Rain Archives -

Wordless Picture Book Review – Walkies: A Dog’s Tale

WALKIES: A Dog’s Tale

by Estrela Lourenço

(Page Street Kids; $18.99; Ages 4-8)

From the publisher:

“On a gloomy, dripping, rain-boots-required kind of day, Kid is ready to stay inside, warm and dry, and play video games. But to Dog, Kid’s arrival home means only one thing: it’s time for WALKIES!”

From Booklist:

“This soggy and exuberant romp… [is] a wet and wonderful tale of pet ownership.”

Review:

Author/illustrator, Estrela Lourenço, perfectly portrays the power of nature to change our mood in Walkies: A Dog’s Tale, a charmingly illustrated wordless picture book from Page Street Kids.

When a child comes home on a rainy day all they want to do is dry off and enjoy some downtime in front of a screen.

Walkies int1 child arriving home dog holding leash. — Interior art from Walkies: A Dog’s Tail written and illustrated by Estrela Lourenço, Page Street Kids ©2024.

But their pet has other ideas …

Walkies int2 child playing video games dog playing with cords. — Interior art from Walkies: A Dog’s Tail written and illustrated by Estrela Lourenço, Page Street Kids ©2024.

A rainy afternoon is perfect for a walk!

Walkies int3 child in distance walking dog during rainstorm. — Interior spread from Walkies: A Dog’s Tail written and illustrated by Estrela Lourenço, Page Street Kids ©2024.

The child reluctantly follows, discovering the treasures nature holds—even in the rain.

Walkies int4 child walking dog seeing nature's wonder. — Interior spread from Walkies: A Dog’s Tail written and illustrated by Estrela Lourenço, Page Street Kids ©2024.

Expressive, sequential art makes this a relatable title for all pet lovers; and the perfect title for pre-readers, reluctant readers, and English language learners to tackle the art of storytelling on their own.

Reviewed by Roxanne Troup

Picture Book Review – A Place for Rain

A PLACE FOR RAIN

Written by Michelle Schaub

Illustrated by Blanca Gómez

(Norton Young Readers; $18.99; Ages 4-8)

From the Publisher: “A spring storm brings the chance to build a rain garden in this charming, actionable picture book about protecting our waterways.”

From Publishers Weekly: “An upbeat problem-solving story…”

With rhyming verse and bright, colorful illustrations, Michelle Schaub and Blanca Gómez tell an upbeat story of rain

A Place for Rain int1 drizzle turns to roar downpour. — Interior spread from A Place for Rain written by Michelle Schaub and illustrated by Blanca Gómez, Norton Young Readers ©2024.

that gives kids a hands-on way to participate in conservation—rain gardens—in the newly released A Place for Rain!

A unique concept in the picture book space, this book would make a great classroom read-aloud for Earth Day or throughout Earth Month to promote environmental awareness.

A Place for Rain int2 make a trail of stone or bricks. — Interior spread from A Place for Rain written by Michelle Schaub and illustrated by Blanca Gómez, Norton Young Readers ©2024.

Simple and cheerful illustrations that begin even before the title page fill the book and help encourage page turns.

A Place for Rain int3 make room for rain backmatter. — Interior spread from A Place for Rain written by Michelle Schaub and illustrated by Blanca Gómez, Norton Young Readers ©2024.

Backmatter offers a step-by-step guide to help families create their own rain gardens at home, additional conservation resources, as well as a cautionary line to call your utility company before you start digging. A recommended for all who care about our planet.

Click here to download an Educators’ Guide.

Reviewed by Roxanne Troup

Whatever the Weather! Series by Carol Thompson

January 22, 2015
goodreadswithronna
Ages 0-3, Children's Book Reviews, Concepts - Weather, Juvenile Fiction, Rain, Snow, Sun, Sun, Weather, Wind

As diverse as the weather is, so are the babies illustrated by Carol Thompson, in this four book Whatever the Weather! board book series which includes: SNOW, RAIN, SUN, and WIND, (Child’s Play International Ltd., $4.99, Ages 0-3).

In SNOW, a child puts on his warm clothes and goes out to experience the sounds and sensations of playing in the snow.

Slide…
… and…
… slip.
Whump!

When the sun gets low in the sky he must say goodnight to his snow monsters (snowmen), and go inside to warm his chilly nose and toes.

In contrast to the cold and snowy weather, Thompson has brightly illustrated the book, SUN, with babies donning sun hats and sunscreen, and little else. They strip down to the bare necessities of clothing for a day of fun in the sun.

Shoes off, socks off…
…clothes off!

This barefoot romp takes us from sun up to sun down.

RAIN is a delightfully lighthearted dance through the raindrops. Little ones will love the onomatopoeia and rhythm of the text.

Drip drop, Plip plop, Splish splosh……sploosh!

From first drop to sunshine and rainbows, this is a fun read!

Hold onto your hats and hounds when you read WIND. Thompson’s illustrations capture the movement and chaos of a windy day.

Wind ruffles and tickles …
…and snatches!
Wheeeeeeeeee…

This briskly paced read lends itself to drama and sounds effects, as the wind lifts us up and sets us back down to a calm ending.

It’s no surprise that Thompson has done such a beautiful job of illustrating stuffed bunnies, pinwheels, and kiddie-pools, as well as many other easily recognizable items in this delightful 12 page board book series. She’s illustrated more than forty-five books for children and is the recipient of the Mother Goose Award for Children’s Book Illustration.

– Reviewed by MaryAnne Locher