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Rain
This wordless picture book captures the beauty and wonder of a brother and sister's joyous experiences in the rain. Come along as they explore their neighborhood, splash through puddles, see where the animals hide, and make footprints in the mud. From the first small drops of rain to the clear blue sky of a bright new morning, Peter Spier's Rain will delight parents and children again and again.
Paperback
First published January 1, 1982
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About the author
Peter Spier
83 books70 followersPeter Spier has established himself as one of the most gifted illustrators in this county. His Noah's Ark was the 1978 Caldecott Award winner, while The Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night was a Caldecott Honor book in 1962. The firs two books in his widely acclaimed Mother Goose Library, London Bridge Is Falling Down! and To Market! To Market! were winner and runner-up respectively for the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award. The Erie Canal and Noah's Ark both won Christopher Awards, while Gobble, Growl, Grunt received Honorable Mention in the first Children's Science Book Award program, sponsored by the New York Academy of Science.
Born and educated in Amsterdam, Mr. Spier came to New York in 1952 after serving in the Royal Dutch Navy and working for a number of years as a reporter for Elsevier's Weekly, Holland's largest magazine. He has illustrated over a hundred books and has contributed a series of murals to the H. F. Du Pont Winterthur Museum in Delaware.
Born and educated in Amsterdam, Mr. Spier came to New York in 1952 after serving in the Royal Dutch Navy and working for a number of years as a reporter for Elsevier's Weekly, Holland's largest magazine. He has illustrated over a hundred books and has contributed a series of murals to the H. F. Du Pont Winterthur Museum in Delaware.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
April 21, 2020
I love this wordless story. It’s such a simple thing. Two children are playing in their back yard where there is a flourishing of nature around them and a rainstorm blows up. The children run inside and put on rain slickers and gear and then they go back out and play in the rain. It is simple things.
The story engages my memories of childhood and days I spent playing in the rain. I did many of the same things these kids do. I love the simple artwork. It’s not the best, but it gets the mood and the setting just right. This just sets me whirling in good memories. I long to have a garden of my own somedays. These are some carefree days.
The nephew read this to me again and he is still really good at making up a story. He hasn’t been able to play in the rain the same way. He’s done it a few times, but after reading this he wanted to give it a shot. He rated this 4 stars. One of his favorite parts is after the kids come in from the rain, we see them get in the tub together for a warm bath. He couldn’t believe the boy and girl bathe together and laughed at that. Then, when they are dressing we see a butt cheek of the boy and Nephew laughed his head off. He thinks that’s the funniest thing right now. Then in several frames, for whatever reason, the boy is playing games inside and you can see his crack like a plumbers crack and the nephew was howling with laughter. He loved it. Nephew is so weird sometimes.
The story engages my memories of childhood and days I spent playing in the rain. I did many of the same things these kids do. I love the simple artwork. It’s not the best, but it gets the mood and the setting just right. This just sets me whirling in good memories. I long to have a garden of my own somedays. These are some carefree days.
The nephew read this to me again and he is still really good at making up a story. He hasn’t been able to play in the rain the same way. He’s done it a few times, but after reading this he wanted to give it a shot. He rated this 4 stars. One of his favorite parts is after the kids come in from the rain, we see them get in the tub together for a warm bath. He couldn’t believe the boy and girl bathe together and laughed at that. Then, when they are dressing we see a butt cheek of the boy and Nephew laughed his head off. He thinks that’s the funniest thing right now. Then in several frames, for whatever reason, the boy is playing games inside and you can see his crack like a plumbers crack and the nephew was howling with laughter. He loved it. Nephew is so weird sometimes.
December 26, 2019
Two children go outside on a rainy day. This picture book without text has detailed illustrations with so much to look at and talk about. A wonderful look at how the world around us is a different place with a different feel on rainy days. At the end of the book comes the next day and it's sunny.
Read on open library
Read on open library
February 3, 2019
Peter Spier's Rain is a beautifully illustrated and intricately detailed book of two children playing in the rain. Even though it is a wordless picture book, it is a wonderful "read aloud" because of the many detailed panels you can share with children. This book brought back to me the wonder and fun of playing in the rain when I was a child. Peter Spier's books are lavishly illustrated and detailed (he won the Caldecott for his Noah's Ark in 1978). Peter Spier's Christmas is another favorite of mine - gorgeous illustrations and so detailed! Peter Spier's books are inspiring read alouds for story times and conversations with your children. He brings back so many memories of the joy of my children's childhood and my own. After a long and illustrious career as a children's author and illustrator, Peter Spier passed away at age 89 in 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/05/bo...
