Share your rainbow 18 artists draw their hope for the future

The words pandemic and Covid-19 never appear in this moving collection, in which 18 well-known children's book illustrators share visions of better times. But each spread, inspired by the handmade rainbows that children have placed in windows during quarantine, carries the same unmistakable promise: social distancing will end, and individuals will be able to gather again. Among hopeful scenes are Elise Parsley's neighborly backyard marshmallow roast; Shannon Wright's happy, pink-and purple-toned roller rink; Sarah Jacoby's joyfully imagined birthday party; Claire Keane's extended family get-together, with story time in grandpa's lap and a sloppy cousin sleepover; and Magdalena Mora's bus ride with beautifully eccentric urban dwellers--human and canine. In a particularly funny spread, Adam Rex aptly sums up stay-at-home fever with a scene celebrating a future "sleepy Saturday when every boring thing feels extraordinary": a dad's announcement that he's off to buy paper clips elicits his son's thrilled request, "Whoa, can I come?" All net proceeds will be donated to José Andrés's World Central Kitchen. Ages 3--7. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House.(Aug.)

A collective pro bono wish for an end to social distancing. Giving visual expression to R.J. Palacio's opening sentiment that rainbows "are always nearby, somewhere beyond our grasp and yet never really beyond our reach," the racially and culturally diverse (if all U.S.--based) contributors either incorporate rainbows into their full-spread scenes or creatively use a full spectrum palette. Nearly everyone narrowly sticks to the common theme in their actual subjects, however. Elise Parsley leads off with a backyard soiree: "I cannot wait to yak with my neighbors, / and laugh with my neighbors, / and snarf up toasted marshmallows / with my neighbors." Others echo the feeling with scenes of children throwing a beach ball (Brian Biggs), juggling huge ice cream cones (Molly Idle), dancing around a birthday cake (Sarah Jacoby), or crowding onto a lap (Claire Keane). One simply enjoys "sitting next to strangers on the bus" (Magdalena Mora). Lane Smith thinks outside the box: "Stuck inside, I was forced to put my moon mission on hold," writes a smiling, brown-skinned young astronaut aboard a spaceship that has been spectacularly tricked out in paint and collage. "At least I had time to rethink my rocket's paint job." Oge Mora does go for a broader vision ("My rainbow is a warm hug") with a tender adult-child clinch, and so likewise Vashti Harrison, depicting a lone child hugging the Earth. Unlike the table of contributors, the art is not arranged alphabetically, and the artists' bios are, at best, cursory, so the focus throughout is on the art and the warm feelings. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-16-inch double-page spreads viewed at 88 % of actual size.) Timely, reassuring, and optimistic…for readers in too many locales, very optimistic. (Picture book. 5-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.