10 Splendid Rainbow Books for Preschoolers

| Last Updated: October 7, 2022

The rainbow has inspired countless stories. Usually seen after a rain shower, this colorful phenomenon symbolizes many different things, such as happiness, equality, and peace. 

It led to the acronym ROYGBIV (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet). These are the colors of the rainbow in order. Children will recall the colors in order using this mnemonic device. 

We have listed ten books to use in lessons about rainbows. Check out these amazing storybooks to help children become more interested and engaged in the topic.

Science | Fine Motor | Color Recognition

1. How the Crayons Saved the Rainbow

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This story is about the conflict between the sun and clouds, resulting in extreme weather conditions and a colorless world. A pack of crayons under a desk inside a classroom decided to make a change by adding colors to the black and wide world. 

How the Crayons Saved the Rainbow is a great tool for teaching children the scientific principle of rainbow formation. While it does not clearly explain the entire process, it does mention the significance of the sun and cloud’s role in rainbows. 

The illustrations depict the characters’ emotions throughout the story. Each scene is presented in crayon-infused illustrations with shadings and sketches representing the child’s worldview. 

Use this same technique to create a rainbow artwork. Teach children to use crayons to add different hues and textures to their outputs. Use the crayons to add layers of colors and create contrast by adding a darker outline. 

Children’s fine motor skills will greatly improve with this activity. Make rainbows using crayons on different types of available materials such as paper, cardboard, or paper towels.

Auditory Memory Skills | Science | Listening

2. Rainbow: Ready-to-Read Level 1

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This non-fiction book discusses the facts about rainbows in a way that even young children will understand. Try to use simple words to explain how a rainbow is formed after a rain shower, and other facts about rainbows are praiseworthy. 

Rainbow is a great tool in helping children understand the concept of rainbows scientifically. It even debunks common misconceptions about rainbows.

Focus on this part of the book to help children from believing false ideas about the topic. Children will learn to improve their auditory memory skills by recalling facts from the read-aloud. 

Have a true or false game by reciting facts about the rainbow from the book. For example, ask the children, “Is it true that a rainbow is a big circle, but the earth gets in the way, so we cant see the rest of its shape?” 

Reward each child for answering correctly. Show the part in the book as a prompt if the child gives a wrong answer or cannot remember. 

The illustrations show relatable scenarios to children, such as walking home on a rainy day, wearing a raincoat, and using an umbrella to keep oneself dry. It also shows places where rainbows are normally sighted. 

Ask children if they remember the places where they have seen the rainbow. Children will find connections based on the story.   

Imagination | Listening | Reasoning

3. A Rainbow of My Own

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Have you ever wondered if one can catch a rainbow? This book talks about the possibility of catching one and playing with it. 

“A Rainbow of My Own” is a book about a boy who wants to catch a rainbow and keep it for himself. In his imagination, he will play with his rainbow in many ways. 

Children will be able to improve their reasoning and imagination as they participate in discussions.

He realizes it is impossible to catch one in the end, but a rainbow will likely appear when the sunlight hits his goldfish bowl. 

This book is a great resource for discussing the difference between real things and make-believe. Use this story to generate questions based on reality, such as “What other things can we catch?” or “Why can’t we keep it for ourselves?”

Let children’s imagination wander as one asks make-believe questions, such as “What would you do if you ever catch a rainbow?” or “How would you catch a rainbow?”

Listening | Color Recognition | Science

4. Planting a Rainbow

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Here’s a story of colors and gardening to amuse young children. This book can teach the colors of the rainbow, their color order, and some principles about gardening. 

Math concepts can also be taught using this book. Teach children color patterns, counting, and shapes as they count the flowers on each page. 

Use the illustrations to help children understand that colors come in hues. Some colors are lighter, while some come in a darker shade. 

Planting a Rainbow can be used to discuss concepts about plants. Explain that plants can be propagated in different ways, such as by planting seeds, stem cuttings, etc. 

Seeds’ differences and unique features can also be discussed, such as their size, shape, and color. 

Encourage children to name different colorful plants that can be found in a garden. 

