Rainstorms will never look the same again after a mesmerizing trip through the forest with Japanese poet Hiroshi Osada as the guide. Combined with the marvel of Ryôji Arai's dazzling illustrations of nature, Every Color of Light is a refreshing sensory wonderland in picture book format.
There is a calm on the forest floor when the rain starts, "Pitter/ Patter/ Pitter patter." As the storm intensifies, Arai's illustrations grow darker, the lines stronger and Osada's words gain urgency: "The wind whips/ The rain slants." Then percussive onomatopoeia--"Bah-bah-BOOM!"--coupled with bold yellows, pinks and radiant whites that flash as powerfully as the lightning strike they represent.
When the storm settles and the rain disappears, Arai's sky lightens. Aqua, teal and yellow shine down on lush, green foliage. And a depiction of water droplets falling from leaves glistens with the rainbows of colors refracted in their molecules. The day wears on, going through its palette of luscious colors until night takes the stage. "Flickering/ The stars begin to sparkle," and Osada's dramatic forest tour draws to an end.
Mindfulness, spectacle and awe emanate from every page of this breathtaking collaboration. Arai's forceful use of color and line tell as much of the story as Osada's punctuation-less text loaded with illuminating figurative language. Kudos to David Boyd, who translated this 2011 picture book from the Japanese, for text that sounds as melodic as Osada's original poetry must be. All three contributors express a respect for nature's strength, resilience and beauty. Rain or shine, Every Color of Light is a cleansing breath of fresh air. --Jen Forbus, freelancer