30 Days of Diverse Picture Books - Rain! by Linda Ashman

It's Day 19 of our 30 Days of Diverse Picture Books. Can't quite believe that the month is going as quickly as it is, but the weather certainly seems like November. We've had some beautiful (but cold) days here in the Pacific Northwest, though I hear rain is not that far off. Sprout's anxious for snow, but I think that's going to be a while yet.

Tonight's pick is a weather-related one: Rain! by Linda Ashman. We seem to find a lot of books about rain in our travels - not sure if that's just because there's a good audience for such titles in our area, or if there really are a lot of them out there. No matter, though, because they've been some of our favorites, and Rain! definitely can be added to that list. This jubilant title is the perfect way to make a dreary day turn around.

Ashman's written a great intergenerational story, and she's done it with the fewest of words, making this a terrific choice for emerging readers. The two main characters are an older gentleman who's in a grumpy mood because of the weather, and a young boy who just loves it, even pretending to be a frog. I love the contrast here, and the way that the boy's infectious attitude manages to turn the grouchy guy completely around. Christian Robinson's art accompanies Ashman's text, and the graphics truly couldn't be better. If the real world looked like Robinson's version, no one could possibly be in a bad mood, even on a rainy day.

Next time the weather turns gray, don't pout - instead, grab a copy of Rain! and figure out how to turn all those puddles into opportunities for play!

Rain! by Linda Ashman, published by Houghton Mifflin

Picture Book Review - Tap Tap Boom Boom by Elizabeth Bluemle

It's a rainy rainy day here in Northwest Washington, which is actually pretty unusual for us in July. Contrary to what the rest of the world thinks, it doesn't rain every single day here, and the summers can be quite lovely. But a little mid-summer rainstorm is pretty common, and is kind of nice to clear the air and freshen the vegetation. Plus, Sprout thrills at the sights and sounds of a good ol' summer thunderstorm (so does Mom!).

That's the spirit behind Elizabeth Bluemle's whimsical new picture book Tap Tap Boom Boom. I was so excited to read this one because we've loved Bluemle's other books, especially the delightfully be-bopping How Do You Wokka-Wokka?. And with this outing, Bluemle's paired with one of our favorite illustrators, G. Brian Karas, whose The Village Garage is a staple of our fall reading list. So we went into this one with pretty high expectations.

As you might imagine, in a work from two artists who are as dedicated to diversity as they are to their craft, Tap Tap Boom Boom hits all the right notes. Bluemle's all about the wordplay, making her books terrific (if tricky) to read aloud. In this outing, two young boys are playing in their urban neighborhood when it starts to rain. Everybody notices, because this rain starts out small but brings dark clouds and the threat of a big storm. And the promise comes true, because the tempo of the storm picks up quick, with rain, lightning and thunder! Our boys better get undercover pronto, which in the city means running down to the subway, where everyone gathers to ride out the storm. It pretty quick turns into a party, complete with music, pizza, and lots of friendly chatter. And after the rain? Why, a rainbow, of course, plus plenty of new friendships formed through circumstance.

Tap Tap Boom Boom is a great book to share when talking about community and friendship. We love the message that people of all stripes can be friends, regardless of their background or circumstance. There's nothing like the occasion of shared experience to bring people together, and Bluemle absolutely nails the spirit of sheltering out a storm. And the illustrations by Karas, featuring a nicely diverse cast, are the perfect match for the rhythmic text, a blend of collage and sketch that suits the situation to a T.

Young readers will feel like they're right in the center of a sudden storm, in the heart of the city. Next time the rain threatens, don't be surprised if your kiddo wants to go out and about -- Tap Tap Boom Boom makes a rainstorm cause for celebration!

Tap Tap Boom Boom by Elizabeth Bluemle, published by Candlewick Press
Ages 3-5
Source: Library
First line: "Tap tap, dark clouds. Tap tap, damp air. Tap tap, cold drops of rain dot hair."
Recommended

Amadi's Snowman by Katia Novet Saint-Lot

We're getting our first real snow of the season today, and Sprout couldn't be more excited. Never mind that we had to wait until February to see the ground covered and the white flakes flying -- he's thrilled at the prospect of making a snowman, something we haven't really had enough snow to do in at least two winters. Such is life in the Pacific Northwest, after all.

