RAINBOW ALLIES

A neighborhood comes together after a shocking act of vandalism.

In the town of Natick, Massachusetts, in a welcoming and supportive neighborhood, Cari and Lauri, an older lesbian couple, proudly put up a rainbow flag outside their home with the help of three local kids. One day, Cari and Lauri find their house egged and their rainbow flag missing in an apparent hate crime. Upset by this turn of events, the couple tell the kids that they don’t feel comfortable putting the flag back up. After spitballing ideas from building a wall around the home and keeping watch over the front porch to finding the culprits themselves and then egging their home, the children decide to give rainbow flags to everyone in the community; they in turn display them outside their own homes. This tale is based on a similar incident that happened in 2016 in the real town of Natick. While the ending may be tidy and pat, with some awkward phrasing, it’s an age-appropriate way to show young readers how to support those communities most in need of support. Despite the subject matter, optimism pervades both the text and Evans' sunny illustrations. Backmatter includes an author’s note and a basic primer on how to be an LGBTQ+ ally. Cari and Lauri are light-skinned; their community is a diverse one.

A purposeful yet poignant exploration of allyship.