Come On, Rain!

Last week for Thankful Thursday, I shared that I was thankful for some recent rain that we had. I wanted to add this book review to that post but I liked the simplicity of the post without it so I wanted to be sure and share this book with your this week. So in a continuation of thanksgiving for the rains that come in the summer heat...

Come On, Rain! By Karen Hesse and illustrated by Jon J Muth.

We recently checked this book out at our local library and it could not have been more fitting for how we were feeling. This makes a great summer read. It's beautifully written and just flows which makes for a great read aloud. The text and pictures captures the look and feel of the heat of summer in the city. We've lived in the city and know this city heat.

A little girl and her Mama are at home on a hot summer day. Mamma is tending her small patch of sagging tomatoe plants. The little girl is looking for a way to cool down in the heat when she spies clouds rolling in from the distance. She quickly goes to spread the word to her friends that rain is coming! They meet outside on the city sidewalks bathing suits on and the rain does come, even the girl's Mamas can't resist the cool rain and join their daughters in the fun. Hesse's text captures this special glimpse of pure joy perfectly.

Don't you remember playing in the rain in your suits when you were little? Next rain I'm getting my two out in it provided that it's not a thunderstorm of course. The elegant text is accompanied by beautiful water color illustrations. In fact these drawings won the gold medal in excellence in illustrations from the society of illustrations. It's very clear why.

Even more fun we were able to get a copy with the story on CD, I recomend you check and see if your library also has a copy on CD or that you can pick up for your collection.

Go on enjoy the next rain!

Magic Beans 31 Days of Giveaways!

The Seasons

These next books come from my favorite Usborne series known as their "Picture Books". There are dozens of titles to choose from, all beautifully illustrated and accompanied by an engaging AND educational story of the world around us. Sunny Day, The Windy Day, The Snowy Day, and The Rainy Day, all by Anna Milbourne are four of my favorites from this series. As a mom of two preschoolers, I love doing 'unit type studies' with my kids. You know pick a theme for the week and find interesting, engaging and educational books and activities to do with them. I love covering the seasons each year as we go from one to the next and these books can be a center to these studies year after year.

Other titles in the Picture Book Series: The Butterfly, How Deep is the Sea?, How High is the Sky?, In the Pond, In the Castle, In the Nest, On the Farm, How Big is a Million?, On the Moon, On the Seashore, Under the Ground, also including Picture Book Classics such as; The Gingerbread Man, The Railway Children, The Secret Garden and LOTS more...