Rain Before Rainbows

As hinted in the endpapers, a girl and her fox friend are forced to leave their burning castle home to embark on a journey of “mountains for climbing” and trials to overcome, fraught with lightning, thunder, crashing waves, worries, battles, and dark days. But all the while, there’s hope ahead, assured in the beautiful, optimistic narrative—“Sowing and planting. Roots before shoot. Stem before flowers. Leaf before fruit.”—and shown in the kind and courageous friends that act as helping hands and guides. At last, the promised rainbow after the rain appears on a fresh, bright morning, presenting new opportunities, simple joys, and relief. Award winning author Prasadam-Halls weaves this inspiring, relatable, and touching tale with terrific cadence and rhyme. Litchfield’s illustrations magnificently convey the idea of trials and struggles leading to victories and good outcomes, creatively using both epic proportions—such as castles and dragons—and seemingly small, but hopeful, reflections—such as a flower growing from a seed. The illustrations spill over with waves of color, growing gradually throughout the story from dim and dark pages to sparkling, glorious spreads of color as the journey progresses from darkness to light. Light on text but heavy on meaning, this beautiful story is sure to strike a chord and inspire anyone who needs a reminder of the light waiting just around the corner, the rainbow ready to shine after the rain.