Reading Rainbow always held a special place in my heart. When I was younger and in a different country, I didn’t want to make friends. I wanted to read books. When I saw the show, I fell in love with it. Didn’t you? It was like I could meet other kids without being social and still find out about more books. I remember begging my father every day to take me to the library and negotiating those books for time outside trying to make friends. Jokes on you, dad…I hid books outside and read in an attic space. But, even now just hearing the theme song (like everyone else in my generation) makes me feel joy and almost makes me cry thinking of those wonderful days. More importantly, after watching the documentary, it makes me realize how much we need a show like this for the next generation and with all the shows getting rebooted, why can’t Reading Rainbow get rebooted?
Butterfly in the Sky is a doc about Reading Rainbow, how it came about, and everything that happened during and even after it became a hit. It gives a lot of information about cultures of the time and the challenges that came with making everyone’s favorite show. There is so much information that wasn’t known at the time that you learn while also appreciating the nostalgia and integrity of the show we all enjoyed as children.
Why somebody hadn’t done a doc about Reading Rainbow is mystifying, but I’m glad somebody finally made a film about this wonderful show. The flow of the story was easy to follow and enjoy. It was also well-shot, and the interviews were compelling. Obviously, you get to hear the story of Reading Rainbow from LaVar Burton, the host himself. But you get to hear the whole story from the creators and the producers too, From all the struggles they faced trying to keep the show going even when Congress kept cutting funding for public broadcasting to the stories of the kids who would review books for the show. There’s so much you probably don’t know about the show and this film tells a great story.
Overall, I thought it was an interesting doc and really enjoyed it! It was compelling and emotional. It’s the kind of film that can bring you to tears in a good way. I would give it an eight out of ten and definitely recommend it to anyone. It’s especially nice for those of us who grew up with Reading Rainbow and to have a cozy day in which to connect with our inner child!
