Here are some books I like about rain!
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Title: Hello Rain
Author: Kyo Mclear Illustrator: Chris Turnham
Publisher: Chronicle Books 2021
Age: 3-5
When I first saw this book, I mistakenly judged it (never judge a book by it’s cover ha ha) as maybe being a fun read but light on information. I was wrong. It is a fun read. The bright colors are inviting and the shininess of the rain drops on the cover definitely get you in the rain mind set. From the feeling of the wind before the rain, the sounds of the rain drops, the behavior of people, what to wear, different words for rain to how it runs off, things to do when you have to be inside during the rain, and the animals and plants that use the rain and the smells and sounds after the rain. This book is packed with things to learn but the children reading it will not even realize they are learning. A fun book about rain for younger readers.
Title: Water is Water
Author: Miranda Paul Illustrator: Jason Chin
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press 2015
Age: 2-5
Ever since the first time I read this book, this has been one of my favorite picture books ever. It is a beautiful poem of the water cycle but written in such a way that children aren’t just reading about the water cycle, they are discovering it. Chin’s beautiful art work showing a family experiencing different activities are the perfect compliment. I will use this book with my eighth grade students as a review of the water cycle. My younger grandsons understand this book and the cleverness of the text makes it very re-readable and enjoyable every time it’s read.
Title: Water Can Be
Author: Laura Purdie Salas Illustrator: Violeta Dabije
Publisher: Millbrook Press 2013
Age: 5-8
Salas is one of my favorite authors and her “Can Be” series is creative and thought provoking, as many of her books are. Through sparse , rhyming but powerful text, the book traverses the seasons starting with spring and going through summer, fall and winter. I like how she not only addresses water’s importance to living things but also includes some characteristics of water such as being forceful against ships or reflective. Dabje’s illustrations are perfect and the sparse wording allows children time to really study the illustrations and notice things not in the text. Also check out the other books in this series: A Rock Can Be and A Leaf Can Be,
Title: Mushroom Rain
Author: Laura K Zimmerman Illustrator: Jamie Green
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press 2022
Age: 4-8
I enjoy spotting mushrooms that sprout after a rain, but never knew that mushroom spores might help form rain. I learned a lot of other things about mushrooms as well: the many different forms, the different smells and how most of the mushroom is under the ground. The illustrations are gorgeous. The information in the text is new and interesting. And so much is packed into the amount of text. I love what Zimmermann and Green accomplished with this book.
I mentioned climate change and water insecurity in my post here. I want to recommend a couple books for young adults/adults.
If you want to know what chaos water shortages might cause try reading Dry by Nela Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
Climate change will not have one big solution, but rather many smaller solutions. If you want to see how people are addressing climate change through many and varies and surprising ways, read Drawdown edited by Paul Hawken.
I have read most of these, and now I know what other books to find and read. Thank you, Angela! I enjoyed your ‘rain’ blog post, too.