Rain Showers
"Rain, Rain, Go Away" and "It's Raining, It's Pouring" are familiar childhood chants. Despite the fact that we often wish for sunny days, it is quite true that we all need those rainy days. The entire earth depends on water for life itself and so we are concerned about its conservation and protections from pollution; but, we can revel in the sheer joy of spring rains, thunder storms, and quick down pours without stopping to consider the scientific aspects of the water cycle. Whether you look at rain as an opportunity for some indoor activities or a chance to discuss the source of the moisture, there are always new aspects of water to explore. Put on your own boots and give "puddle stomping" a try or sit on the porch and watch "cats and dogs" falling from the sky.
Visit the following web site for a vast amount of information about water, including lots of activities and student friendly data:
http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/
Reviews
Bunny Fun
Sarah Weeks
Illustrated by Sam Williams
It's raining outside, so Bunny and his friend Mouse must make their own fun inside. They start with a pillow fight, feathers flying everywhere. Then they dress up in Mama's clothes and proceed to cut up Papa's newspaper. They draw pictures on the windows, dripping big splotches of red paint on walls and carpets, they play hide-and-seek in the bedroom, they mix up dough in the kitchen, they make a race car with fruits and vegetables, and they slide around in slippery socks. Then they build a Bunny Town with blocks and perform acrobatics before dancing the cha-cha. When the rain stops, they go outside and jump in puddles--a perfect day for young children. Brightly colored illustrations fill the pages with fun and joy. No adult is shown, as the exuberant bunny and the energetic mouse make huge messes in every room in the house. The rhyming text complements the action of the pictures. Sure to be a storytime favorite. 2008, Harcourt, $14.00. Ages 3 to 6. Reviewer: Reviewer: Phyllis Kennemer, Ph.D. (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-0-15-205838-8
ISBN: 0-15-205838-9
Lila and the Secret of Rain
David Conway
When the sun beats down on Lila's Kenyan village for months with no rain, she fears that life cannot go on. Her grandfather tells her that the secret of rain is to climb the highest mountain and tell the sky the saddest thing you know. Brave Lila sets out to find the highest mountain, walking and climbing until she reaches the top. She tells the sky every sad thing she knows, but the sun keeps shining. She despairs and begins to weep. Gradually clouds gather, "filling with Lila's sadness." Lila rejoices as the rain begins to fall. When she arrives home, the whole village is celebrating, for Lila has saved them all. Daly's spare acrylic paintings depict the sparse landscape, inhabitants, and cattle of this legend-like tale. Even the few trees are leafless. The large orange sun burns the parched earth, beating down on Lila as she climbs the mountain. We feel her dry despair. Then the visual narrative takes us back to the village to join in the joy of the rain. 2008 (orig. 2007), Frances Lincoln Children's Books, $16.95. Ages 4 to 8. Reviewers: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-1-84507407-4
ISBN: 1-84507407-6
Rain Play
Cynthia Cotton
Illustrated by Javaka Steptoe
This book is beautifully illustrated, with pages filled with artwork from top to bottom. Children's librarians will welcome this new addition to their collection. The rhyming text is well written and every word is necessary to cover the message. Children in the park are enjoying themselves when the sky grows dark. They use their imaginations during the rainy day in the park. They stay until they see lightning and hear thunder. They know it is time to go. Their father drives them home where they dry off and get warm. They look out the window at the rain, and soon the sun comes out. They realize that now the rain is over. Cotten, the author, has written several other books for youngsters. Steptoe, the artist, was the recipient of the Coretta Scott King award for his illustrations. Children will enjoy looking at the pictures while the story is read to them. It will be doubly rewarding when the children can read it for themselves. 2008, Henry Holt and Company, $16.95. Ages 6 mo. to 4. Reviewer: Jennie DeGenaro (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-0-8050-6795-8
ISBN: 0-8050-6795-7
The Rain Stomper
Addie K. Boswell
Illustrated by Eric Velasquez
