Rain Before Rainbows by Smriti Hall, is an uplifting rhyming story of hope, friendship and resilience.
I fell in love with the combination of David Litchfield's beautiful artwork and Smriti Hall's uplifting prose. The book starts with a young girl forced to leave her home, a castle that is burning, in search for somewhere new to live. The pair travel together through the darkness, across mountains, against their worries and fears in search of somewhere safer and brighter.
There are so many ways this beautiful book can be enjoyed. Firstly, to help children understand the beauty of hope and expectation, even if they are facing challenges. Secondly, with the little girl (who remains unnamed) being forced to flee her home, it strikes me that this can be a useful book to help children understand the situation of refugees too. It's a wonderful rhyming picture book, reminding us that after upheaval and trouble there is always hope for a new beginning.