RAINBOW ANIMALS PROVIDES A COLORFUL AND ENCHANTING CHILDREN'S TALE

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Book Review by Dennis Moore  

December 28, 2011 (East County) -- Anat Tour, this East County (San Diego) resident , has done it again – following up her debut publication of  Mama’s Shoe with an enchanting story of friendship and hope,  The Rainbow Animals. She has taken The Rainbow Animals a step further by having it published as a bundled package, CD/DVD and booklet insert.
 
In a recent meeting and interview with the author, and inquiring as to what she hoped to accomplish from her latest work of art – she stated that she wanted to “wow” and to “mesmerize.” That is exactly what she has done! But, of course, young children will have to be the judge of that.
 
Tour, a local high school math teacher from Canada, and the lead singer for the local blues/rock band Possession, gave me some background as to how The Rainbow Animals came about. She indicated to me that the initial concept actually started way back in 1994. With character names such as Wibble Wobble Woo, Brutus the Horse, Bubbles the Polar Bear, and the author’s professed favorite, Sleepy the Moon, it seems clear that Tour has recreated a bit of her own childhood – to the delight of children everywhere.
 
The Rainbow Animals, written, illustrated and animated by Tour – with the voices of her kids on the CD and DVD, seems to have the pastels or colors that the author uses jump off the pages of the booklet insert of this bundled package. This is a story and publication sure to delight young children, which is what Tour indicated to me in my interview with her she wanted to do – “wow” and “mesmerize.”
 
“Once upon a time, the sky was painted with streaks of light of the most beautiful colors. The colors were so bright and inviting that every animal came from near and far. They traveled for days and days towards the beauty of the sky and upon doing so, the animals lost their way. First there was ‘Wibble Wobble Woo,’ the elephant who wibbled and wobbled all the way from Elephantland. Then there was ‘Mr. McDee’ who hopped all the way from Rabbitland.” This is the premise of this enchanting tale.
 
“All the animals were so enchanted by the beauty of the sky that it did not bother them one bit that they had lost their way. In fact, they were so overwhelmed that they couldn’t help but stare. They stared and stared at the overpowering colors that filled the air for hours and hours, days and days. Until one day, as the animals gazed with open wide eyes at the sky, something changed. From way above the sky had turned into a roller coaster of colors that magically swayed and danced. As the animals watched in amazement the colors began to twirl and swirl, curl and whirl, around and above them.”
 
 
The way the author tells this story, it makes you want to be a kid again. This is a wondrous publication that I highly recommend. Tour and her The Rainbow Animals will participate in the upcoming San Diego Public Library 46th Annual Local Authors Exhibit  on February 3, 2012.
 
 
 
Dennis Moore is a member of the San Diego Writers/Editors Guild and the book review editor for SDWriteway, an online newsletter for writers in San Diego. He is also the author of a book about Chicago politics, ‘The City That Works: Power, Politics and Corruption in Chicago. Mr. Moore can be contacted at damien_brandy@yahoo.com or you can follow him on Twitter at: @DennisMoore8.

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Comments

"Anat Tour" and her "Mama's Bag"

Anat Tour has done it again, receiving honorable mention for her new book, Mama's Bag, at the Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles this past Saturday. I see bigger and better things for her in the future.

"Mama's Bees"

This lady is getting to be a prolific writer, now working on her 6th book, "Mama's Bees," which Anat Tour informed me today is based on a true story. I can't wait to read it. Anat has come a long way since I met her at an Author Panel discussion at Barnes & Noble - Grossmont, that I was moderating. I recall her asking me about how to get started, now look at her. I am so proud of her.