The story’s narrator begins with a yearly practice of planting colorful flowers in the garden that resembles the rainbow. Some of these plants start from bulbs, seedlings, or seeds they buy before the planting season begins. 

Once spring arrives, they plant these in the garden according to colors. Once the flowers bloom, they are collected and tied together to make a bouquet. These are enjoyed at home until the planting season is over. 

Scanning Ability | Concentration | Counting

5. The Hidden Rainbow

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“The Hidden Rainbow” is a great book to read aloud during spring and summer when colorful flowers abound, and fruit trees are bountiful. Teach children the different colors of the rainbow based on the plants and fruits shown in this book. 

Children will improve their scanning ability and concentration as they search and the hidden bees. 

This interactive book also allows children to count the increasing number of bees on each page and follow directions as the narrator asks the child to respond as actions are given.  

Use this book to anchor lessons on the importance of bees in pollinating plants. Use the action words in the books for children to imitate or create a game with these movements. 

The book opens with a single bee just before winter is over. As it explores the different plants, the number of bees increases.

Let the children notice how the colors of the different flowers change from red to violet. It ends with an orchard filled with different colorful fruits. 

Reading | Color Identification | Fine Motor

6. Rainbow Stew

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Here’s a book that promotes eating healthy by harvesting garden produce and involving children in meal preparation.

Rainbow Stew begins with the children enjoying their stay with their grandfather. However, because of the bad weather, their happiness was cut short. Their grandfather suggested that they make a rainbow stew. 

The children picked colorful vegetables and fruits from the garden. They helped prepare these for cooking. They helped out in the kitchen and eventually enjoyed their rainbow stew.  

Children will learn to identify the colors and the names of the vegetables or fruits and appreciate that food can be grown in the backyard. 

Recreate the parts of the story through pretend play. Have children pretend to harvest produce from the garden using plastic fruits and vegetables or pictures, if possible. 

Allow children to cut and cook their version of rainbow stew in the kitchen play area. Use different colors of clay and cookie cutters, if possible. Expose children to daily living activities by letting them take part in setting up the table. 

Matching Skill | Color Identification | Reading

7. What Makes a Rainbow? Magic Ribbon Book

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This pop-up book is delightful for young children who like colorfully illustrated stories and interactive pages. 

The book’s illustration has only six colors of the rainbow, with indigo missing. The book can still teach children to identify and match colors with real objects despite this.

If possible, use pictures of animals mentioned in the book. Have children look around the classroom. Let them participate in a treasure-hunting activity based on the colors of the rainbow. 

What Makes a Rainbow begins with a mama rabbit asking her little rabbit the question, what makes a rainbow? The little rabbit asked for the help of the different animals to figure out the answer. 

Each animal corresponds to the rainbow color, such as a red ladybug, orange fox, yellow chick, green grasshopper, bluebird, and purple butterfly. 

The book’s final page opens to a pop-up rainbow with the sun and clouds. All the animals, including mama and a little rabbit, celebrate as the rainbow materializes. 

Imagination | Reading | Listening

8. Elmer and the Rainbow

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This story takes the beloved patchwork elephant, Elmer, on a serious journey to find the rainbow’s end. Elmer noticed an arch in the sky without colors. 

Assuming it was a rainbow that had lost its colors, he was willing to give away his to return it to its original appearance. 

He enlisted the help of his friends in the jungle to find the end of the rainbow while they were worried about what would happen to Elmer once he’s given away his colors.  

Once Elmer found it by the waterfall, the animals noticed that the rainbow had regained its colors, and Elmer did not lose his colorful patchwork. In the end, Tiger wondered about the possibility of the rainbow becoming a colorful patchwork.  

This wonderful story can be used to teach children story structure, focusing on the problem and solution. Allow children to make their solutions as they think of different ways to add color to the colorless rainbow. 

Create story prompts such as “At the end of the rainbow is…” or “The end of the rainbow can be found…”, which children will complete by drawing or writing their responses. 

Let children imagine how a rainbow could look based on Tiger’s comment about a rainbow being a patchwork. 

