An allegorical tale of Rainbow, a bee born with rainbow stripes instead of the usual black and yellow. Rainbow, who is never referred to with pronouns, also liked a different kind of nectar than the other bees. Because of these differences, some bees thought Rainbow shouldn’t be part of the hive, “so the Queen decided to test Rainbow.” Could Rainbow fly like the other bees? Pollinate like them? Buzz like them? Yes, as Rainbow demonstrated—and in some cases, Rainbow brought skills that the other bees lacked. The bees who had doubted Rainbow apologized. The queen then announced that from then on, no matter how different someone is, “we’re going to love them all the same.” After that, “the hive loved and embraced one another’s differences.”
The illustrations are bright and colorful, though no illustrator is credited. The lesson of loving people despite their differences is admirable, but I don’t like that the queen had to “test” Rainbow before the hive would be accepting. Marginalized people shouldn’t be required to prove themselves worthy. Rainbow also never says a word, which feels like an unfortunately passive role for the cheery-seeming character. The intended message may be sweet as honey, but there are a few sticky spots.
