Rae White (text) and Sha’an D’Anthes (illustrator), All the Colours of the Rainbow, Lothian Children’s Books, January 2025, 32 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9780734423061
Sometimes Jem wakes up and wants to wear their yellow dress, and some days they want to wear their blue jeans. Jem has times they feel like a girl, and times they feel like a boy, and at other times they “feel like both and neither.” This book explores Jem’s experience as a child who feels different genders on different days.
When getting ready for a family wedding, Grandma suggests Jem should change because “Girls shouldn’t wear pants to special events.” Jem’s mum encouraged Jem to wear whatever they want. A PE teacher tells Jem’s class the sky is blue and the grass is green, trying to explain that somethings can’t be changed. Jem’s is disbelieving of this idea as they have seen trees turn in the autumn, and the sky redden at sunset. Another teacher sends the boys outside to play with chalk and the girls inside to play with blocks, which causes Jem confusion about why they can’t do both. The teacher arrives with a solution for the next day.
Reading between the lines, the creators are trying to empower young readers to advocate for themselves when they are experiencing gender fluidity issues. The message is also directed at the adults in these children’s lives to be understanding and supportive. Jem’s mum teaches Jem that, just a like a rainbow, people are made up of a variety of colours and that no matter colour someone chooses to be, they will still be loved.
As you would expect in a book utilising rainbows as its key imagery, the illustrations are very bright and colourful. The backgrounds and the characters are all vividly coloured and a very childlike style, which will appeal to young readers.
A great one for incorporating stories of diverse backgrounds and experiences into a child’s reading journey.
Reviewed by Cherie Bell
