The Chalk Rainbow

Zane is different to other kids. He has his own made-up language. He likes to line things up. And he is frightened of things that don’t seem to bother other people — like the colour black. His father gets frustrated and angry with Zane. His mother tries hard to explain things to him. But nothing seems to work. Zane just scrunches himself up into a ball and screams. Things are looking pretty bleak for Zane and his family; that is, until Zane’s big sister starts to draw a chalk rainbow at the top of the front steps … The Chalk Rainbow explores difference and diversity through a family living with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It’s also a story of unconditional love, of trust and of learning to look at the world through the eyes of others. The story is told by Zane’s older sister in a way that young children can easily relate to. The ending is uplifting as all members of the family learn to look at things differently and find a way to move forward together.

“"the arcs of imaginary rainbow are as bright and present as the actual chalked part, and they convey a buoyant sense of triumph as they lengthen to fill the pictures with light and color."”

“Here is a story of trust, where we learn that unconditional love can help us to view things differently…There are many ways of solving problems and sometimes it is important to follow that rainbow.” -- Kathy Watson Book Review
"A wonderful book to share with the children giving them a real insight into how kids with autism see the world. It encourages acceptance and understanding of difference while showing there are many ways to solve a problem." The Chalk Rainbow
"(an) important (book).. for all childcare centres, kindergartens and primary schools"
"An essential addition to the school library’s collection and the home library of the siblings of an ASD child." The Chalk Rainbow
"The Chalk Rainbow is a story about trusting others and experiencing unconditional love. The illustrations in this book are beautiful and bright, with many pages highlighted with colourful rainbows." Children's Book Review
"the story is empowering and uplifting as we see Zane's family work together in harmony."
Being different is hard. Zane is autistic and can’t stand the colour black. His sister devises a perfect way to deal with this and the family joins in. Touching and thought-provoking with colourful illustrations."
"This thought-provoking picture book shows the challengers faced by a family living with Autism, and how love, acceptance and all the colours of the rainbow help them work through the difficulties together." Sandy Fussell
"Reading this book to my eight year old autistic son, he says “it reminds me of my brother, and the little boy is me.” To him, it is simply a book about a big sister helping her little brother, and I believe not making autism a literal issue (by actually stating that Zane has autism), means that this book does not need to be pigeon holed as an “autism book” but can rather be viewed as a book about inclusion, and respecting differences, no matter what those differences are."
"very highly recommended for family, preschool, elementary school, and community library collections"
A very colourful story about helping children in a creative way"
"Deborah Kelly’s charming picture book explores difference and diversity through a family living with Autism Spectrum disorder
"The Chalk Rainbow is a gentle, aware story of the difficulties children can so often face. The illustrations are full of colour and warmth, with a wit and love that shows" -- Gwen Grant The Chalk Rainbow

Deb Kelly is an award-winning, internationally published. She is a Role Model for Books in Homes & reviews books for Reading Time magazine. Gwynneth Jones drew all through her maths book at school, so left to study art. She’s never looked back and is now a full-time artist and illustrator.

Zane is different to other kids. He lines things up, and he's frightened of things that don't seem to bother other people - like the colour black. Things are looking pretty bleak for him and his family, until his sister starts to draw a chalk rainbow on the front steps ... A heart-warming story of love, trust and learning to look at the world through the eyes of others.

Zane is different to other kids. He has his own made-up language. He likes to line things up. And he is frightened of things that don't seem to bother other people -- like the colour black. His father gets frustrated and angry with Zane. His mother tries hard to explain things to him. But nothing seems to work. Zane just scrunches himself up into a ball and screams. Things are looking pretty bleak for Zane and his family; that is, until Zane's big sister starts to draw a chalk rainbow at the top of the front steps ... The Chalk Rainbow explores difference and diversity through a family living with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It's also a story of unconditional love, of trust and of learning to look at the world through the eyes of others. The story is told by Zane's older sister in a way that young children can easily relate to. The ending is uplifting as all members of the family learn to look at things differently and find a way to move forward together.

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