The Gift of Driscoll Lipscomb

A first book for both author and illustrator, this quiet tale tells of a girl who receives-in installments-a special gift from Driscoll Lipscomb, an adult friend who is an artist. ""When I turned four, Driscoll gave me a brush and a pot of red paint. And for one year I painted tomatoes and apples and roses alongside Driscoll Lipscomb,"" Molly explains. On each subsequent birthday, the artist presents her with a pot of paint of another color, which defines the palette for her art during the year to follow. Finally, when Molly turns nine, she receives violet paint-as well as Driscoll's instructions: ""Now you have a rainbow. Do with it what you want. Paint your dreams."" Only after several years does Molly see that everything around her is ``colored with Driscoll's rainbow.'' The cool and warm hues of a vibrant rainbow are effectively balanced in Kim's affectionate impressionistic acrylic paintings. Though precious in places (""I looked at the orange and red together and I saw the colors smile"") and marred by a flat ending, Yamaka's narrative is inventive-and clearly written from the heart. Ages 4-8. (May)