color mixing book-- the three primary colored monsters scribble to mix up new colors. The illustrations are perfectly messy and monster-y, with vibrant colors and friendly little monsters. The language is delightfully silly, with just the right level of nonsense. I recommend this book for kids of ALL ages-- even little babies will enjoy the bright pictures.

Mix It Up by Herve Tullet

This interactive book is another gem from the Press Here author, Herve Tullet. There are simple blobs of color on each page, with instructions to your child to press, mash, or swirl them with their finger. The next page of the book shows the result. I don't think any children will believe that their actions are actually causing the changes shown, but it's awfully fun to pretend! This book shows how colors are mixed and made darker and lighter. Older babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary aged children will have a big smile on their faces during this one!

For more bright and colorful rainbow ideas, visit the What Can We Do With Paper And Glue Pinterest board below.