I LIKE THE RAIN

A group of racially diverse children show their appreciation for the rain in this series entry.

Each book of the I Like the Weather series starts with the title declaration and a statement as to how that weather “speaks” to an unidentified first-person child narrator: “I like the rain— / pitter-patting through the green, / washing all the petals clean, / tapping on my nose and cheeks. / This is how the rain speaks.” The text then goes on to describe the different activities to enjoy in the rain—splashing in puddles, listening to thunder, and seeing a rainbow. The cheery, soft-edged cartoon illustrations depict all this and add details, such as floating a paper boat in a puddle and taking shelter before a storm. While the rhythms are spot-on (and identical) across all four books, the rhymes are looser: sheets with streaks; cushions with oceans. A backmatter spread in each book gives child-appropriate, easy-to-understand science-based answers to four weather-related questions, including: “What are lightning and thunder”; “Why does wind blow?”; “Why does the sun feel hotter in summer?”; and “Why is snow white?” The final question is always “How does the ___ help us?” Few adults are depicted even when children are in or near bodies of water, and two children on a boat wear rain gear but no life jackets. A single scene in I Like the Wind shows a secondary character in a wheelchair; a primary character throughout wears glasses. (This book was reviewed digitally with 7.9-by-15.8-inch double-page spreads viewed at 44.2% of actual size.)

Children can expand on the ideas in this slight celebration of weather; strong backmatter will answer their questions.