A Universe of Rainbows - Perfect Picture Book Friday #PPBF

I am excited to share with you a stunningly illustrated book, perfectly releasing at the start of National Poetry Month, which seamlessly and gorgeously melds poetry, science, and inspiration into a fun exploration of our spectacularly colorful world.

Book cover - clouds, mountains, gems, flowers, and birds frame a rainbow.

A Universe of Rainbows: Multicolored Poems for a Multicolored World

Poems selected by: Matt Forrest Esenwine

Illustrator: Jamey Christoph

Publisher: Eerdman's Books for Young Readers (April 1, 2025)

Ages: 6 to 10

Nonfiction Poetry Anthology

Themes:

Poetry, STEM, rainbows, and nature.

Synopsis:

A kaleidoscopic collection celebrating rainbows in nature, perfect for Poetry Month and Earth Month.

What do Yellowstone’s Grand Prismatic Spring, Peru’s Vinicunca mountain, the star Betelgeuse, and a drop of water have in common? Rainbows! In this iridescent collection, Joyce Sidman, Nikki Grimes, Janet Wong, and seventeen other poets explore bursts of color across nature. Each selection explores a new rainbow—and not just the ones in the sky. In haiku, free verse, and other forms, the poets capture marvels like crystals, pilot glories, Gouldian finches, and marble caves. Acclaimed illustrator Jamey Christoph brings each rainbow to life in brilliant color and playful detail.

With dazzling language, luminous artwork, and fascinating science sidebars, A Universe of Rainbows is a mind-boggling tour of wonders big and small. From your own windowsill to Colombia’s Caño Cristales to the constellation Orion, rainbows are everywhere—in all sorts of shapes and sizes.

Contributing Poets:

Nikki Grimes

Matt Forrest Esenwine

Renee M. LaTulippe

Joyce Sidman

Irene Latham

David L. Harrison

Heidi E. Y. Stemple & Jane Yolen

Amy Ludwig VanDerwater

Alma Flor Ada & F. Isabel Campoy

Rebecca Kai Dotlich

Marilyn Singer

Charles Waters

Laura Purdie Salas

Charles Ghigna

Lee Wardlaw

Janet Wong

Allan Wolf

Georgia Heard

Opening lines:

A drop of water. Peru’s Vinicunca mountain. The star Betelgeuse, in the constellation Orion.

What do they all have in common?

Rainbows!

A drop of water can act as a prism, refracting light into all its colorful glory. Vinicunca, known as Rainbow

Mountain, is made up of layers of minerals that create a natural geologic “rainbow.” And Betelgeuse,

the star most of us know as one of Orion’s shoulders, is surrounded by a massive, swirling cloud of gas

astronomers call the “Rainbow Nebula.”

While rainbows may be symbols of pride, diversity, and hope . . . they are much, much more. They are the

brilliance of a tiny diamond, the multicolored feathers of a Gouldian finch, the shimmering waters of

the river Caño Cristales in Colombia. Rainbows are everywhere, in all shapes, sizes, and forms—so come

discover a world of rainbows, and the poetry they inspire!

What I LOVED about this book: Beginning as one ought, in a poetic ode to rainbows throughout our multicolored world, with the awe-inspiring poem by Nikki Grimes and stunning illustration by Jamey Christoph of the quintessential rainbow - a "storm's apology" for ruining a child's Saturday - this wonderful picture book introduces readers to some amazing animals and phenomena, through Matt Forrest Esenwine's talented interweaving of delightful poems and enticing side bars.

Internal image - on the left, a beautiful rainbow reaches over the Brooklyn Bridge and New York City skyline after a rainstorm. On the right, a child and seagulls stand on the soggy shore accompanied by the poem and back matter on rainbows.

Text © Matt Forrest Esenwine and Nikki Grimes, 2025. Image © Jamey Christoph, 2025.

These twenty super talented poets playfully wrap nuggets of inspiration and encouragement ("we each are much more than we seem. Allow yourself, my child, to dream.") - into their delightful explorations of such fascinating things as sun dogs, pilot's glories, moonbows, eucalyptus trees, birds, and special shrimp.

Internal spread - a rainbow-colored shrimp stands in the sand, with factual sidebar on the left and the poem underneath it.

Elegant Danger

Captivating beauty

with radiant appeal.

An appetite of titans.

Attitude of steel.

Throughout the sea

there is no shell

her fateful blow can’t pierce.

Just because you’re beautiful

doesn’t mean you can’t be fierce.

— Matt Forrest Esenwine

For each feature or creature, the conversational and fascinating sidebars provide fun information, such as the amazing power of these peacock mantis shrimp and their ability to see ten times more colors than humans. After offering a glimpse at a special spider and learning a fabulous fruit fly secret, we are taken on an exploration of rainbow rocks, caves, mountains, and an extra special rainbow. And discover that "No matter if you’ve gone away some part of you will always stay."

Internal spread - on the left, a kid in a canoe paddles into a cave with rainbow walls. On the right, are the poem and sidebar text.

Stunning colorful illustrations, captivating poems, and delightful scientific information combine to create an awe-inspiring and inspirational book. A book kids, families, teachers, and librarians will treasure and enjoy reading over and over again.

Resources:

check out and try some of the twenty-two rainbow crafts.

create your own poem about a rainbow or colorful creature or feature.

Photo collage of of rainbow experiments and a walking water experiment.

experiment with making rainbows and walking water rainbows.

If you missed my interview with Matt Forrest Esenwine, Charles Ghigna, Allan Wolf, and Joyce Sidman on Monday, find it (here).

This post is part of a series of blog posts by authors and KidLit bloggers called Perfect Picture Book Fridays. For more picture book suggestions and resources see Susanna Leonard Hill's Perfect Picture Books.