November 13, 2019
I happened to read this on a rainy day, and it was perfect! The story is clearly told through Peter Spier's delightful illustrations. Honestly, words would have just gotten in the way of the story.
This story reminded me of a time as a child when I spent an afternoon riding my bike through a puddle that had formed after a summer rainstorm along the side of an entire length of a street. I rode back and forth along the length of the puddle, enjoying the water as it splashed up and away from my bicycle wheels. I'm sure my bike and I got all wet and muddy, but I don't remember any of that. This book brought back the feeling of that memorable afternoon from my childhood.
This story reminded me of a time as a child when I spent an afternoon riding my bike through a puddle that had formed after a summer rainstorm along the side of an entire length of a street. I rode back and forth along the length of the puddle, enjoying the water as it splashed up and away from my bicycle wheels. I'm sure my bike and I got all wet and muddy, but I don't remember any of that. This book brought back the feeling of that memorable afternoon from my childhood.
July 11, 2017
Do kids go outside to experience a rainy day? The kids in our neighborhood make a dash for the car or hibernate when the weather isn't ideal. Maybe, after studying the pictures in this book, they may wonder about their own neighborhood and some of the things they might notice if they explored during a rain storm. The two kids in this story are thoroughly wet by the time they go back in their house.
May 22, 2018
Two kids enjoy the rainy day by observing nature, and splashing in puddles. Another very nice wordless picture book by the author.
October 19, 2008
Intended Age Group: 4-8
Two siblings play outside on a rainy day.
In this wordless story, a brother and sister, whose sandbox play is interrupted by falling raindrops, grab their coats and umbrella and head back outside. They slosh in puddles, turn their umbrella upside down and fill it with water, spray each other with the garden hose, stand in gutters full of rushing water, observe a cat taking shelter beneath a truck, watch the ripples and waves caused by raindrops on the pavement. Dripping wet, they return home, take a hot bath, enjoy hot chocolate and cookies, and settle down in their snug, dry beds while the storm rages outside. In short, they do everything there is to enjoy about a rainy day, and the reader is swept along in their excitement. Peter Spier, whose watercolor illustrations have so much going on inside them that you notice more with each rereading, has made several other excellent wordless stories, such as Dreams , Christmas, and Noah’s Ark. This is a great story to look at with children and encourage them to tell stories about what is happening in the pictures. It was featured on the television show Reading Rainbow, which is advertised on the cover of later editions.
A Publisher’s Weekly review (4/97) simply states a one-sentence description of the book without conveying its appeal. I was surprised not to be able to find more editorial reviews on 5 databases and 2 booksellers websites. I watched the Reading Rainbow video review by a child named Mary, who said that she enjoyed the wordless story, and after she read it, she took a shower!
Two siblings play outside on a rainy day.
In this wordless story, a brother and sister, whose sandbox play is interrupted by falling raindrops, grab their coats and umbrella and head back outside. They slosh in puddles, turn their umbrella upside down and fill it with water, spray each other with the garden hose, stand in gutters full of rushing water, observe a cat taking shelter beneath a truck, watch the ripples and waves caused by raindrops on the pavement. Dripping wet, they return home, take a hot bath, enjoy hot chocolate and cookies, and settle down in their snug, dry beds while the storm rages outside. In short, they do everything there is to enjoy about a rainy day, and the reader is swept along in their excitement. Peter Spier, whose watercolor illustrations have so much going on inside them that you notice more with each rereading, has made several other excellent wordless stories, such as Dreams , Christmas, and Noah’s Ark. This is a great story to look at with children and encourage them to tell stories about what is happening in the pictures. It was featured on the television show Reading Rainbow, which is advertised on the cover of later editions.
A Publisher’s Weekly review (4/97) simply states a one-sentence description of the book without conveying its appeal. I was surprised not to be able to find more editorial reviews on 5 databases and 2 booksellers websites. I watched the Reading Rainbow video review by a child named Mary, who said that she enjoyed the wordless story, and after she read it, she took a shower!
May 21, 2018
Entertaining wordless picture book with very intricately detailed and action-filled images of children enjoying a day of playing in the rain. I enjoyed the scenes of them playing, but I really liked the images of them getting warm and dry afterward!
