"Deluge,
downpour,
sprinkle
storm,
a drizzle,
a mizzle.
So many words
for rain!"
I am often lucky to be able to watch my grandchildren play in the rain. Not here in Manitoba, where we have been waiting for rain for weeks. (A winter storm has helped somewhat with the need for moisture.) They live in British Columbia. There, you need to find pleasure in being outside in the rain, or you miss many days of fresh air and wondrous delight.
They are much like the little girl and her playful puppy in this fine new book by the prolific and accomplished Kyo Maclear. We see the two inside the house as the first raindrops fall. They are not about to stay there.
"Old raincoat,
rubber boots,
big umbrella, best umbrella:
green, orange, yellow, blue.
Let's go outside!"
Once outside, they find much joy in their rainy day. They have no need to hurry, as so many others around them do. Rather, they can splash through puddles, launch boats in rushing water, check for worms and frogs, admire the smells of rain-soaked flowers and plants, and find shelter under the branches of a tree. Lightning an d thunder send them back inside to warmth and rainy-day activities. There, the little girl ponders the beauty she will see now that the storm is over.
"The ground is
glistening green.
Can you smell the
grassy sweetness?
Butterflies and bugs
sip, sip, sip,
from muddy puddles.
Can you hear the
chirping birds?"
Ms. Maclear's words sing. It is a beautiful book to read aloud with little ones. The digital artwork evokes the magic of the rainstorm and the camaraderie of the two partners in discovery. Adventure abounds in scenes that are filled with life and movement, and so much color.
Joyful, imaginative and adventurous.
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