How the Finch Got Its Colors

In an alternative to traditional great flood narratives, the Earth’s “stark and gray” landscape and animals are transformed by a deitylike rainbow that appears after 11 days of rain. The ruler of the bird kingdom, Great Bird, “was tired of his stone-gray colors and wished to be a beautiful color,” and Rainbow gives him golden feathers. Other birds follow suit, and Rainbow’s colors are eventually exhausted, leaving the Gouldian finch gray. In a final act, Rainbow gives the finch a bit of color from all of the other birds. Spanish illustrator García’s vibrant bird portraits are well suited to the folkloric tone that first-time author Guertin brings to the tale (“With one swift kiss from Rainbow, Parrot shimmered like an emerald”), but the underlying story isn’t entirely satisfying. Giving “the colors of dirt, clay, and stone” a negative association is somewhat off-putting—particularly with so many striking black, brown, and gray birds in the world—as is the idea of being desperate to change the color of the skin (or feathers) one is in. Readers will, however, readily identify with the feeling of being left out. Ages 5–8. (Mar.)