Compiled by Rita Gray
Illustrated by Ryan O’Rooke
Poetry Picture Book
For ages 6 to 9
Charlesbridge, 2010, 978-1-57091-716-5
Depending on the season, rain either gives us some
welcome relief, or we consider it a nuisance. Depending on our mood we enjoy
paddling in puddles outside or we delight in staying indoors, cozy and warm
while the raindrops tap on the windows.
In this lovely
book, gem-like poems are paired with lovely evocative illustrations to take us
through the seasons, celebrating rain in all its forms as we go. We begin in autumn
when “the falling leaves / fall in layers…the rain / beats on rain.” In her
poem The Mist and All, Dixie Willson
tells us how much she enjoys fall’s mist, the “wailing sound / Of wind around,”
and the rain. She is content to be tending to and sitting by her “cozy fire.”
In winter, the
rain perhaps takes on a different feel. It is colder and greyer. In Haiku by Sora we read about “a
pitter-patter / of winter rain” on a pond that is covered with the reflection
of stars. Robert Frost’s poem To the
Thawing Wind introduces us to Southwester, a wind that brings the thaw with
rain and warmer temperatures that melt the icicles, make the doors rattle, and
“Turn the poet out of the door.”
We then move on
to the gentle rains of spring that bring life with them, and the welcome
showers of summer that freshen the air and offer some respite from the heat and
dust.
With a wonderful
introduction, and a note about the haiku form, this collection of poems
beautifully captures special rainy moments.
No comments:
Post a Comment