CLIP Review: Weaving the Rainbow

Author:  George Ella Lyon
Illustrator:  Stephanie Anderson
Ages:  3-7

How do you make a rainbow?  While we normally think of painters dipping their brushes into an array of bright colors, this handsomely illustrated book will present you with an entirely new perspective. A weaver will take you through her yearlong journey of raising and shearing her sheep, then through the process of preparing the wool for weaving. 


As the sheep progress through each stage of their growth the weaver smiles and knows that they "are getting closer to the rainbow." After the shearing, cleaning, combing, spinning and dying, the weaver sits at her loom, feet on the treadles, hands on the shuttle - back and forth, back and forth.  The last page of the book is magnificently illustrated, proving that if you are a weaver, you can make a rainbow with wool. And if you are a sheep, you can BE a rainbow.


(If you are a teacher, don't miss the lesson plan below.)

CLICK HERE for a .pdf of a lesson plan
created by Martha McGovern
for Weaving a Rainbow.