Somos un arco iris / We Are a Rainbow (Spanish Bilingual Edition)

by Nancy Maria Grande Tabor

WE ARE A RAINBOW helps young readers begin building the cultural bridges of common human understanding through simple comparisons of culture from breakfast foods to legends. Colorful cut-paper art and gentle language deliver this universal message eloquently.

Genres: Picture Books, Spanish Literature, Childrens

32 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1995

About the author

Nancy María Grande Tabor grew up in Loreto, Mexico. She attended the University of the Americas in Mexico City and received her master's degree in education from Lesley College in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Reviews

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

We Are a Rainbow, by Nancy Grande Tabor, is a colorful children's book about bringing Hispanic and American cultures together. It starts with a family moving to a new country, and comparing "his" own culture with that of "his" new home (there are no gender nouns, making it more applicable to all children). What they eat for breakfast, what the beach feels like, and even cultural legends are compared in a simple yet extremely relatable way for Hispanic children in the U.S. "Where I come from, there is a rabbit in the moon. Here there is a man in the moon...There I would eat tortillas for breakfast. Here people have them for dinner." The settings compared are visually similar to those of Mexico City and San Francisco, but are not mentioned. Colorful and bright cut paper art illustrates this story, and is a clever use of using the two paper depths to show the similarities within each other in the positive and negative space. The bright color choices for the people are also brilliantly used to signify that people can come in all shades. Newer versions now include the text in Spanish at the top of the page and in English at the bottom. Diversity and inclusion are at the heart of this book, as the story asks the rhetorical question, "Apart. Alone. Please stop and think. Are we as different as we think?" There are so many relevant and simple realistic quotes in this short simple story about cultural differences and feelings when we do not understand each other that directly relates to immigrants and our current climate, that I found this book to be extremely relevant and a perfect fit from a children's point of view. "We really are so much the same. And it is much more fun to be together to share, to care, to smile, and to laugh." The message of unity is made loud and clear, as separately we are all different, but together we can make something beautiful, like a rainbow. Recommended for ages 3-7 as a read aloud and ages 5-7 as a reader. Hits social studies standards for kindergarten and first grade on diversity, the "golden rule", cultural comparisons, diversity, inclusion, and acceptance.

[Madison Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

1. age range (up to 2nd - useful for any grade though)
2. It started off by giving examples of how the narrator's home country was different from the one they’re living in now. They noted how the moon, ocean, homes, greeting, food, and languages are different. The book also mentions how the differences could create misunderstandings, causing people to fight or argue. But despite these misunderstandings, people aren’t as different as they are made to seem - everyone likes to run, play, sing, share, care, smile, or laugh. Even though people may be different culturally, racially, or ethnically, there are common things like smiling or playing that tie different people together.
3. I chose this book because we read it in my “Effective Teaching For Diverse Students” class and she used it as an example of how you could introduce and implement diversity to young students in the classroom. I wanted to include it because it was a small, cute story that really made an impact on how people’s backgrounds, cultures, and lives are different from one another.

[Caleb · Rating 1 out of 5]

Caleb (age 5): "This was for a little kid. It was boring to me."

[Olivia Longenbaugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this picture book, the similarities and differences of a Hispanic child and an American child are looked into. The author writes from a narrative perspective, using no gender specific nouns, and the pictures are cut out of colored paper so it feels applicable to every child. The book relies on empathy and understanding to explain that people are not so different just because we talk differently or look differently. It is a bit simplistic, but it could be a great book for kindergarten or first grade students who are struggling with accepting students of different backgrounds. I could see this book helping begin discussions of race with young students.

[Rochelle Sondae · Rating 1 out of 5]

I get slightly irritated when a book has a great little sing song rhythm going and then stops. It's the story of a child moving to a new country. It compares what came before in the old country somewhere in South America to what is new in San Francisco, CA. (At least it appears to be San Francisco the book never actually says where they've moved to.) The cut paper illustrations are fascinating at times. This is just not a book that flies off the shelf on its own.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Using a rainbow as the image that we are all different, but by working together we can create something beautiful, We Are a Rainbow instills in the young reader the concept of humanity and understanding.

Used for "Rainbows" storytime: July, 2011.

[Cecoiya Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are a Rainbow would be a great book to read aloud to students. It speaks about unity and diversity, which is a great subject for students to start learning in kindergarten and first grade. I believe this book illustrates those concepts very well.

[Lexi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very simple book about a girl who moves from a Spanish speaking country into America and all she wants is for everyone to love one another no matter similarities of differences. I think this is an amazing book, especially for younger students.