A Rainbow of Thanks

A Rainbow of Thanks is a delightful and imaginative story of a young girl with a great big imagination. She doesn’t want to do her homework, a report on cultures of other peoples. One day she steps into a rainbow and is transported to other lands where she meets other children who share some of their culture and beliefs with her. She in turn shares with them some of her possessions which she carries in her backpack. All of these possessions have her mailing address label on them. When she finally gets back home through another rainbow she has quite a tale to tell but no one believes her. Find out what happens next and how she convinces her mother and her teacher that she was not telling a tall tale. This is a sweet story that children of preteen age will enjoy and talk about with their friends. Who doesn’t love rainbows and imagine what magic and mystery they hold in their colors.

Loved this! An excellent way of getting kids involved in World Cultures and lore! Would make an excellent gift for any parent looking to help foster an interest in Social Studies for a student that is not quite interested. The narration on this is perfect as well! This writer is talented enough to write from a child’s mindset. Very impressive.

At the edge of our seats – When Kathleen was going to do a reading for us she said it would take approximately twenty minutes. I thought to myself, wow how can I sit through twenty minutes of a child’s story? Then I remembered how many of my songs she’s sat through. By the end of the story my whole adult family; including Genesis and myself, were at the edge of our seats wiping away tears and thunderously applauding! I stood up and boasted that she’s my personal friend and that was the shortest twenty minutes ever.

Kate Silverton is an eleven year old about to celebrate her birthday. Her teacher Mrs. Guffey, who she likes to call Mrs. Tuffey, has given them a weekend homework assignment to write about another culture. After being disappointed by her relative's birthday gifts, Kate heads out to the backyard with her backpack. Suddenly, it begins to rain and she takes refuge. When the rain stops, Kate is surprised to find a rainbow which she walks through. On the other side, she meets a Navajo boy named Little Elk who is sitting on a rock in Arizona during "the week of silence." He asks her where she came from explaining that Navajos believe the God travels on a rainbow and that a rainbow is a bridge between the human world and the other side. Rainbows also carry heroes between earth and heaven. Kate is mystified; she informs the boy that she is simply an American from Ohio who walked through a rainbow to the other side. How did she get to Arizona? Realizing that she must walk back through the rainbow to the other side before it disappears, Kate pulls out the walkman radio from her backpack and gives it as a gift to Little Elk to ease his time of silence. Things get even stranger when Kate emerges from the rainbow in the jungle listening to the sound of elephants and seeing a little girl named Chicktow who is searching the ground for grubs to eat. Kate is now in Victoria Falls, South Africa. She presents her new friend with some oatmeal cookies stamped with Kate's name and address labels. Kate descends with her friend to the bottom of the Falls where they locate the remnants of the rainbow. Chicktow tells her that the rainbow arch frames the Queen of Heaven. Kate quickly steps into the arch. Kate is disappointed to find herself in Dublin, Ireland when she emerges. The Flanagan boys greet her. In Ireland the rainbow is considered the hem of God's garments. They tell her that leprechauns believe there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but all Kate wants is to return to Ohio. She presents them with the old video player she received as a gift before she departs. Kate must still journey to Germany, Russia, Polynesia, Croatia and Scotland before she lands back in the United States. In California, she meets a medicine man of the Mojave who tells her that the rainbow is a charm the Creator uses to stop a rain storm. Finally, she walks through the rainbow one hour later to find herself at home in Ohio. Wow! What a journey! Kate writes her report immediately before she forgets her adventure. Her mother is puzzled by her strange behavior. Mrs. Guffey gives her an A on her report, but asks why she did not choose one culture. The next week, Kate draws a stunning, accurate portrait so real that her teacher goes to her home for a talk with Mrs. Silverton because she fears that Kate is delusional. How will Kate prove her story? A mysterious visitor will provide the answer. This e book is available on Smashwords. A paperback version can now be found on amazon. Recommended for children ages eight and up, but adults will love it as well.