Maybe it's because I was born and raised in Vancouver, aka "Raincouver"...but I love the rain! Regardless of how you feel about liquid sunshine, here are some of my favourite picture books that celebrate wet weather. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I do.
1) "Rain!" by Linda Ashman and illustrated by Christian Robinson is a fun one that shows that two people can have two different reactions to the same thing. A child is excited for a rainy day, while an older neighbour only sees the inconveniences of the wet weather. Be prepared for a happy ending! This one comes as a board book or hardcover.
2) "Float"by Daniel Miyares is a wordless picture book. Children will love the illustrations, excitement about a rainy day and suspense in the story. Make a paper boat after reading!
3) "Tap, Tap, Boom, Boom" by Elizabeth Bluemle and illustrated by G. Brian Karas is a joyful read that walks us through a summer rain shower in the city. The rhyming words will keep young readers and listeners engaged.
4) "Hello, Rain!" by Kyo MacLear and Chris Turnham is another sweet story about enjoying both the rain...and the part that comes after the storm. We really liked the illustrations in this one.
5) "Who Likes Rain?" by Wong Herbert Yee provides the sound effects of a rain storm. My kindergarten classes really enjoyed this read aloud. It started a great discussion about all of the sensory input during a storm!
6) "Singing in the Rain" illustrated by Tim Hopgood is based on the song by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown. I dare you to read this book without singing...I couldn't do it. Read the book and then listen to a recording and have a dance party!
7) "Raindrops Roll" by April Pulley Sayre is full of beautiful close up photographs. It is sure to engage readers of all ages. This book inspired us to take our magnifying glasses out on a nature walk.
8) "Every Color of Light" by Hiroshi Osada and illustrated by Ryoji Arai is a poetic story about a rain storm and the beauty that we can witness during and after.
9) "Blue on Blue" by Dianne White and Beth Krommes is a beautifully illustrated story about a sunny day that turned in to a stormy afternoon. Lots of color and fun vocabulary to describe the different stages of the storm.
So, those are nine of my favourite RAIN picture books. I might have to do a "Part Two" as I have a few more to share.
Have you read any of these? Which book would you add to the list? Let me know in the comments!
