I am so glad I stumbled across The Chalk Rainbow! This beautiful story written by Deborah Kelly is about a girl and her brother Zane. Zane is different from many kids because he speaks his own language, enjoys lining things up, and is afraid of things that don’t bother most people. One of the things he hates is the color black. He hates it so much that he won’t wear black clothes or even walk on black things. This makes life a challenge for Zane and his family since driveways and roads and many other surfaces are black. Brightly illustrated by Gwynneth Jones, his sister has a brilliant idea and begins using chalk to make a rainbow bridge for her brother! This was such a beautiful and moving story of unconditional love accepting differences. It shows that some problems can be solved just by putting our self in someone else’s shoes and seeing the world differently. The Chalk Rainbow is about a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder, but it is really a celebration of diversity, understanding and acceptance. I love that this book makes it feel so easy and obvious to meet people where they are at and enjoy them for the individuals they are. I definitely recommend this book as it instantly joined my list of favorites! What books do you love that honor uniqueness?
Mama's Bookshelf 