Zane is different to other kids. He has his own made-up language. He likes to line things up. And he is frightened of things that don't seem to bother other people - like the colour black. His father gets frustrated and angry with Zane. His mother tries hard to explain things to him. But nothing seems to work. Zane just scrunches himself up into a ball and screams. Things are looking pretty bleak for Zane and his family; that is, until Zane's big sister starts to draw a chalk rainbow at the top of the front steps ... The Chalk Rainbow explores difference and diversity through a family living with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It's also a story of unconditional love, of trust and of learning to look at the world through the eyes of others. The story is told by Zane's older sister in a way that young children can easily relate to. The ending is uplifting as all members of the family learn to look at things differently and find a way to move forward together.

This book has been graded for interest at 4-8 years.

There are 32 pages in this book. This book was published 2017 by Exisle Publishing .

Anouska Jones is a book editor, publisher, reviewer and author, who has worked in publishing for over twenty years. A nomad at heart, Anouska has lived in Africa, the United Kingdom and Australia, but now calls New Zealand home. Deborah Kelly is the author of several popular picture books for children as well as a chapter book series. She also writes Haiku poetry, inspired by living in Japan for two years. Born in New Zealand, Deb now lives in Australia with her husband and two children.