I am a bit amused by his anticipation and excitement over the snow, mostly because his first winter here with us, Sprout HATED the snow. He cried and cried the first time we tried to play in it, and the second, and barely tolerated it the third time. But now he's become acclimated to our temperate weather, and looks forward to snow with the same heady sense of excitement I remember from my own childhood. I do often wonder what Sprout's family in Ethiopia would think if they could see him bundled up and enjoying the frosty climate. We've sent them pictures and I imagine them being surprised to see him in this setting, so different from their own lush, tropical weather. We really hope these scenes make them smile.

And of course, the snow today makes me think of a book we recently read together, Amadi's Snowman by Katia Novet Saint-Lot. The book centers around Amadi, a young Igbo boy growing up in his home country of Nigeria. Amadi's mother has arranged for a teacher in the village to spend time with Amadi and teach him to read, but Amadi's resistant. He wants to be a businessman when he grows up, getting started like the boy he sees who earn money for washing cars and then buy small trinkets they can sell to make more money. Amadi can't see how reading will help with that plan at all. And so he sneaks off before Mrs Chikodili arrives, rambling the market stalls where he sees another boy, Chima, at a bookstall reading about a creature made all of white with a carrot for a nose. Chima tells Amadi the creature is a snowman, and explains all about snow and winter. Amadi is captivated and wants to read more, but the bookstall owner chases the boys away. How will Amadi find out more about this strange snow, and a man made entirely of it? How will he learn about all the things in the world that he never knew existed?

"Lesson" books are often not my favorite, especially when they're text-heavy as this one is. But Amadi's Snowman manages to keep the tone light and the text, while plentiful, flows easily to tell Amadi's story. I like that, while set in Nigeria, the story's one that could work in many other areas. In addition, the tale is thoughtfully told, which makes it one that older readers will respond to -- I can see this used as a discussion starter in the classroom, and it's a nice book for developing global perspectives. The illustrations by Dimitrea Tokunbo capture the flavor of the setting while honoring the characters. (I wasn't at all surprised to learn that Tokunbo has a connection to Nigeria, as her father grew up there.)

All in all, Amadi's Snowman is a unique and memorable story that demonstrates the value in reading to open one's mind to new ideas and experiences -- not only for Amadi, but also for the readers who'll delve into his world.

Amadi's Snowman by Katia Novet Saint-Lot, published by Tilbury House Publishers
Ages 5-7
Source: Library
Sample: "Amadi closed the book and looked at the cover. The boy seemed to smile at him, as if challenging him. Amadi smiled back. Yes, he'd learn about snow."
Recommended

Big Snow by Jonathan Bean

Oh boy, was Sprout disappointed in Christmas this year. Not that he didn't love the activities, the tree, the presents, and the time with family. No, all of that was great, but there was one major component missing: snow.

All those songs about white Christmases and sleigh rides have worked a number on our boy. He's convinced that it isn't really a proper Christmas if there isn't snow on the ground. And because we live in the Pacific Northwest, snow isn't a guarantee at Christmas (or even at all during the season.) Though we did have one day where the snow hit about 3 inches deep, it wasn't the magical-snowman-come-to-life event of Sprout's dreams. Poor kiddo.

Instead, we decided to read about snow, because what else can you do? So we hit the library up for some new wintertime reads, and found an absolute gem among them - Jonathan Bean's Big Snow. We recently read Bean's Building Our House, which Sprout adored; that one was heavy in the bedtime rotation for a good three weeks or more. So when he saw the cover image for that book on the back cover of Big Snow, he put two and two together and deduced that, "This one's going to be my favorite too, Mama." Right he was, no less.

In Big Snow, our hero David is eagerly anticipating a heavy snowfall. Clearly he's heard the weather forecast, because all the while that he's helping his mother get the house ready for guests, David's keeping a watchful eye outside. The flour he spills while making cookies reminds him to take a peek out the door, as do the suds from the bathroom cleaners and the white sheets from the beds. Each time he looks, David sees a progression, from sparse flakes to big fluffy ones, to drifts of snow covering the entire world. David dreams that the house is taken over by a big snow. When he awakes, Dad is home early, and the family ventures outside to explore the familiar neighborhood, made somehow strange by its blanket of white.

