Rainbow letters A book for rainbow babies

Kelley directs this compassionate, cheerfully rhyming text toward families who are welcoming a "rainbow baby"--an infant born after a miscarriage, or a birth or postpartum loss. As the story opens "in a dreamy kingdom tucked away/ past cotton candy skies," a brigade of sibling helpers with varying skin tones await an important job: creating a Rainbow Letter to be sewn into the prospective new arrival's receiving blanket. It's "a message/ from a sibling you never knew,/ to share our joy and gladness/ and soothe our parents too." Halak's textural mixed-media images depict the celestial sibling spirits, perhaps confusingly, as preschool-age kids. Though the uncontextualized imagery invites more questions than answers, the concept of continued connection may prove comforting: "We celebrate your life/ as ours is remembered too,/ and know that every single day,/ we'll be watching over you." Tips for sharing this book with children conclude. Ages up to 8. (Mar.)

A story for parents and their rainbow babies, children born after a miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss. Looking down from a candy-colored world, the "rosy-cheeked and sparkly-eyed" children who died during pregnancy or early infancy are overjoyed to learn about their new rainbow siblings. They write letters to convey their happiness, bring parents peace, and remind rainbow babies that they have loving siblings watching over them. The book concludes with a place for readers to write their own rainbow letter and tape in an ultrasound picture; also included is a message for parents from a licensed marriage and family therapist. The illustrations are cartoonish, depicting the lost children as preschool-aged; they and the families with rainbow babies are diverse. The lost children are shown living above our world in the clouds; however, there is no mention of religion. At times cloying, the rhyming text centers children, although much of the comfort will likely be absorbed by parents rather than youngsters. The book neglects to acknowledge that kids don't have to define themselves merely by those who came before them, nor are they responsible for making up for past losses. That said, given that there are very few picture books that directly address this topic and fewer still that explore the impacts of these losses on families of color, it's a title that will be appreciated by many. (This book was reviewed digitally.) With few picture-book reflections of pregnancy and infant loss, this warmhearted title is welcome. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.