PEANUT JONES AND THE END OF THE RAINBOW

A plucky hero, her best friend, and her family face off against a fearsome foe.

In this trilogy closer, precocious Peanut, older brother Leo, younger sister Little-Bit, and best friend Rockwell Riley find themselves up against the conniving Mr. White for the last time. Mr. White is the mayor of Chroma, the Illustrated City, and he’s determined to rid it of its color and creativity. The Jones children and their parents devise a plan, but they soon learn that there’s a mole within their ranks: Will they be able to stop Mr. White before Chroma is robbed of its vibrant inspiration? Biddulph’s latest Peanut Jones story is sprightly and busy, mixing lively pacing with facts about art. Although the plot zips along, the repetitive recaps interspersed throughout may prove frustrating to some readers. Ample illustrations—including some two-page spreads—in an appealing cartoonlike style appear throughout, but strangely the text at times describes the illustrations in a way that’s at odds with the somber brown, gray, and black palette: “Teal, indigo, magenta, violet. Crimson, lavender, maroon, butterscotch.” While this is Peanut’s adventure, she’s ultimately passed over in favor of a boy’s ascendence. A spinoff for Little-Bit is hinted at: Perhaps she’ll be the strong female lead readers deserve. A glossary defines pertinent artists, artistic terms, and movements. The Joneses and Mr. White present white, and Rockwell appears to be Black.

Disappointing.