I've heard a few comparisons between Big Snow and The Snowy Day, and I have to say that this is not a farfetched notion. Both David and Peter share a sense of wonder at the snow, at the world around them that is transformed by this wintry event. There's a dash of humor in each book, and an appreciation for the thrill that "big snow" brings. One thing I find most appealing about both titles is the fact that the diversity in them doesn't drive the story - you could easily replace David in Big Snow with an Asian or Native American or white character and there would be no difference to the narrative. Truth be told, I didn't even notice the main character's ethnicity (multiracial, perhaps?) until Sprout pointed out that "David's skin is brown like mine!" That's a nice touch, in my opinion, and something we need much more of.

Big Snow is a terrific candidate for a winter-themed storytime (though there's a Christmas tree in the house,  the plot isn't holiday-centric) or a cozy bedtime read. This is the kind of story that kids ask for again and again - not because it's splashy or gimmicky, but just because it's comforting, familiar, and classic.

Big Snow by Jonathan Bean, published by Farrar Straus Giroux
Ages 3-6
Source: Library
Sample: "But then the flour, white and fine, made David think of snow. / So he decided to check the weather. / Small flakes fell softly, white and fine."
Recommended

Rainbow Stew by Cathryn Falwell

Two posts in one week?!? Could it be that I'm getting my blogging mojo back?? I hope so. It's been an odd summer, mostly because having finally finished grad school, I had a real sense of wanting to step away from (most) non-work, non-family commitments. I wish I could say that I read a ton of novels during that time, or that I organized my kitchen cabinets. Not so much, though - mostly there was just playing with Sprout, spending time with my husband, getting a few household projects done and even catching up on TV watching (gasp!).

So now there's a backlog of AWESOME titles that we read together as a family, which I've got to somehow translate into blog posts -- since, after all, you cannot peek into my oh-so-cluttered brain and discern which were the best of all the many books we checked out this summer. Hope you've got your library list at the ready, dear reader, 'cause there's some good stuff coming your way!

First up is a new title by one of Sprout's favorite author/illustrators. We've reviewed a couple of Cathryn Falwell's books here on the blog -- Christmas for 10 is one, Butterflies for Kiri another. We were waiting for her newest title, Rainbow Stew, very anxiously, and I'm pleased to say it's just as excellent as the other books by her that we've read and loved. Most fun of all, it takes place on a rainy summer day, something we as Northwesterners definitely have our fair share of, so Sprout could totally relate. :)

The story follows three kiddos who are visiting their Grandpa, and who are more than a little disappointed to discover the aforementioned showery weather when they make their plans for the day. But Grandpa has another suggestion: suit up in rain gear and venture out to his garden, where they pick all the ingredients for a tummy-warming bowl of rainbow stew. The kids have a great time harvesting -- and playing -- in the rain, getting all kinds of muddy and loving every second. (Side note: this is *exactly* what Sprout would do, given the same opportunity. Falwell completely gets little ones.) Then it's inside to dry off (newspapers on the floor = Grandpa's one smart cookie), change clothes, and prep the veggies. While the stew cooks, there's time for a little reading and resting, and then everyone gets to enjoy the fruits of their labor -- just in time for a rainbow to peek through!

Where to start with all the things I love about this cheerful, vibrant book? Falwell's illustrations are of course terrific, featuring just the right balance of details to make each scene come to life. Of course I love that there's teamwork going on here. Everyone helps out in harvesting, prep work and eating the delicious lunch, which naturally means the whole process is that much more fun. (If you want to make your own rainbow stew, the recipe's helpfully included right at the end.) I also really dig that we have Grandpa in the main role here, performing many tasks usually left up to moms or grandmas. It's so nice to see a male figure given domestic duties, from making breakfast to helping the kids tidy up after playing in the mud. In the day and age of so much pink- and blue-gender specificity, having Grandpa be the main caregiver was a very nice touch.

