Rain Romp: Stomping Away a Grouchy Day

by Jane Kurtz, Dyanna Wolcott (Illustrator)

On a gray day the heroine of this book feels every bit as grouchy as the cloudy, rainy, windy sky outside her bedroom window. There is no way that her all-too-cheerful Mom and Dad are going to convince her to get out of bed. Or is there? How do you transform a stormy mood into a sunny one? This clever story holds the a stomping, romping, wild dance that can make you feel like yourself again -- and ready at last for smiles and giggles with the people who really do understand you after all.

Genres: Family, Picture Books, Juvenile, Childrens, Emotion, Storytime

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2002

About the author

Jane Kurtz was born in Portland, Oregon, but when she was two years old, her parents moved to Ethiopia. Jane grew up in Maji, a small town in the southwest corner of the country.
Since there were no televisions, radios, or movies, her memories are of climbing mountains, wading in rivers by the waterfalls, listening to stories, and making up her own stories, which she and her sisters acted out for days at a time.


That love of nature has recently inspired her to write books about loving the Earth--such as WHAT DO THEY DO WITH ALL THAT POO? and PLANET JUPITER.

Jane has published more than 40 books, fiction, nonfiction, picture books, novels for young readers, and ready-to-reads. Some are based on her childhood in Ethiopia. Some draw on her own children, such as ANNA WAS HERE, a novel for young readers that asks life's big questions about pain and disaster--and offers a few puny answers.

Since her childhood in Ethiopia, Jane has lived in Illinois, Colorado, North Dakota, Kansas and--now--back in Portland, Oregon.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this picture book. Written in first person, a girl doesn't want to get out of bed, because it is a yucky, rainy day. But she runs from the house and stomps in the rain. Lots of feelings in this book. For example, "The sky and I are 2 howling, prowling, scowling wolverines." Other words such as scolding, frowning, puzzling, smiling and laughing are used. This book takes the reader on a wonderful dance in the rain.

[Miss Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute book that could lead to a cute activity about a young girl who doesn't want to get up in the morning. She equates her mood to the storm happening outside until she and the storm become one. Cute family aspect. Toddler and up.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely illustrations and a sweet story. Good for introducing analogies.

[Heidi-Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book would do well for a story time because of all the action and the way it's written and the bright, insistent use of colors. But I'm not sure which age group. I could see the older group being OK with it, but I'm not sure if they would enjoy it. It is a little cheesy at the end. And, personally, I think it's a little too much rainbow. It could be good for a rain theme, or "transitioning" from the rain theme to the "finding happiness" theme. I'll have to think on it.

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story about a little girl that wants to just stay in bed. Instead her parents get her out of bed, by dancing and singing. This girl can't take it and jumps up out of bed, runs down the steps and out into the rain. At first she stomps around, and soon begins to enjoy it. Eventually everyone is outside jumping up and down in the rain, and loving it!

[Edna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The gray, grouchy bad-weather morning exemplifies this young girl's feeling about starting the day until her "colorful" anger forces her outside and suddenly, her mood is changed much to her parents' amusement.

[Paula · Rating 2 out of 5]

A little girl gets up in the wrong mood, it is nasty outside and she is feeling the same way. She decides to go outside and that's where it becomes all better. The rhyming is not very obvious.

[Finny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mommy says: Finny likes the watercolors.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I don't think this book was the best I've read, the ending really made it all worthwhile.