I remember the joy of playing in the rain, but I have to admit that I don't do it very much anymore. I appreciate that our girls still enjoy it, however, since it gets them outside and away from screens.
I remember the joy of playing in the rain, but I have to admit that I don't do it very much anymore. I appreciate that our girls still enjoy it, however, since it gets them outside and away from screens.
September 24, 2014
A wordless book about a brother and sister playing outside and inside on a rainy day - a sort of celebration of simple play. I probably would have rated this a 4 if I hadn't felt disconcerted by a few of the pictures: a dog on a chain, the siblings taking a bath together when they seem too old to, and the boy's pants falling down too far.
June 28, 2014
I "read" this book to all five of my children. It is one of my very favorite children's book, because it reminded us of our family life.
November 8, 2014
An old favorite that even adults can love. The illustrations are fabulous.
July 9, 2016
A good book to look at on a rainy day. The illustrator has done a beautiful job. I should visit this one again soon when it's rainy.
August 23, 2025
This is a wordless book. What an adventure 2 siblings have on a rainy day! Children can spend so much time enjoying all the details on each page. Such a lovely picture book!
January 27, 2021
BEAUTIFUL.
this wordless, illustrated (i believe it's watercolor) book is so amazing to look through.
it makes me smile :D
this wordless, illustrated (i believe it's watercolor) book is so amazing to look through.
it makes me smile :D
July 5, 2012
I liked this one much more then Noah's Ark. I loved the illustrations and how he captured the way the world looked while it was raining. Everything looked wet but beautiful and peaceful. They explored their yard and their neighborhood all while it was raining. They jumped in puddles, watched the ducks and geese at the pond, dumped out the wheelbarrow and played in with the water in the sand box. They were fine when it was just raining but then it started to get really windy and the storm intensified. They ran home. They got out of their wet clothes, got a bath and got dressed. The children played inside and watched TV. Then it was time to go to bed, while the children were sleeping the storm continued to rage on. Then close to dawn the rain stopped and the storm dissipated. When the children woke up the storm had passed and sun came back out. I actually liked this book because it accurately depicted what everything looks like while it is raining. On one two-page spread he painted the rain dropping and making rings on a wide area of page. It was nature at it most beautiful and he artfully captured its splendor. A definite improvement from the Noah’s Ark. Ages 0-3
March 26, 2014
I recently discovered this book at my daughter's school. It's a wordless book about a brother and sister's experience on a rainy day. They dress for the weather and go outdoors to explore the neighborhood, splash through puddles, and see where animals hide. This book has so much to discover through the illustrations that you find something new every time you pick it up. The sequence of the day is organized with picture blocks and some full page illustrations while telling a story. It really captures the day outdoors in rain as it sprinkles and sometimes pours with high winds. It is reminiscent of the childhood days of play in rainy weather.
I would use this book in a small group or one-on-one. It can facilitate a student's understanding of sequential terms and progression through the story. I would use it to encourage expressive language where the student tells what they see; while, developing vocabulary. For example, a picture shows the children looking down into a puddle and see themselves. This would introduce the word reflection.
I would use this book in a small group or one-on-one. It can facilitate a student's understanding of sequential terms and progression through the story. I would use it to encourage expressive language where the student tells what they see; while, developing vocabulary. For example, a picture shows the children looking down into a puddle and see themselves. This would introduce the word reflection.
October 10, 2019
I’m prejudiced against wordless books. I’m trying to come around, but never have I read one that couldn’t have been improved with some great writing. I know I could construct my own story, but in that case, I may as well just tell an oral story without pictures.
I was hopeful about this one. I love that it features a brother and sister playing as friends, having adventures together. Not many books do that, especially not without the book centering on a conflict between them. Despite that huge plus, it still felt like a let down not to have words. I’ll keep trying.
I was hopeful about this one. I love that it features a brother and sister playing as friends, having adventures together. Not many books do that, especially not without the book centering on a conflict between them. Despite that huge plus, it still felt like a let down not to have words. I’ll keep trying.
September 14, 2019
I feel like this is one of those books I would have loved to page through as an older kid, looking at all the different details in the illustrations. Good to pull out on a rainy day. Didn't grab the attention of my 2-year old really, but I think I'll get it out from the library again when she's a bit older.
February 15, 2019
Not a fan of wordless books (I forget to look at pictures, so they're not a good match for me), but this one seems like a good one. Lots to see, and enjoying it with a lap-sitting kiddo would probably be a lot of fun.