On the day of the big parade, Jazmin jumps out of bed, twirls her baton,. and dresses in a sporty red suit. She is ready. Thunder rumbles, black clouds fill the sky, and the rain comes down. How dare it rain on her parade! While the rain goes "slap clatter clatter slap!" and the thunder rattles "Boom walla Boom BOOM!" Jazmin begins her rant against the rain. Paneled illustrations and words filled with onomatopoeic verve show the spirited Jazmin's exuberant dance against the rain. With each stomp and splash bigger and more emphatic than the previous, Jazmin chases the clouds and rain away and with her friends joining in the fun, they manage to out-stomp the rain in time for the parade. Handsome oil paintings that fill the pages are full of energy, and Jazmin's bright red suit is a stand out against the gloomy gray backdrop of a rainy day. Short pithy sentences sum up the weather that Jazmin refuses to allow change her mood. To get the full effect, this is best read aloud and kids will eagerly join in the refrain. Warning: it is impossible to read this sitting down so be prepared to stomp around with Jazmin and bang a few pots for effect. It will be fun. Jazmin is one vivacious girl and no amount of rain can keep her or the reader down. 2008, Marshall Cavendish, $16.99. Ages 6 to 10. Reviewer: Beverley Fahey (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-0-7614-5393-2
ISBN: 0-7614-5393-8
Rainbows
Dana Meachen Rau
On a sunny day, you too can make a rainbow by spraying water. Rainbows may appear in various other places such as near a waterfall or near the end of a rainstorm. The sun is reflected off the rain particles like the light through a prism. They appear in a specific order, and it is easy to remember ROY G BIV (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet). These are the colors that make up sunlight, which is split back into these various colors when the sunlight goes into a raindrop and bounces off the back. A rainbow is part of a circle and if you could see it from above, that would be more apparent. It takes millions of drops to create a rainbow, and it is a glorious sight while it lasts. The last pages of the book contain a list of the more difficult words in the text with a pronunciation guide and a definition. Large, attractive, full page photographs accompany a simple text printed in a large font. There is also an index. Rainbows is part of the "Wonders of Nature" series, which is a title in the larger "BookWorms" series. 2008, Marshall Cavendish, $22.79. Ages 5 to 7. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-0-7614-2669-1
ISBN: 0-7614-2669-8
Rainstorm
Barbara Lehman
The rain pours down outside, watched through the window by a young boy. When he retrieves the ball, first seen on the half-title page, that has rolled under a chair, he is surprised to discover a key. After trying several locks, he finds that it opens a large chest, which reveals a descending ladder. And here this visual, totally wordless tale really begins. Down the ladder he goes, through a door, up a winding staircase, to find himself atop a lighthouse. There he meets three other children and a dog, with whom he happily plays until sunset. As the lighthouse light goes on, he quickly puts his clothes in order and returns home for dinner. But after going to bed, he returns down the ladder in the chest to bring his new friends home to play with him. The story is told both in sets of six small scenes and in full-page framed settings. Although there are details and implied action, like the boy's tie and kites flying in the wind, there is a decided stillness in the adventure. Perhaps it is the heavy black ink outlines and flat, filled in areas painted with watercolor and gouache that convey this quiet, like a silent film. The reader must supply the dialogue and sound effects, and ponder the meaning of the final illustration of the children playing with blocks with blue sky, clouds, and the lighthouse visible through the window. Added to the puzzle are the different fronts and backs of the jacket and cover, with clouds seen in the window behind the boy as he looks at the shining raindrops. 2007, Houghton Mifflin Company, $16.00. Ages 4 to 8. Reviewers: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-0-618-75639-1
ISBN: 0-618-75639-6
ISBN: 978-1-42873564-4
ISBN: 1-42873564-X
Ready for Spring
Marthe Jocelyn