Make it a point to seek out Rainbow Stew on your next trip to the library or bookstore. And if your chosen branch doesn't have it, this would be a great purchase suggestion to make to the manager or children's librarian. A colorful book about food and fun, written with a catchy rhyme? It's every bit as yummy as Grandpa's Rainbow Stew!

Rainbow Stew by Cathryn Falwell, published by Lee & Low Books
Ages 2-5
Source: Library
Sample: "We jump around like grasshoppers and buzz about like bees. / We creep along like ladybugs, and all get muddy knees."
Highly recommended

Monsoon by Uma Krishnaswami {The Children's Bookshelf}

The best picture books transport a reader to a particular time or place, engage them with all the senses in a fully-realized snapshot of that reality. This can be a fantasy situation -- I'm thinking of excellent imaginative books like Inga Moore's A House in the Woods -- or it can be an actual place. For parents and teachers looking to give kids an understanding of a specific cultural system, picture books can be the doorway through which all readers enter.

In Uma Krishnaswami's Monsoon, young readers are set down in the world of a young Indian girl, waiting for the monsoon rains to come to her home in the northern part of the country. The summer is a hot and dusty one, and the family cannot wait for the rains to come and scrub all the grit and grime from the air. Though they know the rains are not long in coming, still the intensity of the heat builds, and with it the worry that this will be the year the rains don't come. The girl reads the fears in the faces of the adults around her. Even the slightest rumble makes all faces turn to the sky, searching for signs that the clouds are gathering. When at last the weather turns, the sky breaks open and the sweet rain comes, making the girl and her family burst with pure and perfect joy.

This is a beautifully written and illustrated book, one that reflects a view of India that's inclusive and unique. The girl and her family aren't poverty-stricken, they aren't beggars waiting to be saved. Rather, they're just people like those in any other culture, held captive by the weather and waiting for sweet relief from the summer's intensity. Krishnaswami uses evocative imagery, poetry really, to tell her story. Readers will fairly swoon as she describes the heat and grit in the air, then celebrate with the family as rain finally arrives. And the artwork by Jamel Akib is perfectly suited to the tone of the story, with a hazy softness that builds the emotion even as the family wonders and worries about the rains.

As a family story, Monsoon is just as fully realized, with the strong and reassuring relationships among family members emphasized throughout. An added bonus is the author's note at the end, explaining the importance of the monsoon and the people's deep connectivity to the weather of their region. As with the best title, Monsoon is story, character and setting all drawn together in a gorgeous picture book that makes a great addition to any library.

Monsoon by Uma Krishnaswami, published by Farrar Straus Giroux
Ages 3-7
Source: Library
Sample: "Evening falls. I watch the faces on TV. Old and young, poor and rich, all across India, we wait for rain. The heat makes me feel like a crocodile crouching snap-jawed."
Recommended

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Library Find - The Rain Stomper by Addie Boswell

Rain. Here in the Pacific Northwest, rain is an ever-constant feature of our lives. In the dry times (pretty much only a couple of months in the summer), the rain might not come as frequently, but it's not far from our thoughts. And in the spring - hooo boy, watch out.

Sprout came into our family in May 2010, and the one feature I remember about his homecoming is that it was a beautiful sunny week. Kind of unusual that time of year around these parts, and even in my sleep-deprived fog I noticed that. But then, in predictable Washington fashion, the rain came.

And boy oh boy did Sprout love it. He would tip his head back, turn his face up into the rain and laugh. It was really something to see. Suddenly we weren't rushing to the car to get him secured in the carseat, but dawdling so he could throw his chubby arms up into the gray air and let the raindrops pound down on his open palms. It was pure joyful delight.

Which is exactly what we find in The Rain Stomper by Addie Boswell, only not right from the outset. In the book Jazmin is so excited to be twirling her baton in the big parade in her neighborhood. She can hardly wait to start, jumping out of bed on the big day and rushing to the door. But what she sees fills Jazmin with dread. Because it's raining, pouring, gushing down buckets and buckets. Ruined, right? Jazmin's mad, and she steps out onto the stoop to express her disapproval to the skies. And as Jazmin stomps and splashes, something astonishing happens - her neighbors begin to venture out of their homes, and call to Jazmin to stomp and splash even more. Suddenly, the parade is there, without Jazmin even noticing it, and Jazmin not only has channeled her anger into making lots of kids happy, she's also "outstomped the rain".

Sprout loves this book not only for its lively illustrations by Eric Velasquez - Jazmin is so vivid that she steals the reader's attention in every single scene -- but also for its crazy onomatopoeic vibe. The rain is a character here, one that slaps and clatters and bashes on every spread. You can feel the drenching closeness of this wet day, and channel Jazmin's disappointment turning into rage at the weather ruining her plans. And you can sense the children's delight in watching Jazmin's rain-soaked antics, as she spins and jumps and twirls her braids and her baton. There's so much energy here, he almost can't sit still as we read it.

And with this energetic text and dynamic artwork, who can blame him?

The Rain Stomper by Addie Boswell, published by Marshall Cavendish
Ages 3-7
Source: Library
Sample: "Jazmin threw open her front door. Wind whistled through her hair. Thunder rumbled the ground. The sun scuttled behind the clouds. The sky twisted into a thick, black coil."
Recommended

Picture Book Review - Rain School by James Rumford

One of the things you learn very quickly when you're in the process of an international adoption is that much we take for granted in the United States runs a bit differently in other countries. Electricity, for instance, isn't always a guarantee for many reasons, and so communication via email or even telephone can be quite difficult. That's especially true during certain periods of the year. In Ethiopia, during the height of the rainy season (roughly August through late September/early October), the courts actually close down. It's just too hard to do business, to get around to where people need to be and to be assured that the lights will be on when they do get to work. For Americans, this can be incredibly frustrating; for Ethiopians, it's an inconvenience that is just part of daily life. Not good, not bad, just a feature of what you have to do.

And that's pretty much the premise of Rain School by James Rumford, the notion of working around the seasons in order to get things done. The book takes place in Chad, where Rumford and his wife were stationed while in the Peace Corps. The storyline was inspired by Rumford's encounter of the ruins of a primary school in one village, a school made from mud that was destroyed during the rainy season. The experience fixed itself in Rumford's mind, and years later he used it as inspiration for a bold and evocative picture book.

So too goes the story of Rain School, where incoming students learn that the first lesson is one of construction, as they must assemble their own school building from the ground up. Working together, the younger students learn how to make mud bricks, drying them in the sun until they are ready to be used in the construction. Built around a simple wooden frame, the school also features mud desks, wood stools, and a simple thatched roof. Once the school is assembled, the students gather inside to begin. They find that the learning process is accomplished in much the same way, by first acquiring the building blocks to literacy (learning to recognize and write letters), and then gradually adding to that structure through the other lessons the teacher shares.

At the end "(t)he students' minds are fat with knowledge", and the teacher is bursting with pride. Not much longer, the rains come, and the school the students worked so hard on is reduced to nothing. But the school has served its purpose for that year, as the lessons are carried forward by the students into the next year of learning - and building - the Rain School.

This is a sensitive, deftly written title, one that celebrates the ingenuity of individuals to accomplish their goals. Rumford clearly has great admiration for the Chadian people, which comes through in this story of perserverance. Let's be honest, many of us would give up, wouldn't we? But the ability of the citizens to recognize the value of education is clear, and even the youngest student is willing to work hard to build the school because the payoff is great. I love the students' enthusiasm, particularly Thomas, a new student at the beginning of the book who by the end is a "big brother", anxious to teach others what he learned the year before. And I love that this is a story where no one swoops in to save the day, but where the residents of the village take on all the work themselves.

Rain School is an excellent look at what learning is like in other countries, but at its heart, it's about community and the strength of everyone pulling together as a group. Pair with books like The Weber Street Wonder Work Crew by Maxwell Newhouse or Rent Party Jazz by William Miller for other looks at community and the power of togetherness.

Rain School by James Rumford, published by Houghton Mifflin
Ages 3-8
Source: Library
Sample: "Thomas arrives at the schoolyard, but there are no classrooms. There are no desks / It doesn't matter. There is a teacher. 'We will build our school,' she says. 'This is the first lesson.'"
Recommended

Bonus: fascinating interview with James Rumford from Paper Tigers