Rainbow Bay

Patricia Morley is professor emerita of English and Canadian studies at
Concordia University, and the author of Kurlek, Margaret Laurence: The
Long Journey Home, and As Though Life Mattered: Leo Kennedy’s Story.

Rainbow Bay follows a young boy throughout a long, sunlit day on a Gulf
Island in the Pacific Northwest. The boy speaks in the first person and
is nameless. He could be 6; he could be 10. His perceptions—sharp,
lyrical and clear—are shared by Scout, his small white dog.

This day-in-the-life-of-a-boy begins on a spring morning with the tide
going out. Things hidden by the sea are coming into view from his
bedroom window. He sees shells, jellyfish, giant sea urchins, and a
shipwreck, complete with bottle: “I reckon a sailor left it on the
cabin table when he rushed outside to say a prayer.” The boy makes a
sandwich and heads out. There are no cars on his island—only bicycles,
horses, and horse-drawn carts. No one is in a hurry, and the air is
clean. The boy has sharp eyes and a quick imagination, which he believes
Scout shares. Dragonflies become an ambush by a flock of pterodactyls.
Boy and dog enjoy wild strawberries. The day is like a rainbow,
“changing and new.”

Pascal Milelli’s gorgeous illustrations capture the magic of the
island in sharp, bold colors and fine detail. The closing illustrations
convey the mystery of evening in wilderness terrain, when fireflies
leave luminous trails and frogs “in green tuxedos” drum along the
banks. Rainbow Bay is a feast for both mind and eye. Highly recommended.