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Rainbows come and go, but some have more staying power than others.

Barbara Meislin thought her self-published 2005 children’s book, “No One Can Ever Steal Your Rainbow,” had run its course after winning several awards, selling out its first edition and, in the process, raising money for a bilingual primary school in Israel.

But after she was approached about a joint Hebrew-Arabic translation and frequently contacted with requests for the original English version, she realized this was one rainbow that wouldn’t fade.

Meislin — known as the Purple Lady of Tiburon because her outfits always include a shade of violet — donates all proceeds from the book to Neve Shalom-Wahat al Salam, the Israeli-Palestinian village in Israel founded in the 1980s, and other organizations that enhance the lives of children.

In 1995, Meislin started funding a playground in Neve Shalom-Wahat al Salam in memory of her daughter Lori, who was 7 when she died in 1967 from a rare viral infection. With proceeds from the sale of the book, Meislin donated additional funds for an elementary school there, and toward the purchase of a school bus to bring Palestinian kids to the school.

“Lori died of an incurable illness … Children in the Middle East are dying of a curable illness: hate. So that’s the motivation for this project,” says Meislin, who is a supporter of both Congregation Rodef Sholom in San Rafael and Congregation Kol Shofar in Tiburon.

Her connection with Neve Shalom-Wahat al Salam is so strong, she says, because she believes it is a place where Lori’s spirit can live. The village has been nominated five times for the Nobel Peace Prize.

“The playground was my way of starting this project. The rainbow at the entrance became a metaphor,” says Meislin, referring to the sign that welcomes people into the facility.

“No One Can Ever Steal Your Rainbow” is based on experiences Meislin had following Lori’s death: the theft of her mailbox; the subsequent theft of a rainbow sign she and her daughter Marla painted in place of the mailbox; and the ultimate advice she received from a rabbi — “Purple Lady, no one can ever steal your rainbow.”

The book features illustrations by Helen Webber and a CD of Meislin singing the title song. And it has been a hit with adults as well as children — copies have been purchased and used by Planned Parenthood, the Southern Poverty Law Center and hospice centers, among others.

In 2005, Meislin was approached by the Givat Haviva Institute in Israel, which works to promote Israeli-Palestinian coexistence, about creating a Hebrew-Arabic edition of the book. Translating and producing the Hebrew-Arabic edition has been a three-year project; 15,000 copies of the special edition arrived in Israel earlier this month.

“The whole order of the book had to be reversed … and the rhyme scheme [of the song] was complicated. Someone who did ‘Sesame Street’ in Israel recorded it in Hebrew and Arabic,” says Meislin. “As it turned out, it’s even more beautiful than I had hoped, because the languages are so calligraphic.”

After running out of books from the first English edition, Meislin received a call from the Positive Education Program in Cleveland requesting 70 copies to use with autistic children. Then she was visited by a young fan who wanted to meet her. These events got her to thinking about a new English edition.

“I didn’t feel it was fair of me to say it was out of print,” says Meislin, who knew nothing about publishing when she first began the book.

So, by popular demand, a second, self-published English edition is now available too.

Meislin’s efforts have won her acclaim — the Best Inspirational Children’s Book from the Bay Area Independent Publishers Association, recognition by Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Petaluma) as an “all-star” of “women in the literary world,” and even an exchange with Sen. Barack Obama.

Meislin says she was able to get a copy of the book to Obama in 2007, before he declared his presidential candidacy. Obama sent Meislin a signed copy of his book “The Audacity of Hope” that said, “I hope we can all build rainbow bridges of peace together.”

“It’s just a testimony to all of us, what one person can do,” says Meislin of the good cheer and charitable projects funded by the book. “We need more people thinking, ‘What can I do to make this a brighter, more meaningful world?'”

“No One Can Ever Steal Your Rainbow” is available at Amazon.com or by contacting Purple Lady Productions, P.O. Box 1277, Tiburon, CA 94920 or [email protected]. For the Hebrew-Arabic version, contact [email protected].