YOU are a RAINBOW...The First Class of Beta Readers

This book was technically available earlier in the month but we waited to release it. One of the motivations and reasons for selecting the end of June as a release date was my initial audience and recipients.

This book is for everyone, a children's book with potential to be read as a read aloud for your toddler or your high school age child. How can this be? Easy, as the reader, you decide how in depth you take each page. The characteristics and traits shared in this book are necessary at age five, or eighty-five. 

A sneak peak at a couple of the pages is included in the book trailer below. This was a fun book to create, research, paint, and develop. Last week I had the opportunity to read this book aloud to our class of kindergartners. Talk about an attentive, honest, and exciting group of Beta readers. I was nervous before sharing with them but to look into their eyes as they listened...the joy and excitement returned.

Not only were they my Beta readers, they were also the first to receive a copy of YOU are a Rainbow. The last page of the book changes from "you are" to "I am" and includes a place for parents, grandparents, teachers, or whoever to glue a picture of their child in. 


On this page, I included a collage photograph of the student with each of their teachers so they remember when they were given the book, and of course their kindergarten teachers. The look on their faces brought Mrs. von Holtz and I much joy.

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One student said, "Mrs. Buske, you are an author AND illustrator now. Awesome!" He made my day. Due to a shipping snafu, the books didn't arrive the day of the presentation so I read it using the Smart Board via a Power Point presentation. The parents and kids were excited, receptive, and full of smiles. I'm thankful and hope the book offers encouragement, inspiration, and conversation starters for the kiddos and their parents for years to come.

I hope the kiddos and their parents enjoy time reading this book together. The book in itself is an acronym, for RAINBOW. For each letter, there are eleven adjectives to describe who your child can be, when illuminating their inner rainbow. As I read the book aloud to the kids, I tried to make eye contact with each of the kids. This became a challenge as my eyes watered to look into their eyes knowing it was our second to last day together, as a kindergarten class.

My hope was to give the kids their book the same day I read it to them but the late delivery prevented this. But, the next morning, the kid's excitement overwhelmed me. As they entered, instead of sadness because it was the last day, we heard, "Did the books come? Are they here?" and then they would look at the rainbow covered table in the front and smile from ear to ear because their books were there, waiting to be handed out.

it was a special time. As I gave each of the kids their books, Mary took a picture of me with each kiddo. When everyone had their books, we did a class photo too. These pictures will not go online but will be used to create an 8 x 10 to display the cover of my first children's book and the kiddos who inspired it to reality. 

You are a Rainbow is available on Amazon.com today. My copies won't arrive until July 11th at the earliest. Once I have my books, a book release celebration will be held at the New Haven Town's Farmer's Market. If you can't wait, you can order online now.

Thanks for sharing in the excitement. In back of the book is a fun page for teachers, parents, youth leaders, and others. It's a resource page of ways to use this book as a spring board for other activities to spark a higher level of thinking and reflection with your students and kids. I hope you'll check it out. There is another idea in process, associated with this last page. The goal is to have this "Extension Activities" book available this summer too.

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Who can you think of to give this book to as a gift?
Is there a kiddo (or adult) that might need to know they are a RAINBOW? We're never too young or old to receive encouragement.