Book Monster Ally has got her hands on our upcoming narrative non-fiction picture book; Why? A Sciencey, Rhymey Guides to Rainbows by Billy Dunne with incandescent illustrations by Rhys Jefferys.
I think this must be one of the most perfect books for our currently Coronovirus-riddled climate. Not only are thousands of parents now finding themselves at the helm of the teaching boat, many feeling daunted and unprepared, but the spread of gorgeous rainbows in windows across the UK is making us all smile and providing the perfect opportunity to teach about these marvels of nature.
There is much to love abut this book. My favourite aspect is the humour, this is one of the funniest, and very identifiable non-fiction books I’ve come across. Do you have a Why? child? that one who never accepts just the first answer, the delightfully, yet threateningly curious child! We love them, but they can be overwhelming and this book sums that up with such gorgeous humour. Dad is on a walk and explaining to his daughter how rainbows are made. But his lovely interested daughter wants to know more and more, until Dad is left in a heap of science and rainbow explanation trouble!
Why? is beautifully written by Billy with a rhyme to it, which is so unusual for non-fiction books, but it works here because of the fiction slant to it, and it’s done really very well. Among the humour and storytelling are little snippets of facts about how rainbows come about. This is a picture book after all so it’s been created for entertainment and storytelling as much as education, and for a younger audience so deliberately simple, with lots of interesting vocabulary to allow an opening for further research and exploration via other means.
The illustrations by Rhys are glorious, bright and engaging and full of character, with a fantastically science filled middle page spread. The humour in the story is emphasised by the artwork here, and it makes for a brilliant pairing.I really love this book. I love rainbows, I love well written rhyming books, I love non-fiction crossover, I love humour, I love gorgeous illustrations. Why? A Sciencey Rhymey Guide to Rainbows has all of this and more, there’s nothing not to love.
This book will be released and available from all good bookshops and libraries on 28th October 2020 so get your pre-orders in for this perfectly timed title.