October 3, 2015
A Peter Spier classic that captures the magic of a rain storm as experienced by two children. A delightful wordless picture book for all ages.
June 14, 2017
June 2017 - I always love Spier's illustrations. Ben spent a LONG time on each page, asking lots of questions and noticing details.
December 22, 2017
Why did they leave the dog out in the rain?
January 6, 2020
Quite possibly our favorite rainy book. Peter Spier’s illustrations are simply gorgeous.
March 4, 2019
This beautifully illustrated book is about more than just the book’s title. It is about the innocence of childhood and how new and exciting adventures are waiting, if we just take a moment to notice them. Before even reaching the title page in the book, Spier sets the scene, a seemingly calm day, with a storm looming in the background. The colors on the last two pages appear to be brighter and more vivid than the pages in the beginning of the book.
The story begins as the first few drops of rain are felt by one of the book’s characters, a young girl. She and her brother then rush inside to change into more appropriate weather gear. The siblings then set off to explore their backyard and their neighborhood. Rain is a wordless book and each picture gives a snapshot of a perfect, rainy day. Each page displays a colorful sequence of events as the children make their way through the rain. The rain begins to come down harder and the children make their way home to a warm bath and cookies with Mom. They enjoy the rest of the evening dry, often watching the rain from their windows. The siblings rise the next day, to see sunshine; a new day brings on new adventures. I can see this book being a hit in grades K – 2. Not only could students take turns narrating the pages, but it could also prompt them to have discussions with their classmates about their own rainy day adventures.
The story begins as the first few drops of rain are felt by one of the book’s characters, a young girl. She and her brother then rush inside to change into more appropriate weather gear. The siblings then set off to explore their backyard and their neighborhood. Rain is a wordless book and each picture gives a snapshot of a perfect, rainy day. Each page displays a colorful sequence of events as the children make their way through the rain. The rain begins to come down harder and the children make their way home to a warm bath and cookies with Mom. They enjoy the rest of the evening dry, often watching the rain from their windows. The siblings rise the next day, to see sunshine; a new day brings on new adventures. I can see this book being a hit in grades K – 2. Not only could students take turns narrating the pages, but it could also prompt them to have discussions with their classmates about their own rainy day adventures.
March 20, 2024
I absolutely loved this! It's one of those books I just wanted to hug when I finished it. I've always enjoyed Peter Spier's illustrations and they completely shine here in this wordless picture book. It's full of the joy and imagination of childhood as the two children make the most of a rainy day and find fun and adventure throughout the changes in the storm as the day progresses. I smiled my way through this as the illustrations kindled warm memories of rainy days from my own childhood and I thought how glad I am that my boys are still young enough to enjoy a good mud puddle and turn the umbrella upside down now and again. (That illustration where one child is squirting the other with the garden hose, other child trying to block the hose with the umbrella, all while the rain drenches them -- priceless!)
September 4, 2018
The little girl and boy get dressed and ready to go outside in the rain. They go around the town exploring things in the rain, such as drains, bird houses and ducks in a pond. The storm turns really bad, so they rush home. They change out of their wet clothes and eat with their family. When they go to bed, they watch the rain through the windows. This book would be a good book to read to second-fourth graders. It is an easy concept and shows there is beauty in everything, especially on a rainy day.
March 11, 2018
This is a wonderfully drawn picture book. It tells of what nature is like when all the people are inside because it is wet and rainy out. It does this through the perspective of two little kids playing in the rain. I found it to be a very sweet book with a nice ending with them outside again the next day in the sun shine.
October 30, 2018
You can't beat Spier's work for imaginative detail. His rainy day is full of interesting things to see and do for the two children who are having this rainy day adventure. Narrating this wordless book to a child is a fun activity as well. This sort of interactive reading keeps the reader well-engaged as well. This is Spier at his best!
May 19, 2025
What a serene beautifully illustrated book! Wordless, yet so expressive in the story it tells. Little details fill the pages. I love the beauty and wonder these children find as we follow them through the book. Inspiring exploration and play inside and outside on a raint day. I can't wait to add this book to my personal library!
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September 29, 2023Captures the beauty and wonder of a brother and sister's joyous experiences in the rain. I would use this book in the spring to teach the children about rain. They would be able to write a sentence saying something like "we use umbrellas when it rain".
Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews