Come On, Rain!

This lyrical ode to the coming rain, accompanied by the soothing wash of lush watercolors, make Hesse's Come on, Rain! sure to please young children. In prose that reads like poetry, young Tessie bemoans the heat of summer while waiting with confidence that rain will soon come. Along with her multicultural friends and all their mammas, Tessie dances in gratitude for the refreshing wetness the rain bestows. While the lyrical prose is of such beautiful quality it could stand on its own, the soft watercolor illustrations portray the emotions of the characters in such lovely detail; the two, the prose and illustrations, combine to create a delightful work of art. Even with the vertical lines of rain which one would expect to stop the motion of the story, Muth manages to create a sense of flowing from left to right, page to page, in keeping with the cadence of the text by using achromatic colors for the backgrounds of most pages. Recommended for children ages 4-8. Public librarians may want to share this title in a storytime about rain, along with Bill Martin's Listen to the Rain.

I was quite surprised last year that this title did not win an award. I've been collecting children's picture books for over twenty years and this one is a wonderful example of the special blend of illustration and text. You don't read this book, you sense internally every emotion and feeling of the little girl. There's an actual shift of temperature in my personal space as the storm approaches. I was especially pleased to see the "moms" join in the fun...letting the inner child out once in a while is good advice for us all.

Touched by "Out of the Dust", the 1998 Newbery Medal winner by Karen Hesse, I was delighted to see a picture book by the same author. The spare and lyric writing of "Come On, Rain" is equally rhythmic and beautiful. I live in the Pacific Northwest, and reading the book made me crave for a quenching (rather than drenching) rain. As a new teacher building her classroom library, I don't often spring for a new Hardback book at full price, but I immediately purchased "Come On, Rain."

This book is short and simple, but wonderful and imaginative. I can't exactly tell if it is set in the 50s, 60s, or 70's, but it does not seem like a modern-day story. There is a great innocence and magic about it that isn't readily apparent in a 1990s tale.Jon Muth again proves himself to be a master watercolorist. He opts or a somewhat cartoony style for the main characters, fitting for the subject matter and age group of this story.The story itself brings alive the wonder of a simple rainstorm in the hot summer days of the City. There is no racial issue, there is no crime, there is no anything to keep the children (and adults) from being filled with the joy of a summer shower.I bought this book simply to sample Mr. Muth's marvelous watercolors, but it is a real treat for those with youngsters as well.

The art work which accompanies this magnificently written, poetic tale is just as remarkable as the carefully chosen delightful words. If you live in the desert, as we do,this is a must-have-book. Over the stifling summer months I read the book time and again with my two year old daughter as we eagerly awaited the arrival of the monsoon rains and each time the simple joy of summer rain leapt out at us from both the pictures and the words. I'm not a writer, so it would take me an eternity to express how very special this book is. Simply put, you will have missed something very special if you never allow yourself the pleaure of soaking up the atmosphere created by this small masterpiece. Invest in a real treasure. If I could give it 10 out of 5 I would. BUY IT.