Rain Before Rainbows

Rain Before Rainbows presents a hopeful message to young readers about life itself and growing up. Life can be an adventure though there will be challenges, difficulties and hurdles, we may have worries and face difficult decisions but there will be those who can guide us and help us.

The text is gentle and poetic with a pleasing rhythm which would be perfect for reading aloud.

David Litchfield’s trademark magical illustrations bring the text to life, weaving a story around it. He provides us with an array of wonderful settings on each double page spread with two characters centre stage, a girl and a fox, on a journey together experiencing danger and finding happiness.

This visual storytelling offers the potential for young readers to engage imaginatively and further develop the narrative. Why did the girl and fox leave the castle? Where are they going? What will happen to them in the future?

This book was first released as a free downloadable e-book by Walker Books to support Save the Children’s #SaveWithStories campaign which is helping children most affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The hard copy is a gem well worth lingering over and sharing again and again. The cover illustration perfectly capturing the hopeful message of the text with the girl and fox gazing wistfully up into a rainbow which bathes them in its colourful light.