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Come On, Rain (Hardcover) (Hardcover)
by Karen Hesse, Jon J Muth (pictured)
| Category:
Drought, Ages 4-8, Children's book |
| Market price: ¥ 218.00
MSL price:
¥ 198.00
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| Stock:
In Stock |
MSL rating:
 Good for Gifts |
| MSL Pointer Review:
A young girl eagerly awaits a coming rainstorm to bring relief from the oppressive summer heat. |
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Reviews |
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Author: Karen Hesse, Jon J Muth (pictured)
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pub. in: March, 1999
ISBN: 0590331256
Pages: 32
Measurements: 9.3 x 10.3 x 0.3 inches
Origin of product: USA
Order code: BC00102
Other information: 1st ed edition
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- MSL Picks -
"Up and down the block,/ cats pant,/ heat wavers off tar patches in the broiling alleyway./ Miz Grace and Miz Vera bend, tending beds of drooping lupines," as a whole neighborhood waits for rain. The narrator, Tessie, is the first one to see the "clouds rolling in,/ gray clouds, bunched and bulging under a purple sky," and she engineers a joyful rain dance with her three friends, Jackie-Joyce, Liz and Rosemary. The long-sought rain "freckles our feet, glazes our toes./ We turn in circles,/ glistening in our rain skin."
According to Hesse's bio on the jacket flap, this text contains her initial exploration of motifs used first in her Newbery Medal-winning novel, Out of the Dust. With poetic and immediate language, she again captures the cleansing experience of rainfall after a long dry spell. In an auspicious debut, Muth's illustrations showcase an impressive range of perspectives, from the opening urban skyline to the subtle indication of the oncoming storm in the ruffling of a curtain to the girls' view looking up at their mothers from where they're dancing in the street. His inventive design sense and use of watercolors, smudges of shadow, glistening sidewalks and foggy city-scapes are remarkable. This is an impressive tribute to those experiences that leave us "purely soothed,/ fresh as dew,/ turning toward the first sweet rays of the sun."
Target readers:
Kids aged 4-8
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Karen Hesse grew up in Baltimore, Maryland and earned a B.A. from the University of Maryland. She loves writing for young readers and began her writing for young readers and began her writing life as a young poet. Out of the Dust is a return to her poetic roots.
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It is summer in the city and a three-week drought has made the heat nearly unbearable. Skinny little Tessie whispers her prayer, "Come on, rain!" longing for the shower that will break the heat and bring her mother's parched garden back to life. Seeking relief, the girl asks permission to wear her bathing suit, but an "Absolutely not" from Mamma keeps her looking for something to do. Like a blessing, she spies clouds off in the distance. Knowing that her mother will be easier to convince with help from a friend, Tessie runs off to her pal Jackie-Joyce's. "It's going to rain," she whispers. "Put on your suit and come straight over." Tessie returns home to fix her mother a much-needed iced tea, and with the perfect timing of a well-laid plan, Jackie-Joyce arrives along with the rain. As hoped, Mamma changes her mind about the suit and the girls run off to join two friends for a romp in the deliciously refreshing summer rain. To their daughters' delight, all four "...barelegged mammas dance down the steps..." and join in a spontaneous dance of relief and celebration. Muth's deceptively simple, muted watercolors capture the stifling city summer heat as well as a young girl's determination to keep it from ruining all her fun. Hesse's poetically crafted, perceptive text skips delightfully along with its own perfect rhythm. Lyrically written and lovingly illustrated, this is one you'll want to share over and over again.
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| View all 5 comments |
Mark Savary (MSL quote), Seattle, WA
<2006-12-30 00:00>
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, and 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. |
Suzanne D Fitzgerald (MSL quote), Stockton, CA United States
<2006-12-30 00:00>
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 story time about rain, along with Bill Martin's Listen to the Rain. |
A reader (MSL quote), Carrollton, TX USA
<2006-12-30 00:00>
Come on, rain! are the fervent words of Tess, as she looks toward the sky with a great deal of anticipation and hope. It has not rained in 3 weeks. Therefore, everyone in Tess's neighborhood and city was hoping for rain to bring relief from the scorching heat. Well, the best part of this story is that it seems her fervent words finally reached the clouds; for "over rooftops, past chimneys, into the way off distance . . . clouds came rolling in." As soon as Tess realizes that her wish for rain was on the way, she quickly gathers her close friends together (and their mothers too) to run, dance and play in the wonderful rain showers that fall upon the city.
The watercolor illustrations of Jon Muth do an excellent job of enhancing the movement of Ms. Hesse's story. The opening illustrations of bright yellow and gold give readers a sense of how hot and oppressive the heat was for Tess's neighborhood and city. Gradually as the rain clouds moves in, hues of soft grays, brown, and greens are used to depict the moments just before rain falls from the sky. By the time rain actually comes, the illustrations are filled with splashes of pink, violet and blues, which represent the renewal of spirit and feelings of relief for all in the city. You know, this is more than just another weather story! It is a story that shows how rain, a powerful element of nature, has the ability to invigorate all of life!
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Scott Higginson (MSL quote), Phoenix, Arizona
<2006-12-30 00:00>
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. |
View all 5 comments |
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