Parents' Guide to

The Rainbow Bridge

By Kevin McCaffrey, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 6+

A beautiful myth with luminous pictures.

Book Audrey Wood Folklore 1995
The Rainbow Bridge Poster Image

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What's the Story?

Hutash the earth goddess creates the Chumash (indigenous people of Southern California's coastal area). Nurturing the tribe to grow and prosper on their offshore island, she eventually is forced to help half get across to the mainland. In this deeply respectful telling, the beginnings of many aspects of life are explained, including humanity's connection with nature.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

Audrey Wood tries her deft hand at a creation tale of people indigenous to her own Santa Barbara area. She tells a story of events that, once put in motion, get out of hand through no one's direct fault. Kids will enjoy that young people help the goddess solve the problem and lead their families to the new land. Life itself wins out through the goddess' love and the children's belief in her.

Robert Florczak's paintings at first might be mistaken for digital art, but they are actually luminescent oil paintings. They have hyper-realistic elements arranged in such a way as to evoke a strange otherworldly quality that works well with the myth.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about creation tales. What does your family believe? This could be a good starting point to explore creation tales from other cultures and beliefs.

Book Details

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