Welcome to #TheQuickSixInterview with Rae White!
It’s a pleasure to return to the blog with a beautiful interview, celebrating diversity and individuality in the most colourful of ways possible! Welcome author Rae White to share their latest touching and gentle picture book that gives space to gender choices, whether yellow or blue, lizards or rainbows, or any colour in between. Together with Sha’an d’Anthes‘ delightfully vibrant, warm and inclusive illustrations, All the Colours of the Rainbow shines with kindness, love and acceptance.
Thank you for sharing your heartfelt story, Rae! 🙂
About the Author
Rae White is a non-binary transgender writer, educator and zine maker. Their poetry collection Milk Teeth won the 2017 Arts Queensland Thomas Shapcott Poetry Prize, was shortlisted for the 2019 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards and commended in the 2018 Anne Elder Award.
Rae’s second poetry collection, Exactly As I Am, was shortlisted for the 2023 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards and 2023 Queensland Literary Awards.
Rae has poems published in Nothing to Hide: Voices of Trans and Gender-Diverse Australia and also contributed a piece to Dear Lover.
Rae’s short story ‘The Body Remembers’ placed second in the 2019 Rachel Funari Prize for Fiction. They have had poetry published in many journals, including Australian Poetry Journal, Cordite, Meanjin, Overland and Rabbit.
Rae is the Creative Director and Founder of community poetry initiative Uplift Poetry, and the Founding Editor of #EnbyLife, a journal for non-binary and gender-diverse creatives.
Please find Rae White on Instagram.
About the Illustrator
Sha’an d’Anthes is the author and illustrator of Zoom and Bandits and is based in Sydney, Australia. Her work is vibrant and playful and is enjoyed by children and adults alike. You can find Sha’an on Instagram and Youtube.
Please find Sha’an d’Anthes on Instagram and YouTube.
All the Colours of the Rainbow is available for purchase through Hachette Australia.
WHO wrote, illustrated and published this book?
All the Colours of the Rainbow is written by myself, Rae White, illustrated by Sha’an d’Anthes, and published by Lothian Children’s Books (a division of Hachette Australia).
WHAT is it about?
All the Colours of the Rainbow follows the story of Jem – a kid who loves wearing yellow dresses and also blue jeans; a kid who feels like a girl when searching for bugs and lizards in the backyard, like a boy when running around in fast circles, and like both a boy and a girl when the clouds have vanished and there’s a rainbow in the sky.
Some adults in Jem’s life only want to see in black and white, but with their Mum’s help, Jem learns people are like rainbows – each colour is different, and you can choose to be any colour of the rainbow.
What is your favourite part of this book?
My favourite part of the book is the scene where Jem’s Mum tells them, ‘People are like rainbows. Rainbows are made up of many wonderful colours and each one is different.’ In this spread, Sha’an beautifully captures a heartfelt moment as Jem and their mum gaze at a vibrant array of rainbows, each with welcoming, smiling faces.
WHEN did you begin writing this book?
All the Colours of the Rainbow took a number of months to write and redraft with the help of wonderful first readers Marlo Spikin and Sophie Beer, and my agent Danielle Binks. My earliest notes on the book date back to New Year’s Eve 2022. Apparently while everyone else was out partying, I was writing a book!
When is its release / launch date?
All the Colours of the Rainbow was released on 29 January 2025. Launch events are happening in Meanjin at Shelf Lovers on 1 February, which I’m thrilled to say is sold out! And on 12 February at Where the Wild Things Are.
WHERE did the inspiration for this book come from?
The idea for All the Colours of the Rainbow came to me at the most cliché of rainbow-themed events – Pride! I was marching with my Queer Book Group in 2022 and saw all the wonderful rainbow families marching with us. I thought of how beautiful it was to witness families and young people marching together and celebrating their individuality and diversity. I knew I wanted to write a book about identity and acceptance for people like them and people like me.
WHY is this book meaningful to you?
This book is meaningful to me because when I was a child, books that explored gender and identity weren’t as accessible as they are today. I often felt like there wasn’t space in the stories I read that reflected my experiences. Writing All the Colours of the Rainbow was a way of creating something I wish I’d had – a story that celebrates individuality, love, and acceptance. It’s not just about Jem’s journey but also about the journey so many of us take to understand ourselves and the people around us.
Why would its message resonate with readers?
My hope is that All the Colours of the Rainbow resonates with young people and readers of all ages, inspiring them to embrace their identity and individuality with confidence and kindness. Through Jem’s journey, I want readers to understand that self-discovery is a natural process, even when their identity doesn’t align with traditional societal norms or gender roles. I want readers to walk away feeling empowered and reassured that they are never alone.
HOW do you feel about the illustrations / cover design? How do they convey the feeling or mood you envisioned?
I’m extremely thrilled with the illustrations and cover design by the amazingly talented Sha’an d’Anthes! Sha’an brought warmth, vibrancy, and a sense of joy to the illustrations for All the Colours of the Rainbow. We worked closely to ensure the bright, joyful illustrations complemented the story’s positive message of diversity and individuality. Sha’an’s attention to detail and passion for inclusivity made the process seamless and inspiring.
How have you promoted this book and how can we find it?
All the Colours of the Rainbow is available at all good book stories, libraries and through the Hachette Australia website. There’s been a lovely outpouring of promotion and support on social media, including my Instagram @rae.elliot.white
Thanks so much for sharing your beautiful book with us, Rae! Congratulations to you and Sha’an! 🙂
Thank you to Gemma Creegan for sourcing this interview.
#thequicksixinterview #allthecoloursoftherainbow #diversity #individuality #picturebook #justkidslit
