Paul and the Ponco People

Gallery

The twenty plates

Every painting in the book, in the order it appears. Select a plate to see it uncropped, or follow the link beneath it to read that part of the story.

Paul lies upside down across his bed in theatrical boredom while unfinished projects clutter his room and eccentric animal inventions can be seen through the garden window.
Plate 01 Bedroom Inventions Chapter 1 · The Most Boring Morning in the World
Paul stands in a rain-washed English landscape before a radiant rainbow that appears close enough to touch, its coloured light spilling into the wet grass.
Plate 02 The Rainbow Comes Looking for Paul Chapter 2 · The End of the Rainbow
Paul pushes himself up from a heap of coloured cushions inside the circular Rainbow Room as Rainbow Ronnie welcomes him through brilliant white doors.
Plate 03 Arrival in the Rainbow Room Chapter 2 · The End of the Rainbow
Tiny Paul and Rainbow Ronnie roll enormous yellow seeds through the glowing red interior of a tomato while a huge caterpillar breaks through the wall after its lunch.
Plate 04 Inside the Tomato Chapter 3 · Red All Over
Paul and Rainbow Ronnie stand upside down on a giant ceiling game board while Ponco Orange throws an enormous die on the chessboard floor far below.
Plate 05 Upside-down Snakes and Ladders Chapter 4 · Orange Rules
A giant dragonfly tows Paul, Rainbow Ronnie and Ponco Yellow sideways across a rain-grey mere, pulling their little wooden boat away from a roaring weir.
Plate 06 The Dragonfly Rescue Chapter 6 · The Go-Go-Pole
Larry raises his hands beside Paul and freezes a fox, hounds, horses, riders and every shining raindrop in a wet English field.
Plate 07 Larry Stops the Chase Chapter 7 · Larry of the Emerald Isle
An astonished Paul discovers that one half of his body has vanished while Rainbow Ronnie reacts beside him in comic alarm.
Plate 08 Half a Boy Chapter 8 · Half a Boy
Paul and Ponco Blue move through a clean blue future city on air-cushion shoes amid elegant towers and ingenious quiet machines.
Plate 09 The City of Tomorrow Chapter 9 · The City of Tomorrow
Paul and the elderly Ponco Indigo sit by the fire and unroll long-forgotten invention drawings, their faces warmed by renewed possibility.
Plate 10 The Forgotten Drawings Chapter 10 · The Colour Nearly Forgotten
Inside a transparent violet submarine, Paul, Rainbow Ronnie and Ponco Violet gaze out at immense prehistoric creatures swimming through a deep ancient lake.
Plate 11 The Violet Submarine Chapter 11 · The Magnificent Violet Lady
Ponco Violet’s vast balloon lifts the glass submarine out of the lake and into a violet evening sky while Paul and Rainbow Ronnie cling on inside.
Plate 12 The Balloon Beneath the Sea Chapter 12 · The Balloon Beneath the Sea
The seven distinct Poncos gather with Paul and Rainbow Ronnie around a council table divided into eight equal wedges: seven colours and one white.
Plate 13 The Rainbow Council Chapter 13 · Ronnie’s Secret
An escaping violet balloon loops through the Rainbow Room as Rainbow Ronnie turns from the white place at the eight-section council table and the arguing Poncos scatter.
Plate 14 Violet Balloon Chaos Chapter 14 · The Great Debate
Paul points to the white wedge of the eight-section council table and declares that no colour is best while the seven Poncos react.
Plate 15 No Colour Is Best Chapter 15 · No Best Colour
The PoncoVotometer bursts in a flood of muddied colour as Paul, Rainbow Ronnie and the Poncos sail through the Rainbow Room on the same eight-wedge council tabletop.
Plate 16 A Proper PoncoCatastrophy Chapter 16 · A Proper PoncoCatastrophy
Paul, Rainbow Ronnie and the seven Poncos cross seven cracking coloured bridges through darkness toward the failing white Heartlight.
Plate 17 Seven Failing Bridges Chapter 17 · Seven Problems, One Answer
Paul, Rainbow Ronnie and all seven Poncos join in a circle as their separate colours converge into radiant white and restore the Heartlight.
Plate 18 The Heartlight Restored Chapter 18 · The Heartlight
Paul flashes his signal mirror toward a searching helicopter while he balances on the last shrinking piece of rainbow above the wet countryside.
Plate 19 The Last Piece of Rainbow Chapter 20 · The Last Piece of Rainbow
A crystal sphere glows quietly beneath the stairs while ordinary family life continues nearby, leaving one secret thread of rainbow magic at home.
Plate 20 A Light Beneath the Stairs Chapter 21 · Home Sweet Home