Rain

February 15, 2023
How do different living beings react when it starts to rain? Rylant's command of language is evident as the book opens--"There is a softness / and a quiet / before the rain comes." The stylized art on this beginning spread shows distant objects and animals--a two-story house, a playground, a pond, squirrels--that will be featured in close-ups in the pages to come. Perhaps most importantly, the sun in a blue-gray sky is half-masked by a cloud. As the text and art progress, readers learn that rain is pending and that trees, animals, and children sense this and prepare for it. In slightly varied ways, Rylant poses simple questions about who expects the rain, with answers conveying bits of extra information. "And the dogs who have been / busy chewing bones / in friendly backyards: / Do they know about the rain? / The dogs knew even before the cats knew, / for their noses knew yesterday." As expected, the ducks are happiest out in the rain. The text, complemented well by the art, continues, extolling the virtues of rain until the sun returns. The gentle, uplifting text and the cheerful illustrations make this a good candidate for bedtime or naptime read-alouds. Though the artwork generally avoids depicting faces, human characters appear to be dark-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.) As soothing as the patter of rain against a window. (Picture book. 3-5)

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February 20, 2023
Via keen observation and soothing repetition, lilting text from Rylant (Life) celebrates rain’s onset, and its regenerative, nourishing power. “There is a softness/ and a quiet/ before the rain comes,” anticipatory lines begin. In patterned digital spreads that make fine use of blues, greens, oranges, pinks, and yellows, Congdon (Round) establishes the poem’s setting—a two-story home with a garden and a greenhouse, and, nearby, a fenced park with a pond. As clouds overtake the golden sun, birds “fly in with weather reports,” and the trees whisper to the squirrels, “Hurry home.” This refrain recurs as children, then animals, seek cover. Only the rain-booted legs of the children, portrayed with brown skin, are seen as they head home, aware of the storm: “Oh, they knew even before the trees knew. They watched as the sky changed.” Everyone retreats but the ducks: “Mama ducks gather up the babies/ and promise them/ a glorious day!” Because rain, “wonderful, free rain,” brings respite and gifts, this book firmly suggests, “every living thing/ will be better.” Ages 3–8. Author’s agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. Illustrator’s agent: Stefanie Sanchez Von Borstel, Full Circle.

March 1, 2023
Beginning on endpapers featuring a garden lush with brightly colored flowers in brown soil, this picture book celebrates the benefits of rain. We see the garden again as part of the first spread, which offers a wider view that includes a house, a glass greenhouse, a park with a pond, and a creek. The gray-blue sky turns more gray as the birds and squirrels hear the message, "Hurry home, friends. / Hurry home." Children in bright boots, umbrellas, and raincoats know the rain is coming: "They watched as the sky changed / and the sun folded itself / into a cloud bed / while everything went gray." Gentle text checks in on the cats; the dogs; and the ducks, who like the rain best of all, promising their babies "a glorious day." A double-page spread shows blue raindrops falling on white pages, with the simple message "Wonderful, free rain," and Rylant enumerates the ways the various creatures benefit from rain. Poetic text and cheery folk art-like digital illustrations invite young children to look forward to rain and all of the good things it brings. Susan Dove Lempke

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

May 26, 2023

PreS-Gr 2-This gentle ode to the wonders of a rain shower opens with a spread depicting an idyllic scene: a house, a garden, a pond, trees, frolicking animals-but sharp-eyed readers may notice that the sun is obscured by clouds. Rain is on the way. The next pages follow various creatures as they anticipate the oncoming rain. While most take shelter when the skies begin to darken, a few animals stay outside to revel in the showers. While each creature has a different reaction, the rain is clearly a welcome change of events for all. Rylant's soothing prose conveys that this ritual of preparing for and experiencing rain is cyclical and instinctive, something that has happened before and will happen again. There is an uplifting emphasis on the benefits of rain: "And after it stops falling and the sun starts to shine, flowers will grow even taller, gardens will grow more beans, and every living thing will be better." Congdon's inviting digital illustrations take the narrative full circle by concluding with the same scene that greeted readers in those first pages, only everything looks a little more vibrant after the showers, and a rainbow shines above. VERDICT This quiet, heartwarming story is a lovely tribute to nature's rhythms. Ideal for a weather-themed story hour or a cozy read-aloud at bedtime, this title is a welcome addition to any picture book collection.-Allison Tran

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2023
Beginning on endpapers featuring a garden lush with brightly colored flowers in brown soil, this picture book celebrates the benefits of rain. We see the garden again as part of the first spread, which offers a wider view that includes a house, a glass greenhouse, a park with a pond, and a creek. The gray-blue sky turns more gray as the birds and squirrels hear the message, "Hurry home, friends. / Hurry home." Children in bright boots, umbrellas, and raincoats know the rain is coming: "They watched as the sky changed / and the sun folded itself / into a cloud bed / while everything went gray." Gentle text checks in on the cats; the dogs; and the ducks, who like the rain best of all, promising their babies "a glorious day." A double-page spread shows blue raindrops falling on white pages, with the simple message "Wonderful, free rain," and Rylant enumerates the ways the various creatures benefit from rain. Poetic text and cheery folk art-like digital illustrations invite young children to look forward to rain and all of the good things it brings.

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)