What better day to share a book about rain than on this rainy Spring day? If it’s not raining where you are, you will surely feel like you’ve experienced a rainy day after reading this book (in the most magical way) 🙂

Rain (2017, Templar Books/Candlewick Press, Picture Book)

From the Publisher

Sam and Granddad brave the rain and floods and have the best adventure ever!

Sam wants to go out, but it’s pouring rain, so Granddad says they need to stay inside until the rain stops. Sam drinks hot chocolate and reads his books and dreams of adventures while Granddad does some paperwork. When Granddad needs to mail his letter, it’s time to go out—despite the rain and floods—and Sam and Granddad have a magical adventure. The follow-up to the acclaimed Snow, this is the second title in a four-book series based on the weather from creator Sam Usher.

Review

Rain, written and illustrated by Sam Usher, is part of a picture book series based on weather elements. Having not read the other book, Snow, I can only imagine it is as charming as this book. The first thing that will catch the reader’s attention is the cover of this book. The design is beautiful and has been created with a three-dimensional element so that it appears to have raindrops on the cover. The illustrations throughout are absolutely lovely and bursting with emotion as Sam watches the rain and waits for his Granddad to finish his small tasks around the house.

The most surprising twist comes right at the beginning, when Sam is so excited to play outside in the rain. Many books often look at rain as something that ruins a child’s day, so it was refreshing and inspiring to see a book celebrating a rainy day and all the fun a child can have. In the age of electronics and indoor entertainment, letting a child play outside even if it means getting a bit wet is a wonderful concept.

Sam and his Granddad’s adventures in the rain are fun and imaginative and way over the top, but it is a picture book after all, so such craziness is allowed. I might have hoped for a bit more realistic adventures in the rain, but the illustrations made up for any fleeting disappointment I felt at the abrupt change in setting.

The change in mood and tempo from a dreary day spent indoors to an exuberant day in the wet weather was certainly refreshing.

Overall, a beautifully illustrated, adventurous text sure to have every child wanting to go out on a rainy day adventure. Highly recommended for children ages 3 and up.

5 stars to shine through rainy days and nights

Rain hits shelves March 28, 2017

You can pre-order Rain at Amazon

Thank you to Candlewick Press for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.