Somehow I was not expecting a board book about spring to be filled with pictures of clothing. It starts by telling young listeners to take off their pajamas and select the proper clothing for this time of year. Since it is still a little cool, options include an undershirt, socks, pants, shirt, sweater, hat, boots, and a raincoat. After all spring does often bring rain showers. Now these two kids on the last spread are set for whatever spring might bring, especially those rain showers. Jocelyn has created a simple lesson in learning the various pieces of clothing that kids would normally wear, but the illustrations are the real treat. They consist of fabric and paper to make attractive collages, and the children depicted represent more than one ethnic group. Other books in the series address the remaining seasons. 2008, Tundra Books, $7.95. Ages 1 to 3. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-0-88776-849-1
ISBN: 0-88776-849-0
The Sweetest Spring
Apple Jordan
Illustrated by Francesco Legramandi & Gabriella Matta
The Disney femme fatales are starring in another early reader. It is spring time, so they are busy doing those thing associated with springtime--house cleaning, dreaming of spring showers, enjoying the return of the animals, planting flowers, and of course, falling in love. Love is in the air for Cinderella and her prince. Jasmine dreams about spring rain and cavorting with Aladdin while the genie looks on. Snow White is way overdressed for housekeeping, and Ariel who lives underwater is not really affected by spring. The little story of Cinderella and her prince is a bit over-the-top for this age group. It all ends on a really sweet note with Belle dressed in a sparkling gown sitting in her garden surrounded by spring flowers. A step 2 book in the "Step Into Reading" series. A note on the first page offers advice to parents about using and understanding the series. 2008, Disney/Random House, $3.99. Ages 4 to 6. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-0-375-84810-0
ISBN: 978-0-375-94810-7
ISBN: 0-375-84810-X
ISBN: 0-375-94810-4
Thunder Bunny
Barbara Helen Berger
Thunder Bunny was a surprise. While all the other bunnies in the litter are tan, Thunder Bunny is a pleasant shade of French blue. She was the last and littlest one but can flick her ears and jump and thump and dig in the dirt like all the others. She is a little different from her siblings, though. Well of course, said old Granny, she came out of the blue. Thunder Bunny takes this to mean she is from the sky. The other bunnies do not believe her, but when a strong wind comes rushing over the grass and the other bunnies run to hide, Thunder Bunny jumps on the wind and is carried up into the sky (this is not told in a frightening manner, by the way). She digs into a cloud and is a little scared, but then remembers that "I am the blue and the blue is me!" She stomps her feet and starts a thunderstorm. Mama and the other bunnies head out to find her, afraid that she is wet and lonely in the rain. When they see her on a hillside, she is now a sun and moon bunny, clear and true and out of the blue and now has a sun glowing on her chest and a moon on her ear. The bunnies are all happy to see her, and they happily cuddle together on the hill. This story reads in a good way--like a folktale but without a didactic ending. The pastel illustrations are done by collage and work very well with the story. It is possible to read larger lessons into this about accepting who you are, bravery, etc. but it is more fun to just read it as a book about a little blue bunny that climbs into the sky and then comes back home. It would make an excellent bedtime story. 2007, Philomel Books/Penguin Young Readers, $16.95. Ages 2 to 6. Reviewer: Sara Lorimer (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-0-399-22035-7
ISBN: 0-399-22035-6
Un-brella
Scott E. Franson
A young girl looks out the window at the snow-covered ground as snowflakes fall, but then she dresses in her bathing suit, flippers, and sunglasses. Before she leaves the house, she also takes an umbrella. In this wordless story, we can see that it must be magical. For when she opens it, grass grows beneath her feet, and wherever she walks a path of green follows. She floats under it on a pond, then stretches out under sunshine. Snow gives way to spring and summer across the pages. Then we see her at the window again. This time she sets out with the umbrella among the flowers, muffled up for winter. And a path of snow follows her amid the trees. She can skate on the frozen pond and build a snowman. On the last double page she sees rain through the window. "What will the magic Un-brella do with that?" we wonder. Cut paper illustrations lend themselves to a range of decorative page layouts, while creating hundreds of snowflakes and many-petaled flowers. The trees seem cut from fanciful fabrics, as is the appealing heroine's bedspread. The double-page scenes are carefully designed to increase anticipation as we view the shapes and patterns. 2007, Roaring Book Press, $15.95. Ages 3 to 7. Reviewers: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-1-59643-179-9
