Abby hates visiting the second-hand clothing shop with her mother—until she meets Joanna and Charlie. Charlie is Joanna's guide dog, a loyal friend and worker who helps her to see, but he's no help in picking out clothes for a very special event. With Abby's assistance, a wonderfully colorful outfit is soon ready for Joanna. To thank her new friend for her help, Joanna gives Abby and her mother tickets for an unspecified event. They decide to go. What a surprise for the young girl when she sees Joanna at a concert recital, wearing the clothes she helped to choose! Joanna's gift of music and magic creates a perfect ending and proves that there is no harm in wishing for rainbows.
"Jan Coates gives her young readers a taste of what it is like to be blind; however, she does so in a lovely and up-beat manner. Illustrator Alice Priestly captures each moment of the story with colourful, cheerful illustrations. Rainbows in the Dark is a heart-warming read aloud and would make a nice addition to public library and elementary school library collections. Recommended."
– Canadian Review of Materials Magazine