Use Elmer and the Rainbow to introduce children to designs and patterns. Let children draw, color, or paint to make their version of a rainbow. The only rule is to make their rainbows unique and colorful.

Reasoning | Imagination | Reading

9. Over the Rainbow

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Based on the classic song, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” this wonderfully illustrated book shows a girl and her vivid imagination as she explores what is beyond the rainbow. 

Over the Rainbow begins with an illustration of a rainy day. Once it ceased, the clouds parted. This event allowed the sun to shine together with the appearance of a rainbow. 

The girl walked on the rainbow and found different dreams, such as castles and kingdoms. She even traveled in space before heading back home. 

While this book can be used to teach the song, let the children’s idea of a different world expand by discussing their dreams and desires in the future and their reasons for choosing them. 

Let children answer the question, “If happy bluebirds can fly beyond the rainbow, why can’t I?” by allowing them to figure out a solution to help the girl. 

Allow realistic answers, such as riding a plane or helicopter. Also, let children give silly answers, such as growing a pair of wings. 

Letting children think of possible solutions will help develop their imagination and reasoning skills. 

Use this story to engage in sensorial play, such as examining sensory bottles, taking part in a colorful sand play, and creating a rainbow using clay. 

Help children improve their gross motor skills and coordination by playing games relating to colors, such as “Twister.” 

Language | Persuasive Ability | Reading

10. Moonbear’s Skyfire

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Bear’s first encounter with a rainbow is hilarious. Thinking that the rainbow was a fire in the sky, the bear attempted to extinguish it with a potful of water. As the rainbow faded away, the bear thought he was successful. 

Bear’s friend, the bird, told him that a pot of gold was at the end of the rainbow. Later, when the bear “cleared out the Skyfire,” the bird showed him the honey in the tree hollow, which he collected using his pot.

Moonbear’s Skyfire is a great tool for discussing the different misconceptions about the rainbow. For example, the Irish believed that the leprechauns hid and protected the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Siberians believe that rainbows are the Sun’s voice. 

This activity will debunk myths and also strengthen their ability to reason based on scientific facts. 

Since rainbows are visible once the Sun shines after the rain, talk about the things that can be seen in the sky during different weather conditions. 

Recreate the story and have children play the bear and the bird roles. This reenactment will help improve children’s language skills and persuasive ability as the bird tries to convince the bear about the pot of gold. 

Conclusion 

Rainbows are a wonderful and colorful topic for preschoolers. Encourage children to understand the principle behind this scientific phenomenon through the books in this list. 

Use these books to engage children in interactive lessons that promote thinking skills and improve their abilities to learn about rainbows in different ways. Let children explore the different activities and discover their creative selves. 

We hope you like our list. Thank you for reading!

People Also Ask

How Do You Teach Preschoolers About Rainbows?

A rainbow theme is one of the most colorful topics in preschool. It has seven colors which are arranged in a particular order. It is usually seen as an arch when the sun shines after the rain. 

There are many ways to teach the rainbow in preschool. These can be through storytelling, games, crafts, and other fun and engaging activities for young learners. 

First, one may use books to unlock the concept. Some books will help explain in scientific ways the nature of rainbows. Others may provide a fun narrative about rainbows.

Engage children in the stories by animatedly telling them. Use crafts, such as puppets and props, to retell the story.

Afterward, have children become involved in activities or experiments like using baking soda, vinegar, and food coloring. Allow children to explore the rainbow’s colors by providing sensory materials. 

Use different colors of discovery bottles, colored rice, and pasta. Provide simple tasks in centers for children to work on, such as beading, lacing, and clay play. 

Lastly, use crafts to create colorful outputs for children to take home and show off. Make a rainbow character based on books like Rainbow fish. 

Create rainbow crafts using different materials such as tissue papers, crepe papers, paints, colored craft sticks, and buttons. 

Find the best activity that suits the class and the lesson.



Hi, I'm Amanda! Welcome to Education Outside! Im passionate about educating young minds and helping parents/teachers by providing easy and effective teaching resources. Check out all of my teaching resources on my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

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