ISBN: 1-59643-179-2
When Rain Falls
Melissa Stewart
Illustrated by Constance Bergum
Stewart, trained as a scientist and a journalist, displays her literary talents in this journey through four different ecological habitats on a suddenly stormy day. In gently poetic prose, she leads young readers through field, forest, wetland and desert to see how animals shelter from the rain. While a kite-flying brother and sister run for home, birds and animals find protection in different ways: in a forest, gray squirrels pull their tails over their heads, a hawk ruffles up his feathers, deer and foxes hide under trees and in their dens. Creatures of the field seek out leaves and flowers (kids will love seeing the ants underground and the bees inside their hive). Animals of the wetland include turtles in their shells, a dragonfly under a catkin and ducks just swimming along protected by their oily feathers; tall cacti, rattlesnakes, an owl and bats weather the storm in a desert. Relief comes as animals emerge from hiding and the children fly their kite again above a misty rainbow. Bergum's large watercolor illustrations are well composed and mostly quite lovely, though some might be more effective with greater contrast between light and dark and less outlining in black ink. Still, teeming with wildlife and rendered in a wide range of greens and browns, they provide many intriguing details to ponder as raindrops fall during a read-aloud or while young naturalists shelter at home on a rainy day. 2008, Peachtree, $16.95. Ages 4 to 8. Reviewer: Barbara L. Talcroft (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-1-56145-438-9
Who Likes Rain?
Wong Herbert Yee
Looking out the window at the wet landscape, the story's young main character complains to her mother about the weather but soon realizes the trees and flowers need the springtime rain. After donning her slicker, rain hat, and boots, she takes her umbrella and ventures outside to see how the precipitation impacts her neighborhood. With fun sound words dropping through the rhyming text, Wong Herbert Yee's gentle exploration of a rainy day is a delightful introduction to riddles and poetry. Illustrated in soft tones with colored pencils, Yee brings to life the joy of discovery and the sense of wonder the girl feels as she encounters a cat, a dog, a worm, a duck, a frog, and a fish. If used as a read-aloud, young listeners will enjoy filling in words and predicting who likes rain and who does not. Alternatively, the book's small size and large print will encourage emergent readers to try this story on their own. Anyone who has felt trapped inside on a stormy day will be encouraged to get out and explore familiar surroundings changed by the weather, and to have a great time getting wet. 2007, Henry Holt and Company, $14.95. Ages 4 to 8. Reviewer: Keri Collins (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-0-8050-7734-6
ISBN: 0-8050-7734-0
ISBN: 978-1-4287-3979-6
ISBN: 1-4287-3979-3
The Wild Water Cycle
Rena Korb
Illustrated by Brandon Reibeling
Content consultant: Raymond Hozalski
Drip! Plop! Splash! means a fun rainy day. Brandon Reibeling's cartoon characters enjoy an exciting time in the water. How did the rain get in the sky? This nonfiction book clarifies the water cycle and answers the unending questions: Where does the raindrop come from? Where does it go? When the heat from the sun creates evaporation, mysteriously the water vapor condenses. The tiny droplets gather to form strangely shaped clouds. If enduring a drought it seems unbelievable that each day 4 trillion gallons of water fall from the sky, enough water to fill 4 trillion milk jugs. When those clouds break open, watch out for the tunnels and drains called storm sewers. The series, "Science Rocks," can be used in the classroom to introduce the reader to scientific investigation with an experimental activity. Fun facts, a glossary and an index are also included. 2008, Magic Wagon/ABDO Publishing Group, $27.07. Ages 6 to 10. Reviewer: JoAn Watson Martin (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-1-60270-041-3
ISBN: 1-60270-041-9
Added 03/27/09
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